Newspapers, labor unions, organizations, veterans, elected officials, and party leaders and committees in all corners of Pennsylvania agree – JACK WAGNER is the Democrats’ best choice for Governor in Tuesday’s primary.

The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, two of the largest circulation daily newspapers in the country, have both endorsed Wagner for Governor. In Sunday’s editions, they reiterated their endorsements.

The Tribune-Review:

He…has a long and distinguished record of public service. And the state auditor general has been rewarded at the polls with some of the largest statewide vote totals in commonwealth history. He’s a proven watchdog of public dollars, a consensus-builder and knows how to assemble a good team. His chief opponent, Dan Onorato, would be a dangerous choice.

The Inquirer:

In tough fiscal times, voters want leaders who make hard decisions about spending and taxes devoid of any political calculation. For Democrats, that type of leader is someone already taking a focused, unbiased look at how Pennsylvania can do a better job managing its budget: state Auditor General JACK WAGNER.

The decorated Marine veteran served 10 years on Pittsburgh’s City Council and 10 years in the state Senate. As auditor general, Wagner has done 25,000-plus audits, saving taxpayers millions.

The Inquirer’s deputy editorial page editor also wrote:

There’s one person in the Democratic field who has the most potential to give [presumptive Republican nominee Attorney General Tom] Corbett a race in the fall. That’s Jack Wagner, the auditor general.

Wagner has won statewide election and seems like a straight shooter. He lives on the same street where he grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

Wagner spent 10 years in the state Senate. He supports early childhood education, prescription drug coverage for seniors, and property-tax reform. During the state budget battle, he offered some compelling cost-saving ideas.

There’s one big problem: Wagner hasn’t raised much money. That has kept him from buying TV time. As such, he hasn’t gained much traction in the polls. But the lack of funding from special interests is the best reason for average voters to back Wagner.

Wagner has gotten the attention of Rendell. The governor called a news conference last week to take issue with ads Wagner is running that point to an increase in state spending under Rendell.

Wagner has also issued audits of the Rendell administration for no-bid contracts and wasteful spending.

Rendell had this to say about Wagner: “At times he is a pain in the butt, but he does his job.”

That’s the best endorsement yet for Wagner.

Here’s the complete list of organizations and individuals who have endorsed Jack Wagner for Governor as of today:

Labor

• Amalgamated Transit Union, Pittsburgh (Pat McMahon, President)
• American Federation of Government Employees 3rd District (Keith Hill, National Vice President; represented in Western PA by Ron Demichelli and in Southeastern PA by Jim Weyrauch)
• Beaver-Lawrence Central Labor Council (Dennis Bloom, President)
• Boilermakers Local 154 (Ray Ventrone, President)
• Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen/Teamsters Rail Conference (Ken Kertesz, Chairman)
• District 1199c of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFSCME, AFL-CIO (Henry Nicholas, President)
• Indiana, Armstrong, and Clarion Counties Central Labor Council (Ken Cecconi, President)
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29 (Jeff Davis, President)
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 201 (Eric Hoover, President)
• Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 (Mark Thomas, Business Manager)
• Pittsburgh Fire Fighters Local No. 1 (Joseph King, President)
• Teamsters Local 30 (Ernie Gigliotti, Principal Officer)
• Transportation Workers Union (Willie Brown, President)
• United Auto Workers Local 544 Retirees
• United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 (Wendell Young IV, President)
• United Mine Workers District 3 (Ed Yankovich, President)

Organizations

• East Pennsboro Democratic Club (Cumberland County)
• Humane USA PA PAC
• Mon Valley Police Association
• Pennsylvania Business Council, PEG PAC
• Pennsylvania League of Humane Voters
• Pennsylvania Restaurant Association
• Students for Wagner
• Veterans for Wagner

Elected Officials

• Lisa Bennington, former State Representative, Allegheny County
• Joseph Brennan, State Representative
• Judith Church, McKean County Commissioner and Chair, McKean County Democratic Committee
• Robert Crampsie, Carbon County Controller
• W. Michael Donovan, Vice President of Allentown City Council
• Charles Getz, Carbon County Commissioner
• Jim Goodman, Schuylkill County District Attorney
• Rich Grucela, State Representative
• Sam Hoff, Treasurer, Lycoming County Democratic Committee
• Tim Holden, U.S. Congressman
• Phil Jones, Cameron County Commissioner
• Barb Kline, Cambria County Treasurer and State Committeewoman
• Jennifer Mann, State Representative
• Former U.S. Congressman Frank Mascara
• Jeremy Melber, Jim Thorpe Borough Councilman, member of the Executive Board of the Carbon County Democratic Committee, and Vice President of the Jim Thorpe Democratic Club
• Tony Melio, State Representative
• John Morganelli, Northampton County District Attorney
• Andrea Naugle, Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records
• William O’Gurek, Chair, Carbon County Board of Commissioners
• John Peck, Westmoreland County District Attorney
• Donna Schmitt, Somerset County Treasurer & State Committeewoman
• Peggy Schnieder, Elk County Treasurer & State Committeewoman
• Peter Schweyer, Allentown City Councilman
• Ronald Sheehan, Carbon County Treasurer
• John Vatavuk, Vice Chair, Somerset County Board of Commissioners; Chair, Somerset County Democratic Committee
• Sandi Vulcano, Easton City Councilwoman (and Past-President)
• Chelsa Wagner, State Representative, Allegheny County
• Bob Will, former Somerset County Commissioner and Prothonotary
• Justin Yaich, President, Jim Thorpe Borough Council

Democratic County Committees

• Armstrong County Democratic Committee
• Beaver County Democratic Committee
• Cambria County Democratic Committee
• Fulton County Democratic Committee
• Lackawanna County Democratic Committee
• Montour County Democratic Committee
• Schuylkill County Democratic Committee
• Warren County Democratic Committee
• Westmoreland County Democratic Committee

Veterans for Wagner

• Veterans Alumni Association of Allegheny County, Jim White, Chair
• Robert Abbott, Catholic War Vets (Allegheny County)
• Dan Blissman, U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran (Westmoreland County)
• Bob Boland (Lackawanna County)
• James Bruder, U.S. Navy Club Chaplain (Allegheny County)
• Greg Daley (Allegheny County)
• Ron Demicheli (Allegheny County)
• Joseph DeVito (Forest County)
• Bill Dilla (Crawford County)
• Hal Donahue, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Ret. (Lackawanna County)
• Michael Dunn, M.D., Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Ret. and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh (Cambria County)
• Glenn Embree, U.S. Navy, Plumbers and Pipefitters Union (Westmoreland County)
• Richard Fallon, Former spokesman POW/MIA Association (Allegheny County)
• Jack Flaherty (Allegheny County)
• Mike Hall, American Legion Post 358 Commander (Delaware County)
• Floyd Johnson, Jr. (Allegheny County)
• Frank Lopes (Allegheny County)
• Moe Mahoney, U.S. Navy (Allegheny County)
• Seamus Maloney (Allegheny County)
• Dave Mankamyer, U.S. Army Sergeant, environmental consultant, and former County Commissioner (Somerset County)
• Anthony Marceca (Dauphin County)
• John May, U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran (Allegheny County)
• Ed McDonald, former All-American Commander of VFW Post, Sayre (Bradford County)
• James Mullen, U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran (Allegheny County)
• Bob Myers, Northwest Veterans Coalition (Venango County)
• Bernie Paisano (Allegheny County)
• Tom Petrone, Former Pennsylvania State Representative (Allegheny County)
• Rocco Polidoro, American Legion Post Commander, Springfield (Delaware County)
• Richard Portis, Robert Morris University Small Business Project Director (Allegheny County)
• William Sargent (Allegheny County)
• Thomas Scholler, Jr., Former Adjutant, Belleview VFW Post 2454 (Allegheny County)
• Ed Sheehan, Catholic War Vets (Allegheny County)
• Wayne Vlasic, Monessen City Controller (Westmoreland County)
• Ray Webb, Veterans Alumni Association (Allegheny County)

Democratic Party Leaders

• Carmela Anzinger (Mercer County)
• Dennis Balbac, District Leader of Lebanon County Democratic Committee District 4, member of PennAg Democrats, and, like Jack, a Vietnam veteran
• Chris Benson, Executive Board Member, Lycoming County Democratic Committee; Executive Board Member and Corresponding Secretary, Pennsylvania Young Democrats; Immediate Past President, Lycoming County Young Democrats
• Cindy Blissman, Democratic State Committeewoman (Westmoreland County)
• Jessie Bloom, Chair, Lycoming County Democratic Committee
• Diane Bowman, Chair, Dauphin County Democratic Committee
• Jim Boylan, Democratic State Committeeman, Northumberland County
• Estrella Brooks (Allegheny County)
• Ann Bursis, PA Democratic Party Treasurer (Wayne County)
• Henry “Butch” Coira, Chair, Montour County Democratic Committee
• Brittany Concilus, PA College Democrats Membership Director (Clarion County)
• Mary Jane Dellafiora, Democratic State Committeewoman, Indiana County
• Linda DiCindio, Democratic State Committeewoman, Schuylkill County
• Germaine Donahue, Chair, Sullivan County Democratic Committee and small business owner
• Charles M. Dries, Democratic State Committeeman, Schuylkill County
• Harriet Ellenberger, VP of the PA Federation of Democratic Women, President of the Democratic Women of Westmoreland County, and State Committeewoman
• Douglas Engelman, Executive Committee Member, Lycoming County Democratic Committee
• Ron Fairman, Vice Chair, Indiana County Democratic Committee
• Guy Ferguson, Chair, Bedford County Democratic Committee
• Richard Gahr, Executive Committee Member, Lycoming County Democratic Committee
• Rheon Gelvin, Chair, Fulton County Democratic Committee
• Dianne Gregg, Chair, Centre County Democratic Committee
• Peggy Grove, Democratic State Committeewoman, Dauphin County Democratic Committee; Chair, Democratic State Committee South Central Caucus
• H.B. Von Hause, Vice Chair, Cameron County Democratic Committee
• Zach Hause, Chair, Cameron County Democratic Committee; Director of Political Affairs, Pennsylvania College Democrats
• Rob Hopkins, Democratic State Committeeman
• Kathy Huggins, Democratic State Committeewoman (Philadelphia County)
• Lu Inzana, Chair, Jefferson County Democratic Committee
• Marianne Jackson (Allegheny County)
• Frank Jacobs, Chair, Carbon County Democratic Committee
• Chris Katella, President, Clarion University Young Democrats and Chair of Students for Wagner
• Ed Kleha, Chair, Schuylkill County Democratic Committee
• Monica Kline, a leader of Lebanon County Democratic Committee District 4 and daughter of the late Lt. Gov. Ernie Kline
• Larry Kriess, Chair, Butler County Democratic Committee
• Greg Leathers, Chair, Greene County Democratic Committee
• Ruth Luse, Democratic State Committeewoman (Centre County)
• Florence Matta, Democratic State Committeewoman (Allegheny County)
• Maxine McIntyre (Philadelphia County)
• Bill Miller, Chair, Clarion County Democratic Committee
• Tim Nieman, a leader of Lebanon County Democratic Committee District 4
• Paul Niglio, Chair, Northumberland County Democratic Committee
• Linda Piso (Allegheny County)
• Jay Purdy, Democratic State Committeeman, Dauphin County Democratic Committee; former Lower Paxton Township Supervisor
• Courtney Robinson, 2nd Vice Chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee
• Susan Rutt, PA Federation of Democratic Women President (Lehigh County)
• Jimmy Schlener, Chair of the Bethlehem City Democratic Committee
• Dick Schreckengost, Chair, Armstrong County Democratic Committee
• Patricia Smith-Mendsen, Democratic State Committeewoman
• Janet Spleen, Democratic State Committeewoman (Lancaster County)
• Chris Tarsa, Chair, Lebanon County Democratic Committee
• Jean Theis, Democratic State Committeewoman (Erie County)
• Charlie Vizzini, veteran and Democratic State Committeeman, Cambria County
• Mary Ann Weaver, Democratic State Committeewoman (Lawrence County)
• Helen Whiteford, Chair, Cambria County Democratic Committee
• Sandy Wolfe, Democratic State Committeewoman (Cumberland County)
• Susan Wolpin, Democratic State Committeewoman (Bucks County)