John C. Thomas, a Kittanning Libertarian who says he works as an educator, is running for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He is running alongside gubernatorial candidate Ken Krawchuk of Montgomery County, according to the Butler Eagle. The race appears on every Montgomery County ballot.
The other candidates are Austin Davis (Democratic), Jason Richey (Republican) and Craig Joseph Bolton (Green), according to BallotReady election data.
Candidate information
Thomas was born in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, according to Ballotpedia. He has lived in Armstrong County for about 10 years, the Butler Eagle reported. He earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2000, according to Ballotpedia.
Thomas has said he works as a teacher professional development coordinator at Agora Cyber Charter School and has taught economics, history, geography and government, according to his Ballotpedia profile. He ran for U.S. Senate in 2024, receiving 89,653 votes, or 1.3% of the total, according to Ballotpedia.
Experience and public service
Thomas volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Armstrong County and serves as a jail ministry volunteer at Harvest Church of Kittanning, the Butler Eagle reported. He was nominated at the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania's annual convention, Thomas said on his Facebook page.
On the issues
In a PCNTV interview, Thomas outlined positions on education, criminal justice and military policy. The positions below are the candidate's own statements.
Education and school choice: Thomas said he supports school choice and eliminating property taxes that fund public schools. He said he would redirect per-pupil funding to families for private schooling. He argued private schools educate students at roughly $11,000 per year versus roughly $24,000 in public schools.
Criminal justice and the Board of Pardons: Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor chairs the state Board of Pardons. Thomas said he would recommend pardoning every person imprisoned for what he calls victimless crimes. He defined those as offenses without aggression against another person, such as drug use or unauthorized gambling.
National Guard deployments: Thomas said he supports "Defend the Guard" legislation. The measure would prohibit Pennsylvania National Guard members from deploying in combat unless Congress formally declares war.
Thomas said he grounds all of his positions in the libertarian non-aggression principle, arguing the state should not initiate aggression against citizens.
