Pittsburgh State Consultant Jason Ortitay Is Contemplating Operating For Pennsylvania Governor Information | Pittsburgh

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Another name was added to the Pennsylvania 2022 chat.

MP Jason Ortitay (R-Cecil) told the Capital star Thursday he was considering “the option to run for governor” either in 2022 or “sometime in the future.”

Ortitay, a 36-year-old cheesecake entrepreneur, was first elected to the state in 2014, defeating a Democratic incumbent in a district that spans parts of suburb Pittsburgh and rural Washington County.

Oritay has taken conservative positions on issues such as gun rights, advocated mental health issues, and occasionally criticized former GOP President Donald Trump on Twitter.

His campaign secured the ortitayforgovernor.com domain name, according to the CA Target Book, a political data collection website.

The incumbent governor Tom Wolf (D-York) will be temporary next year and leave a wide open race – especially for Republicans.

There is at least one other declared candidate – Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale.

Other potential GOP candidates include Senator Doug Mastriano from Franklin County, US Representative Dan Meuser (R-Alfalfa), former US Representative Lou Barletta, former insurance manager in Philadelphia, Daniel Hilferty, former House Majority Leader Dave Reed from Indiana County. and former Lt. Governor Jim Cawley of Bucks County.

Democrats, meanwhile, appear to have settled Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D-Montgomery) as their likely 2022 candidate. Many big names in democratic politics, such as Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, have instead focused on the US Senate open race in 2022.

Incumbent Republican US Senator Pat Toomey said he plans to retire from politics, including not running a gubernatorial run.

Stephen Caruso is a reporter for the Pennsylvania Capital star, where this story first appeared.