Hanger withdraws from race for governor

John Hanger withdrew as a Democratic candidate for governor today, citing the effectiveness of his opponent, Tom Wolf, and his television campaign.
“Tom Wolf’s surge that stalled our January momentum meant that our recent polling was not strong enough for us to raise the funds for television and radio advertising needed for victory at the end of this campaign,” Hanger said in a statement.
Hanger served as Secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection in the Rendell administration and oversaw the early stages of Pennsylvania’s natural gas boom.
“We have tried every possible means to find a way to win and so avoid the necessity of making this decision,” Hanger said. “With no path to victory, to press on could cause damage to the issues and people for which we campaigned.”
Despite his environmental background, Hanger became a strong supporter of drilling – albeit drilling done in a safe and responsible manner.
In his announcement, Hanger praised his Democratic opponents, and said he expects whoever wins the primary will go on to defeat Governor Corbett in November.

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