Allyson Schwartz Governor: Pennsylvania Democrat Announces Bid To Become State's First Female Governor

Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., announced that she will seek to become the first woman to govern Pennsylvania. She joins a number of Democrats in a crowded primary field that could include millionaire Tom Knox of Philadelphia, former Rep. Joe Sestak of Edgmont, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, and former Lieutenant Governor candidate Scott Conklin.

Allyson Schwartz is known for her steadfastly liberal positions on nearly every issue of the day. She is a strong supporter of a ban on assault weapons, increasing government spending for entities such as Amtrack, and Schwartz also voted for the Affordable Care Act.

Schwartz announced she will abdicate her house seat in order to run for governor. She represents somewhat of an interesting Congressional district, in that, along with some liberal Philadelphia suburbs like Glenside and Abington, her district also included more rural and conservative areas in western Montgomery County, north of Pottstown. The district has transformed from a reliable Republican district to a very blue district over the last 20 years.

If selected in the 2014 Democrat primary, she will face incumbent Republican Tom Corbett who has come under fire recently for perceived attacks on the state's education system, despite fierce efforts to cut the size of government in Harrisburg by privatizing state liquor sales. According to the Pennsylvania Republican Party, Corbett plans to use the savings from the sale of state stores to invest an "estimated $1 billion [into] Pennsylvania education" system, which would effectively negate any argument to the contrary.

Though Schwartz leads Corbett 42 percent to 39 percent in a recent poll, it will still be a very tough road for Schwartz or any Democrat in Pennsylvania. Though the commonwealth has voted for President Barack Obama twice, the legislature and governorship in Harrisburg is still Republican-controlled, and it is the outcome of those local races that often determine the winner of a gubernatorial race.