Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Bellefonte, will not seek a seventh term representing the 34th District in 2022 as he focuses on his campaign for governor.
Corman, who announced his candidacy in the growing 2022 GOP gubernatorial field in November, was first elected to the Senate in 1998, succeeding his father, J. Doyle Corman, who held the same seat from 1977 to 1998.
His current term in the Senate concludes at the end of next year.
“As I prepare to conclude my final term in the Senate, I want to thank the great people of the 34th senatorial district for all of their support and encouragement,” Corman said in a statement. “I will always be honored by the trust and faith you placed in me. I also want to thank all those who worked on my staff through the years for their hard work and dedication to make Pennsylvania a better place.”
The 34th District includes all of Centre, Mifflin and Juniata counties and part of Huntingdon County.
During his time in the Senate, Corman, 57, is credited with leading the overhaul of the state pension system. He led the effort that in 2015 reversed NCAA sanctions imposed on Penn State following the Jerry Sandusky scandal, including restoring football team wins that had been vacated and ensuring a $60 million fine would be used to aid Pennsylvania survivors of child abuse, rather than being spread around multiple states.
Corman also was the driving force in the Senate behind new anti-hazing legislation following the 2017 death of Penn State student and fraternity pledge Timothy Piazza
He was a leader of the Republican effort that resulted in a constitutional amendment approved by a majority of voters to limit the length of time a governor could enact an emergency disaster declaration and giving the legislature power to decide if it can be extended.
“None of this would’ve been possible without my colleagues in the Senate,” Corman said. “I want to thank them for their willingness to work together in service to the people of Pennsylvania.”
In announcing his gubernatorial campaign last month, Corman said his experience and ability to break through gridlock would distinguish his candidacy. He has said he is focused on job opportunities, improving education and public safety and defending personal freedoms.
Corman was elected by GOP senators to the top-ranking position of president pro tempore in January after serving as majority leader, the number two role, for the previous five years.
Only one candidate so far has announced intentions to run for the 34th District Senate seat. Democrat Robert Zeigler, currently a Millheim Borough Council member, declared his candidacy in June.
