Ed Rendell is the incumbent governor of Pennsylvania and is campaigning for a second term in office.
Rendell, a 1965 Penn graduate, became governor in 2003 and faced a $2 billion state structural deficit. His main goal has been to cut government spending and jump-start the state's economy by promoting job growth.
The governor credits his programs, along with the national economy, for taking the state from 41st for job growth in 2003 to 15th.
In order to turn around Pennsylvania's deficit and satisfy demands from the state Legislature, Rendell has cut funding for libraries and public transport and increased the state income tax from 2.8 to 3.07 percent.
One of Rendell's biggest projects is substituting gambling and alcohol taxes for property taxes. Rendell has been an advocate for bringing gambling in the form of slot machines to the state and signed two gaming-related bills last week.
The profits from the gambling and alcohol taxes are intended for the state school system.
Other items on the Rendell agenda include cleaning up coal waste pits so that they do not continue to pollute Pennsylvania watersheds.
Before becoming governor, Rendell was the mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 1999, before which he was the district attorney of Philadelphia from 1978 to 1985.
