The U.S. Constitution prescribes that the Senate be composed of two senators from each state. The annual salary is $174,000.

The following Information is supplied by the Monroe County League of Women Voters.

Bob Casey Jr.

Democrat

Address:

Scranton

Online:

http://bobcasey.com, twitter.com/Bob_Casey, http://www.facebook.com/BobCaseyJr/?ref=br_rs

Education:

Holy Cross B.A. 1982 Catholic University Law Degree 1988

Qualifications:

Auditor-General of Pennsylvania, 1997-2005; treasurer of Pennsylvania, 2005-07; United States Senator, 2007-present.

What are your top three priorities in office?

The top three issues I am focused on are increasing access to affordable health care, protecting the programs Pennsylvanians depend on, and helping working families get ahead. That means stopping the Trump administration’s sabotage of our health care system, defeating Republican attacks on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and fighting to raise wages, protect the rights of organized labor, and eliminate the obstacles holding working families back.

If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?

The right to vote has been called our most precious right, and the “primary right by which all other rights are protected.” I supported The Voting Rights Reconstruction Act of 2015, legislation which would restore the Voting Rights Act, and I oppose efforts to suppress voter turnout, and support measures to make voting easier for people. I oppose voter ID laws, and favor restoring voting rights to people after they have served their sentences. During the Kavanaugh confirmation fight, I have been working to make clear that I expect our next Supreme Court Justice to protect voting rights, and not dismantle the tools by which they are protected. No one should be stop eligible voters from casting their ballot. Earlier this year, I helped to secure $13 million from the Election Assistance Commission to help secure Pennsylvania’s election systems, and I am working in the Senate to appropriate more funds for election security.

Neal Taylor Gale

Green party

Address:

Abington Township

Online

: http://gale2018.com, twitter.com/NealGale2018, Neal Gale for U.S. Senate on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2yLJonI

Education:

Drexel University – Architecture

Qualifications:

For the past 40 years I have worked in the energy conservation and efficiency fields, currently managing a comprehensive, low-income energy affordability program in conjunction with the six investor-owned utilities, in New Jersey.

What are your top three priorities in office?

(1) Remove corporate, PAC, lobbyist and other special interests’ money from the political process, to end the influence of those groups on specific legislation and the buying of political favors. (2) Generate the political will at the federal level of government to implement a transition from our existing fossil fuel economy to a 100 percent renewable energy economy, acknowledging the existential threat that climate change represents. (3) Reform our economic model to favor all of our citizens, not just the wealthiest 1 percent. This will include the re-regulation of the financial industries and the recognition that the economy should support a baseline standard of living, below which no one may be allowed to fall.

If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?

I will fight for legislation to make voter registration as accessible as possible for all citizens, reversing unwarranted restrictions on voters. I would like to see Election Day become a national holiday and I would support federal funding to provide Election Day transportation for those citizens who would otherwise be unable to reach their polling place. I will support fair districting practices throughout the country, beginning with Pennsylvania. I will also champion the cause of providing resources to bring the latest voting technology into our polling places, replacing the existing digital-screen machines with those that incorporate paper balloting. I will support legislation to demand intelligence resources be assigned to recognize and thwart any attempts to alter our electoral system, by any means, digital or otherwise.

Dale R. Kerns Jr.

Libertarian

Address:

Swarthmore.

Online:

http://dalekerns.com, twitter.com/DaleKernsJr, http://www.facebook.com/KernsDale

Education:

Widener University — Professional Studies, Project Management Sociology Master Electrician by trade

Qualifications:

Founder and president of the Little Angels Foundation. Cabot Creamery Community Celebrity winner for volunteerism. Over seven years in the nonprofit sector in a volunteer capacity. Recently appointed to the James A. Masterson Foundation advisory board.

What are your top three priorities in office?

(1) We must address the opioid epidemic and end the war on drugs. When I get to the U.S. Senate, I will sponsor legislation that will fundamentally change how we view drug problems and move our system to one similar to Portugal or Switzerland, where drug addiction is treated as a medical issue. (2) Education is one of the most important issues our nation and commonwealth face. As a father to two daughters, I am not pleased with the options (or lack thereof) that most parents have. I will vote to abolish the federal Department of Education and return decisions to parents, students and local communities. (3) Our immigration system is broken. It can take decades for individuals to immigrate to this country legally. We should welcome those who come to the United States to make a better life for their families. Our communities have been built on the hard work of immigrants. I will vote to abolish ICE and to reform our immigration system by making it easier for good people to legally immigrate.

If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?

I would work in the Senate to ensure that those who wish to vote can do so without any unnecessary hurdles. This would include rigid enforcement of the 14th and 15th amendments and support of early voting and same-day voter registration, as well as opposition to any new voter ID laws. States maintain the right to conduct their elections as they please, but they must also abide by the aforementioned constitutional requirements, which were designed to protect the sanctity of the voting booth.

Lou Barletta

Republican

Address:

Hazleton

Online:

http://www.LouBarletta.com, twitter.com/louforsenate, http://Facebook.com/louforsenate

Education:

Attended Bloomsburg State College (Bloomsburg University) where I majored in elementary education.

Qualifications:

As a former small-business owner, mayor of Hazleton and member of Congress, I have a strong record of standing up and fighting for people in my community.

What are your top three priorities in office?

My top three priorities are keeping Pennsylvania’s families safe, protecting Pennsylvania jobs, and standing up for the men and women who serve our communities. More than anything, people want someone willing to fight for them, when no one else will. That’s what I have always done, and that’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate.

If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?

Congress has a constitutional duty to preserve the integrity of our democracy and ensure that our elections are both free and fair. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I have worked with my colleagues to make sure our voting systems are secure. I recently voted for increased funding for states to improve their election security, as well as increased funding to counter Russian cyber attacks. I also spoke out against the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to throw out Pennsylvania’s bipartisan, constitutionally drawn congressional map in the middle of the election, creating chaos and confusion among voters.