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Voters of all stripes who live in three southcentral Pennsylvania counties have the opportunity to cast a ballot in a May 18 special election to decide who will represent them in the state Senate for the next 18 months.

On the ballots in Lebanon County and parts of York and Dauphin counties, voters will see the names of four candidates listed who hope to fill the 48th state Senatorial District seat that became open due to the January death of Sen. Dave Arnold. The winner will serve out the remainder of his term that expires Nov. 30, 2022.

This seat has rested securely in Republican hands for decades and that is an advantage that falls in Republican newcomer Christopher Gebhards favor.

But Dr. Calvin Clements, the Democrat in the race, is optimistic that voters in the district want someone like him working on their behalf in Harrisburg. He touts a science background and more than three decades of business acumen from operating veterinary clinics.

The seat also has attracted the interest of Ed Krebs, an independent who came out of retirement to launch his Bring People Together political movement. Krebs formerly served in the state House of Representatives for 12 years, first as a Democrat and then as a Republican. He believes his legislative experience along with his fiscally conservative but socially moderate views could attract Republican voters who want another option but cant bring themselves to vote for a Democrat.

Tim McMaster, a Libertarian who believes his partys desire to get government out of peoples lives, will carry enough appeal in this race to let his party finally gain a foothold in the Senate.

The interesting twist to this race is it will be decided in a special election that coincides with a primary.

Primary elections typically draw out only registered Republican or Democratic voters to decide their party nominees. But this primary also offers all voters, regardless of party, the chance to weigh in on some controversial proposed constitutional amendments that have been getting plenty of attention.

So that, plus the convenience of mail-in no-excuse voting, could make this race not as cut and dry as some might think.

Their aha moment

Each of the candidates came at their decision to run for this political office in a different way.

For Clements, it was the backlash to the COVID-19 pandemic and Republicans refusal, as he put it, to follow the science.

The 70-year-old retired veterinarian from Lebanon County agrees that Gov. Tom Wolfs mitigation orders were difficult but he said they were difficult to everybody. But without doing it, we would have had a tremendous amount of deaths beyond the more than 26,000 already recorded, he said.

For McMaster, an information technology analyst who operates a farm in York County, it happened when he was collecting signatures to get the Libertarian Party candidates on the 2020 general election ballot.

The 46-year-old overheard the partys presidential candidate Spike Cohen say the party really needed to focus on getting candidates elected to local offices so others could see we are just normal people who want other people to be free and unencumbered by government. He initially decided to run for township supervisor but switched gears when the Senate seat opened up.

For Krebs, it was the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that roused his desire to return to government to serve only for the 18-month duration of the unexpired term.

The 77-year-old bicycle enthusiast has deep Lebanon County roots and a farming and economics background. He admits he also was influenced by people who like his philosophy of governing from the middle and not wanting the winner to be under control of the countys Republican Party leadership.

Gebhard, who at one point was challenged for the GOP nomination by seven other candidates, said running for a political office was not anything he ever thought he would do. Instead, his family was active in his Lebanon County community in other ways.

Weve always had the belief its the responsibility of everyone to do their small part to make their community a better place, said the 46-year-old owner of an insurance and risk management firm. I felt this was a calling to do that at a greater level.

Primary area of focus

All four identified financial-related issues as the primary area where they would focus their attention if elected.

For Gebhard, it would be looking to improve the states business climate.

We certainly need to look at our business environment and find ways to make it more competitive and make it more attractive so we can recruit and bring in businesses that are going to provide good family-supporting jobs, he said.

For Clements, its paying down the state pension systems unfunded liability and believes its necessary to freeze the defined benefit plan for current employees to bring the pension debt under control. While others maintain that would be unconstitutional, Clements said if its necessary to amend the constitution to make it happen, hes up for that.

For McMaster, its tax reform with an eye toward eliminating the state income tax. He said that revenue could be replaced with money from corporate taxes as a result of all the new businesses and workers that Pennsylvania would draw in being a no-income-tax state.

For Krebs, picking one primary area of focus was tough but among them was balancing a state budget without the smoke-and-mirror tactics of accounting gimmicks, dipping into special funds and ambitious revenue estimates.

I understand the games, he said. They havent passed a real balanced budget basically since I left the Legislature in 2002.

Will you be a full-time legislator?

For Krebs and Clements, the answer is yes, although neither considers serving in the Legislature as a job but rather a short-term public service opportunity.

McMaster raises goats and cows so he said he will still continue farming but would take a leave from his IT job if elected.

Gebhard, on the other hand, does not intend to step away from his business. He said that connection to the community will keep him grounded. Moreover, he said, its going to allow me to not be dependent on the Senate position to support my family. I think thats important because itll allow me to make decisions based on what is right rather than what I need to get re-elected.

What makes them the best qualified?

McMaster, a one-time professional wrestler, said he is not beholden to a party but rather the idea of freedom of the people and getting government out of peoples lives, out of their wallets and out of their bedroom.

I think thats what people really, really want, he said. Its the way our system was intended. The government was there as a necessary evil at best.

Clements cites his maturity, experience in operating a profitable chain of veterinary offices, creating 57 jobs, living within a budget and understanding science.

I can listen to a lot of opinions and can come up with a consensus as opposed to following the left or the right, he said.

Gebhard cites the fact that he isnt a career politician as a selling point to voters.

I think that gives me great independence. Im not beholden to anyone. The only people I answer to are the voters, he said. Im not dependent on this position to support my family and that gives me great independence, independence of thought and independence of action. I think those things are all important.

Krebs pointed to the name of his political movement, Bring People Together. He said in the sharply divided political atmosphere inside the Capitol, that is what needs to happen and hes the guy to do it.

It used to be the center ruled. You had moderates in both parties and they came up with a consensus, he said. Im a moderate who has the experience in Harrisburg and the best one who can do the job in 18 months. Some of the other guys are good but none of them have the experience I do. They need to learn about Harrisburg.

If you are a registered voter who lives in any of the following municipalities, you have the opportunity to vote for one of these candidates: All of Lebanon County; in Dauphin County, Conewago, Londonderry, Swatara and Lower Swatara townships and the boroughs of Highspire, Middletown, Paxtang, Royalton and Steelton; and in York County, Conewago, East Manchester, Newberry and Springettsbury townships and the boroughs of Goldsboro, Lewisberry, Manchester, Mount Wolf, and York Haven.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

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The Pa. Senate 48th District race: Whos the best man for the job? - PennLive