Libertarian lieutenant governor candidate John C. Thomas says he would recommend pardoning every person imprisoned in Pennsylvania for victimless crimes if elected Nov. 3, 2026. Thomas, an educator from Kittanning in Armstrong County, was nominated at the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania's convention as the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Ken Krawchuk of Montgomery County, according to the Butler Eagle.

The other candidates in the race are Austin Davis (Democratic), Jason Richey (Republican) and Craig Joseph Bolton (Green).

Candidate information

  • Name: John C. Thomas
  • Party: Libertarian
  • Residence: Kittanning, Armstrong County (approximately 10 years)
  • Birthplace: Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
  • Education: Bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2000)
  • Religion: Thomas identifies as a Christian, according to his campaign Facebook page

Experience and public service

Thomas works as a teacher professional development coordinator at Agora Cyber Charter School, according to his Ballotpedia biography. He has also said he has taught economics, history, geography and government.

In 2024, Thomas ran for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania as the Libertarian candidate. He received 89,653 votes, or 1.3% of the total, according to Ballotpedia.

Thomas volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Armstrong County and serves as a jail ministry volunteer at Harvest Church of Kittanning, according to the Butler Eagle.

On the issues

Thomas has outlined positions on education, criminal justice and military policy. The following are drawn from his statements in a PCNTV interview. All positions below are the candidate's own claims.

Education and school choice: Thomas supports school choice and privatizing education. He has called for eliminating property taxes that fund public schools and redirecting per-pupil funding to families for private school tuition. He argues private schools educate students for roughly $11,000 per student per year, compared with roughly $24,000 in public schools.

Criminal justice and the Board of Pardons: Thomas has said that as chair of the Board of Pardons he would recommend pardoning every person imprisoned for what he calls victimless crimes. He defines those as offenses that did not involve an act of aggression against another person, such as drug use or unauthorized gambling.

National Guard deployments: Thomas supports "Defend the Guard" legislation, which would prohibit Pennsylvania National Guard members from deploying in combat unless Congress has formally declared war.

Role of government: Thomas grounds his positions in the libertarian non-aggression principle. He argues the state should not initiate aggression against citizens.

Thomas had not responded to the Doylestown-Buckingham Record's candidate questionnaire as of publication.