Joseph Soloski

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Joseph Soloski

Keystone Party of Pennsylvania

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1979

Personal

Birthplace

Kittanning, Pa.

Religion

Follower of Jesus Christ

Profession

Accountant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Joseph Soloski (Keystone Party of Pennsylvania) ran for election for Governor of Pennsylvania. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Soloski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Joseph Soloski was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. Soloski earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1979. His career experience includes working as a certified public accountant and owning an accounting practice.

Elections

2022

See also: Pennsylvania gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Pennsylvania

Josh Shapiro defeated Doug Mastriano, Matt Hackenburg, Christina Digiulio, and Joseph Soloski in the general election for Governor of Pennsylvania on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Josh Shapiro (D)	56.5	3,031,137
		Doug Mastriano (R)	41.7	2,238,477
		Matt Hackenburg (L)	1.0	51,611
		Christina Digiulio (G)	0.5	24,436
		Joseph Soloski (Keystone Party of Pennsylvania)	0.4	20,518

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,366,179
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Eddie Wenrich (Independent)
• Christina Olson (Green Party of Pennsylvania)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Pennsylvania

Josh Shapiro advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Pennsylvania on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Josh Shapiro	100.0	1,227,151

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,227,151
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Tega Swann (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Pennsylvania

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Pennsylvania on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Mastriano	43.8	591,240
		Lou Barletta	20.3	273,252
		Bill McSwain	15.8	212,886
		David White	9.6	129,058
		Melissa Hart	4.1	54,752
		Joe Gale	2.1	27,920
		Jake Corman III (Unofficially withdrew)	1.9	26,091
		Charlie Gerow	1.3	17,922
		Nche Zama	1.2	16,238

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,349,359
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jason Monn (R)
• Guy Ciarrocchi (R)
• Scott Martin (R)
• Jason Richey (R)
• John Ventre (R)

2020

See also: Pennsylvania Treasurer election, 2020

General election

General election for Pennsylvania Treasurer

Stacy Garrity defeated incumbent Joseph Torsella, Joseph Soloski, and Timothy Runkle in the general election for Pennsylvania Treasurer on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stacy Garrity (R)	48.7	3,291,877
		Joseph Torsella (D)	47.9	3,239,331
		Joseph Soloski (L)	2.2	148,614
		Timothy Runkle (G)	1.2	81,984

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,761,806
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Treasurer

Incumbent Joseph Torsella advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Treasurer on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Torsella	100.0	1,381,763

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,381,763
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania Treasurer

Stacy Garrity advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania Treasurer on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stacy Garrity	100.0	1,047,510

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,047,510
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 81

Incumbent Richard Irvin defeated Richard Rogers Sr. and Joseph Soloski in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 81 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Irvin (R)	62.5	15,579
		Richard Rogers Sr. (D)	34.6	8,619
		Joseph Soloski (L)	2.9	721

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 24,919
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 81

Richard Rogers Sr. advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 81 on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Rogers Sr.	100.0	2,562

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 2,562
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 81

Incumbent Richard Irvin advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 81 on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Irvin	100.0	5,352

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 5,352
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Joseph Soloski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Soloski's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a retired Certified Public Accountant, running for Governor of Pennsylvania. My website is joesoloski.com, which illustrates all of the primary issues that I am showcasing in my campaign. As the Keystone Party candidate for Governor, I am all about government reform, which is desperately needed.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I want to cut the Pennsylvania state budget by at least 5% per year. Our operating budget has more than doubled in the 20 years since 2002, rising from $20 billion per year to $42 billion per year. I will be leading from the top, by slashing my own salary as Governor from its current level of $205,000 per year to $70,000. This will make Pennsylvania having the lowest paid Governor in the nation. I want to see our Legislators' salaries slashed, a gift ban codified into law, and Ranked-Choice voting implemented.
• I want to Pennsylvania become a tax haven. Business-friendly states don't have income taxes, so I will be leading the charge to eliminate the Personal Income Tax and the Corporate Net Income Tax. I also consider the Inheritance Tax to be immoral, as dying should give rise to a taxable event. I will be seeking the repeal of the Inheritance Tax.
• We need to expand nuclear energy production in Pennsylvania. Nuclear energy is clean, efficient, cost-effective, and safe.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Reforming government, cutting the state budget, slashing taxation, eliminating unnecessary regulation, turning our Legislature into a part-time body, slashing the pay of our Legislators, implementing a gift ban for all elected officials, implementing Ranked-Choice voting, ending government prohibitions.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Jesus. He is my Lord and Savior and he was the greatest person to ever walk the Earth. I also love and admire my father, Edward L. Soloski, who was an amazing Dad and mentor for much of my life.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The principles of the smallest, most effective government. One that is laced with integrity and is always accountable to Pennsylvania residents. Honesty, integrity, accountability, and transparency are the characteristics that I feel are most important for any elected official.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, integrity, reliability, and perserverance.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

All state departments are accountable to the Office of the Governor. All of those offices must operate under the principles of honesty, integrity, accountability, and transparency. There is no room for scandal and mismanagement. Impropriety, and even the appearance of impropriety, must be fought and avoided at all turns.I want all department to be run as efficiently and effectively as can be possible.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be the Governor that got the Pennsylvania budget back into sanity while I am in office. I want to see necessary spending cuts made. I want to slash taxation, implement a gift (bribe) ban for all elected officials. I want to have the legacy of Pennsylvania becoming a nuclear energy powerhouse in our nation.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I was six years old and in the first grade at that time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Caddy and clerk at the Kittanning Country Club when I was 14. I had that job for two years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

There are many, but I will mention "The 5000 Year Leap" by W. Cleon Skousen. It is history. It is about our Founding Fathers and their vision for our great nation.

I have also enjoyed reading David McCullough. I would be remiss if I did not mention The Bible.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

James Bond

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

'I Cheat the Hangman' by the Doobie Brothers.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

I means that I have to respect the will of the people, regardless of how I advocate specific policies. I, personally, want to see major government reforms happen that make Pennsylvania government more accountable and transparent. I want to accomplish this by cutting state spending and taxation.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

As I said in my previous respond, honoring the will of the people of Pennsylvania. As the Chief Executive, every state department runs under my watchful eye. I will be making sure that each of them are being managed in the most efficient way possible while achieving all of their responsibilities.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

For me, I will be forwarding a proposed budget to our State Legislature every year, well before the June 30th deadline for its approval. If the Legislature does not implement a budget bill that includes the overall cuts that I am requesting, I will veto the bills that they forward to me until they get it right.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

If the line items are not in agreement with my goals, and I also see that they are not in line with the desires of a majority of Pennsylvanians, then I will veto those line items until the Legislature forwards a revised bill to me.

If the governor's office in your state does not have the line-item veto power, do you believe it should? Why or why not?

The line-item veto is an efficient and powerful mechanism. It promotes efficiency in the budget approval process. I am an advocate of the line-item veto.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

One of accountability, challenge, and a desire to work together to meet a desired end goal.

What do you love most about your state?

Pennsylvania is where I have lived for my entire life. Our state has rich history, beautiful vistas, and thriving commerce. I believe that our commerce could be greatly improved upon, but our businesses have succeeded, in spite of government overreach. I hold great affection and sentimentality for Pennsylvania.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Reigning in runaway government spending is the main challenge. Pennsylvania doesn't have a revenue problem; it's got a spending problem. Our government is always looking for higher taxes and new revenue streams and never looks itself in the mirror and attempts to cut it bloated spending. The Pennsylvania budget needs to be attacked and I am the only candidate talking about tackling the achievable challenge.

Tell us your favorite joke.

How inappropriate can I be? :D

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

Emergency powers should only be utilized for a period not to exceed 21 days. If, as Governor, I wanted to see those emergency powers extended, I would have to seek Legislative concurrence to accomplish that. Situations like natural disasters warrant Executive powers to assists the needs of communities.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Joseph Soloski did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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