Former Delaware County Councilman and Ridley Township Commissioner Dave White has been actively engaged touring Pennsylvania and launching TV ads amid a packed field of Republican gubernatorial candidates in this year’s primary.
“It’s time to try one of our own – a blue collar worker that worked hard from his kitchen table and wants to be governor for all the right reasons,” he said, referencing the $85 million-a-year Morton-based DWD Mechanical Contractor Inc. he began as a pipefitter.
In the race, White joins eight other Republican candidates hoping to get the chance to go against Democratic presumptive nominee and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
Among those seeking the GOP nomination are retired U.S. Army colonel and state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-33 of Franklin County; former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11 of Hazelton; state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-34 of Centre County; Bill McSwain, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania of Chester County; Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph Gale; former U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-4 of Allegheny County; Charles Gerow of Cumberland County, who is vice chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference; and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Nche Zama of Northampton County.
In a Franklin & Marshall College poll released this month, most Republicans, or approximately 34 percent, remain undecided and of those that have decided, more than half – 53 percent – said they’re still deciding their vote choice.
However, the poll indicated that Mastriano with 20 percent has a slight advantage over McSwain at 12 percent, Barletta at 11 percent and White at 8 percent.
The poll also said about 59 percent of the respondents said they didn’t know enough about White, 54 percent about McSwain, 51 percent about Mastriano and 47 percent about Barletta to have an opinion.
The Franklin & Marshall survey also said Mastriano has an advantage over Republicans who identify with the Donald Trump faction of the party while White and and McSwain are more successful with traditional Republicans.
The survey polled 792 Pennsylvania registered voters, including 357 Democrats, 325 Republicans, and 110
independents between April 20 and May 1.
Of his place in various polls, White said the campaign is where it needs to be at this point.
“We feel very good about where we are,” he said, adding that his polls return well. “We’re at the right time at this moment. Our message is getting out.”
In addition, he said there’s been a surge of people signing up on his website to help with the campaign.
In any race, particularly ones on larger scales like governor, money is needed.
In the March 28 campaign finance filing with the Pennsylvania Department of State, White’s campaign showed $4,276,192.84 of funds available, of which $4.1 million had been expended. Of the funds, White and his wife, Debbie, loaned the campaign $4 million of their own money.
“I believe in putting your money where your mouth is,” White said. “That’s what we’re doing it for. I do need a better future for our grandkids.”
He has three and one on the way.
White himself was born to a Springfield family of 14 children and attended Delaware County Vocational Technical School to become a union steamfitter. He also is an alum of Cardinal O’Hara High School and attended Pennsylvania State University.
In 2005, he founded DWD Mechanical Contractor Inc., which grew out of his Ridley Township home into a multi-million dollar business.
After his service as a Ridley township commissioner, White was appointed to Delaware County Council in 2012. White was elected to a four-year term on council in 2013. He was defeated when he ran for re-election in 2017, during an election that criticized contracts that his business received.
Married for nearly 40 years, he and his wife are the parents of four children – Lisa, Matthew, Kellianne and Brian, who has special needs.
His platform is in line with most conservative causes as he’s received the highest rating from the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation; is a strong supporter and lifetime member of the National Rifle Association; supports legislation that divides sports into men’s and women’s divisions, requiring athletes to compete according to their biological sex, not their gender identity; and supports school choice and banning the teaching of critical race theory in schools.
He also said he will end no-excuse mail voting in Pennsylvania, institute signature verification for absentee ballots, ban the use of drop boxes and work to implement voter ID. He also supports the creation of an independent elections audit of all elections by the Auditor General.
White said he also wants to expand vocational training, noting that only 3 percent of Pennsylvania high school students enrolled in these training programs. He’d want that to increase to 30 percent over the next decade.
He said he wants to teach that a pipe wrench and a college degree are equally valuable and expand technical training as an opportunity for people to succeed.
White said he wants to tell every high school student, “My path is a good path,” noting how he started with technical training, went into the field, built his business at his kitchen table to the $85 million-a-year business it is today and now is running for governor.
“I want to inspire people,” he said. “I want to inspire the next generation.”
White shared why he is running for governor at this time.
“Harrisburg’s broken,” he said, adding that his company was impacted by Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID mitigation orders in 2020. “The government shut down with no plan. You never thought that could happen in Pennsylvania.”
White noted, however, even as other businesses had to close, Wolf Industries remained open.
At DWD Mechanical, 85 employees weren’t as lucky.
“They all had to be laid off until we figured out what we were doing,” White said.
In addition, he said Pennsylvania’s budget has nearly doubled in the last 10 years.
“We literally have nothing to show for it,” White said. “I believe you need a business-type mentality in Harrisburg.”
From his upbringing in Delco, he learned from his Steamfitter dad and homemaker mom that hard work pays off.
“I’m a blue collar worker running for governor,” he said. “Eight to 85 percent of people in Pennsylvania just want to work and want a better life for their family and their kids and grandkids and they’re just not getting it.”
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