By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com

With the 2017 elections now behind us, attention quickly turns to next year’s gubernatorial race that will feature a field of at least three GOP candidates in the hunt to send Democratic incumbent Gov. Tom Wolf packing after a single four-year term.

In the coming days and weeks, you will need only turn on your TV to be reminded that even though we don't elect a governor until next November, the campaigns are kicking into high gear. Candidates are buying up television time to get their name and message out in hope that it resonates with voters.

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Pennsylvanians will come to know more about each of the announced candidates, which at present include Wolf and Republicans Scott Wagner, Paul Mango and Laura Ellsworth. But there’s little doubt in political circles that House Speaker Mike Turzai will jump in soon, too.

His political consultant said Turzai will announce his decision whether he will enter the race by Thanksgiving.

For now, here is a quick intro to the announced candidates and where they stand on some issues at this early stage of what could be the most expensive gubernatorial race in state history.

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Before they became gubernatorial candidates what did they do?

Wolf: Before he became Pennsylvania's 47th governor for the past three years, he was a York County business executive who ran the Wolf Organization, a company that makes and supplies cabinets as well as specialty building products. He also did a stint as former Gov. Ed Rendell's Revenue secretary.

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Wagner: Along with being a state senator who was first elected to that chamber through a historic write-in campaign in a 2014 special election and then re-elected to a full four-year term later that year, he is president and CEO of Penn Waste trash and recyclable hauling company and KBS Trucking, both located in York County.

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Mango: He worked for an Allegheny County company as a health care consultant and is a former Army officer.

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Ellsworth: She is a partner in an Allegheny County law firm.

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How old are they?

Wolf: He is 68 (soon to turn 69 on Nov. 17).

Wagner: He is 62.

Mango: He is 58.

Ellsworth: She is 59.

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Where'd they go to school?

Wolf: He holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, a master's from University of London and a doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Wagner: He is a graduate of Dallastown Area High School.

Mango: He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and earned a master's in business from Harvard University.

Ellsworth: She earned her bachelor's from Princeton University and her law degree from University of Pittsburgh.



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Why they say they are running?

Wolf: Before he was elected governor, he served as board chairman for many nonprofits out of a desire to make his community and lives of people who lived in them better, he told the crowd at a recent Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon. In serving as revenue secretary for Rendell and then as governor, he said he learned he could do that on a much grander scale. "That's what motivated me to want to become governor. That's what motivated me in 2013 [when he ran for his current term of office] and that's what motivates me right now."



Wagner: Using his own words, "I'm running to take the trash out in Harrisburg. Harrisburg is starving for leadership and for a governor that is going to start putting people before special interests. Tom Wolf has failed – he's failed on jobs, he's failed on education, and he's failed on changing Harrisburg."

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Mango: During his campaign announcement tour, he said he is running because "I believe our commonwealth is in trouble." He said his military career along with his West Point education and master's from Harvard give him the leadership and business training to rev up Pennsylvania's economy and create jobs that bring young people back to this state.

Ellsworth: "For too long, too many politicians like our governor have fallen in love with their own voices and confused process with actual progress. We've all heard enough talk – it's time for action," she said. "During my career in the private sector I've been a solutions oriented leader, creating diverse coalitions to tackle major problems. That's exactly the approach I'll bring to Harrisburg. As governor, my priority will be people, not politics. For me, being governor is about doing something not being somebody."

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What do they say about public education?

Wolf: He boasts that his administration has made the largest investment in public education in state history in the first three years of his term, restoring cuts made in the former Corbett Administration that led to teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and program cuts. He takes credit for putting in place a fair school funding formula, increasing the number of children in preschool and full-day kindergarten, and expanding opportunities for career and technical education. Still, he says, there's more work to do and, for him, education is a first priority.

Wagner: He holds public education as state government's first priority. He said, "I want to invest in education and to do that we need to get our fiscal house in order in the state. I believe in accountability and standards and we need to tailor our system to reward achievement and accountability."

Mango: He has said he would like to see public education adapt much more quickly than it's adapting now. He also wants to bring dignity back to vocational education and his campaign material says he "will make certain our public schools and teachers have the latitude to actually educate, versus simply teaching to a test and meeting various mandates that do not help our children compete locally and globally."

Ellsworth: She said every parent deserves to choose the school their child will attend.



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Do they favor school choice?

Wolf: No. He opposes vouchers and any program that diverts state funding away from Pennsylvania's public schools. He believes tuition vouchers cost the commonwealth and school districts hundreds of millions of dollars, which would ultimately be passed onto taxpayers in local taxes.

Wagner: Yes. He said, "I support a system that lets kids escape from failing public schools. We have to offer parents of kids the opportunity to improve their kids' lives and there is no doubt that a voucher is a life-line for kids trapped in failing public schools simply due to the zip code they live in."

Mango: Yes. He said he wants to expand the list of brick-and-mortar charter school authorizers (entities empowered to grant a charter which allows one of these independent public schools to open) to more than just school districts. He also supports the latest iteration of vouchers called educational savings accounts. He said he will not tolerate "locking a child into a school system that is failing and not changing even though it's failing."

Ellsworth: Yes. She supports it.



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File photo/PennLive.com

Where do they stand on gun control?

Wolf: He believes gun owners' rights can be respected while protecting citizens and law enforcement. "The governor supports policies that protect the American people and our first responders and he supports passing universal background checks, increased restrictions on military-style weapons, and closing loopholes that allow criminals and people on terrorist watch lists to purchase guns," according to his campaign.

Wagner: He said he doesn't support "any further restrictions on gun ownership because I believe more laws only restrict the rights of law abiding citizens and would do nothing to prevent the tragic events we have seen."

Mango: He is a committed supporter of the Second Amendment, according to his campaign.

Ellsworth: She says she is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.



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Where are they on this LGBT rights issue?

When it comes to adding sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination law, this is what they say about that.

Wolf: Wolf signed executive orders last year that expanded protections from discrimination for state employees and contractors based on sexual orientation, gender expression or identity and he believes those protections should be statewide.

Wagner: Wagner, in his role as Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee chairman, allowed for the first time a committee vote in that chamber on a bill to extend anti-discrimination protections to the LGBT community in terms of housing and employment. He said, "I believe in fairness and have been a supporter of adding sexual orientation to anti-discrimination protections and protecting religious liberties. I do not believe you have to choose between one or the other."

Mango: His campaign says he would "veto any 'bathroom bill' legislation that violates individual privacy, religious liberty, and individual safety in bathrooms and public facilities based on gender identity."

Ellsworth: No answer was provided.



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How would they grow the economy?

Wolf: He is looking to invest in expanding companies like eBay and Amazon to make Pennsylvania a hub for new technology jobs, according to his campaign. He also is working to link job training to manufacturing jobs. He sees the priority he places on investing in education – including higher education and career and technical programs – as a way to attract companies to come to Pennsylvania and equip students with the skills to earn high-paying jobs after graduation.

Wagner: First on his list is reorienting the focus of state government. He said, "We are going to transition from a foe to a friend of job creators. Secondly, I would want to reform our tax code for everyone. Pennsylvania seems intent on creating loopholes and tax breaks for everyone who can afford a good accountant or lobbyist. All that does is leave the average family to share more of the burden."

Mango: He believes that the Pennsylvania economy can be transformed by taking advantage of its natural gas resources, capitalizing on the advanced research being done by universities in this state; and growing the pharmaceutical and biotechnology, agricultural, and tourism industries, according to his campaign's vision statement. He also wants to lower the corporate tax rate and lessen the regulatory burden on businesses.

Ellsworth: She believes we need to streamline the process for people to start small businesses and remove regulatory hurdles like occupational licensure for jobs that she said clearly don't need them. "For many people a small business is a secondary way to make ends meet and it's unfortunate that we make it so hard for people to live their dreams," she said.



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Do they favor a state spending cap?

Wolf: His campaign highlights that he has cut more than $2 billion in government waste, which they say are the largest cuts and consolidations of government bureaucracy in our history, to free up money to make investments in children, seniors, and working Pennsylvanians.

Wagner: He would support a cap on spending, but said what's most important is "the idea that we have a governor who understands the devastating effects of unchecked spending."

Mango: His "Restore the Dream" vision plan doesn't specifically address imposing a cap on spending but rather discusses recreating state government to be "less costly, less centralized." In an interview with PennLive in September, he said he favors turning over certain responsibilities the state now has to county and municipal governments and downsizing the state government workforce through attrition, retirements and an early-buyout program.

Ellsworth: No answer was provided.

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What do they think distinguishes them from the competition?

Wolf: We'll start with the obvious. He is the governor and he is a Democrat. Beyond that, his campaign says, "Governor Wolf has a proven track record of taking on Harrisburg to get results for the people of Pennsylvania. Thanks to Governor Wolf, more than 720,000 Pennsylvanians have access to heath care, more seniors are able to age in their homes, our children are receiving the education we need them to have, and there are more workforce training initiatives that will help grow our economy."

Wagner: He said he's the only candidate who has created thousands of jobs and signed more than a million paychecks over the course of his life. Further, he said, "I'm the only one who's been competing and winning for nearly four decades in the private sector where I've been able to rely on my reputation for doing what others couldn't, for keeping my word, and for doing what I said I was going to do. I know how to compete for new business, I know how to win, and I know how to create jobs."

Mango: He claims to be the only candidate for governor who has "the proven track record of success, commitment to service, and the forward-thinking vision to turn Pennsylvania around from the continued mediocrity voters have been forced to settle for under the failed administration of Tom Wolf."

Ellsworth: She said she is not a politician. She is a businessperson "who has a long record of getting things done both in private business and in the community through charitable and civic organizations."

In the coming months, there is little doubt the candidates will carve out more differences among themselves. So stay tuned. There are plenty more stories to come on this journey to find out who voters will send to occupy the governor's office on Jan. 15, 2019.