Libertarian nominee John C. Thomas, a Kittanning educator, is running for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor on the Nov. 3 ballot. His gubernatorial running mate is Ken Krawchuk of Montgomery County. The race also includes Austin Davis (Democratic), Jason Richey (Republican) and Craig Joseph Bolton (Green).

Thomas was nominated at the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania's annual convention, according to the Butler Eagle. He ran for U.S. Senate in 2024 as a Libertarian, receiving 89,653 votes, or 1.3% of the total, according to Ballotpedia.

Candidate information

  • Party: Libertarian
  • Residence: Kittanning, Armstrong County (approximately 10 years), according to the Butler Eagle
  • Birthplace: Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
  • Education: Bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2000)
  • Running mate: Ken Krawchuk (gubernatorial candidate, Montgomery County)

Experience and public service

Thomas said he has worked as a teacher of economics, history, geography and government, and as a teacher professional development coordinator at Agora Cyber Charter School, according to his Ballotpedia profile. He also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Armstrong County and serves as a jail ministry volunteer at Harvest Church of Kittanning, according to the Butler Eagle.

On the issues

Thomas's policy positions are drawn from a PCNTV interview and represent the candidate's own statements. He said he grounds all of his positions in the libertarian non-aggression principle, arguing the state should not initiate force against citizens.

Education: Thomas said he supports school choice and privatization of education. He said he would eliminate property taxes that fund public schools and redirect per-pupil funding to families for private school tuition. He argued that private schools educate students for less than half the cost of public schools, citing figures of roughly $11,000 versus roughly $24,000 per student per year.

Criminal justice and the Board of Pardons: Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor chairs the state Board of Pardons. Thomas said he would recommend pardoning every person imprisoned for what he calls victimless crimes, defined as offenses that did not involve an act of aggression against another person, such as drug use or unauthorized gambling.

Military and National Guard: Thomas said he supports "Defend the Guard" legislation. The proposal would prohibit Pennsylvania National Guard members from deploying in combat unless Congress has formally declared war.

The Radnor-Haverford Herald sent a questionnaire to all candidates in this race. Thomas did not respond. This profile is based on publicly available sources.