Locals don’t back Doherty for gov.

Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty is staying in the governor’s race and Monday he discounted reports that he would shift gears and run for lieutenant governor.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton and Luzerne County Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla have endorsed Allegheny County executive Dan Onorato in the Democratic race for governor, but that hasn’t discouraged Doherty from seeking the nomination.

“I have known (Petrilla) and (Leighton) a long time and I consider both of them friends,” Doherty said. “They told me early on they were going to support Onorato and I’m OK with that. I have not changed my plans; I am running for governor on the Democratic ticket.”

Mark Nevins, spokesman for Doherty’s campaign, said the reports of Doherty switching to run for lieutenant governor was received as a compliment.

“It’s always nice to be thought of as someone who would add value to a statewide ticket,” Nevins said.

“We have heard people say that Dan Onorato needs Chris Doherty on the ticket to be competitive in November. But Chris Doherty got in the race because he has a lot of good ideas to get Pennsylvania back on track economically and with new jobs,” he added.

Nevins said the best way for Doherty to turn those ideas into reality is to run for governor.

“As far as endorsements, in this day and age they don’t really have much impact on the landscape; on how voters vote,” Nevins said. “Pennsylvania voters especially tend to be very independent when it comes to voting. We don’t put a lot of stock in endorsements these days. Voters will vote for candidates who will create jobs and get the state’s economy back on track.”

Petrilla said she likes Doherty and respects what he has done as mayor of Scranton. However, she said she met Onorato at least one year before Doherty announced he would run and she came away impressed with Onorato’s message.

“I like his ideas about streamlining government and reducing expenses,” Petrilla said of Onorato. “He has quite a success story in Allegheny County; we became instant friends and I pledged my support for him long before Mayor Doherty decided to enter the race.”

“Pennsylvania is at a critical juncture in its history and if we are going to reform government, create good new jobs and improve education for every child, we need to make real change now,” Leighton said. “Dan Onorato is the best experienced candidate and the only one who has detailed proposals to put Pennsylvania back to work.”

According to spokesman Brian Herman, Onorato has focused on job creation. He noted Allegheny County has more jobs than any other county in Pennsylvania and the county’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the state and 25 percent lower than the nation’s.

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Scranton mayor says he plans to continue his bid for Democratic nomination for Pa. top job.

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