Ken Krawchuk

Ken Krawchuk graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from St. Joseph's University in 1975 and graduated from the Abington Citizens Police Academy in 2012.[1] Krawchuk is the founder and President of Ken Krawchuk & Associates Ltd., an information technology consulting firm. He has been a professional computer programmer since 1970 and has served as a business architect for the pharmaceutical, insurance, and financial markets. He is also a freelance writer and author of Atlas Snubbed.[2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Ken Krawchuk is a student of the Pennsylvania Constitution; President of Amendment 16 Ltd., an Information Technology consulting firm; Patented inventor; Professional public speaker; Distinguished Toastmaster, Husband; Father; Grandfather, whitewater canoeist, railroad enthusiast, overnight backpacker with almost 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Ken and his wife first met on a camping trip.

He was the Libertarian candidate for Governor in 1998 against Tom Ridge, in 2002 against Ed Rendell, and in 2018 against Tom Wolf, setting consecutive vote total records for the Libertarian Party in each race.

He is the lead inventor of three U.S. Patents, titled “System and Method for Managing and Storing Information”, an integrated database management/operating system.

He is a freelance writer. His first novel, Atlas Snubbed, is a pastiche parody sequel to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. It presents a new political concept: the Separation of Society and State, which addresses workable alternatives to tax-funded government-sponsored welfare, courts, business regulation, and more. He has also authored a number of novellas, short stories, and flash fiction related to the SpaceX Starship, available at aStarshipStory.com.

He was the host of the Pennsylvania Project, a weekly talk radio show on WWDB in Philadelphia between April 2019 and December 2024, airing 246 episodes.

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?

The PA Constitution mandates “thorough and efficient” schools, but they’re neither. Testing shows that most kids can’t read or do math at grade level. The average cost per child is $24,000 compared to only $11,000 for a typical private school. The solution? Privatize our schools. Government funding totals about $11,500 per child, but instead of sending it to the school districts, just send it directly to each child as a scholarship. Parents then have full school choice and can send their children to whatever school they prefer or homeschool them. As the school districts are being phased out, their assets can be sold to private schools. School property taxes would no longer be needed, and can simply vanish! Details at KenK4Pa.com/educationAside from our failing schools, the most pressing issue facing Pennsylvania is taxation. The cost of government has been rising at more than 3 times the rate of inflation for over 50 years, but when I’m elected, that trend will end. I promise to veto all tax increases, and use the line item veto to eliminate all unconstitutional, special interest, and pork barrel spending. But THE worst tax is the property tax. Seniors risk being foreclosed out of their homes. First-time buyers struggle to afford a home at all. And every homeowner faces an eternal mortgage they can never pay off. I believe property tax must be eliminated, starting with the oppressive, ever-rising school tax. Details at KenK4Pa.com/education.Elections must be made much more secure, and in many ways: 1) Most importantly, ID should be required for citizens to vote. 2) Abolish mail-in ballots; not only because they’re the easiest way to scam an election, they also violate our state constitution’s strict rules for absentee ballots. 3) Out-of-state political contributions put a thumb on the scales of Pennsylvania elections and should be banned. 4) Term limits are a no-brainer, and should apply to ALL elected offices. 5) Gerrymandering can be stopped via Precinct-Preserving Splitline Districting. 6) Voters must be empowered to vote both FOR candidates they like and AGAINST candidates they don't like, using Approve/Approve/Disapprove Voting. 7) Details at KenK4Pa.com/elections.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1) Eliminate property tax.

2) Fix failing schools where most kids can’t read or do math at grade level.

3) Veto all tax increases. Use the Line Item Veto to eliminate special interest spending.

4) Defuse the abortion debate via one small change to the adoption laws: Allow for Pre-Natal Adoption. If a woman does not want her unborn child, any individual or agency can adopt it while still in the womb. Through the privacy of the doctor, ask the woman to bring the baby to term, and the adoptive parents would pay for the delivery. She can say Yes or No. Since many babies are aborted for economic reasons, we are guaranteed to save more babies and still preserve a woman’s right to choose. See KenK4Pa.com/abortion.

5) The Pennsylvania Constitution.

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

My personal hero is Elon Musk, and have been following his career since 2002. He never surrenders, never gives up, and has done more good for the planet than any other living human.

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

I believe you have the right to live your life you way, without interference, provided you respect the rights and property of others.

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

To let the citizens live their lives their way, without interference, provided they respect the rights and property of others.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I've never considered my legacy. Odds are that people would choose to focus on something unexpected anyhow.

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

Fixing radios for neighbors as a young teenager.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Nothing, really. Yes, there have been challenges, but you either overcome them or devise a way to bypass them.

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

Most important is the power of the veto to eliminate unconstitutional, pork barrel, and special interest spending. Details at KenK4Pa.com/taxes.

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?

I would use the power of the line veto to eliminate unconstitutional, pork barrel, and special interest spending. Details at KenK4Pa.com/taxes.

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

Only to protect the rights and property of the citizens.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

n/a

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

Seeing President Kennedy in 1960 before his election when he passed in a motorcade on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

1) Reduce taxes

2) Reduce spending

3) Defend the right to keep and bear arms[6][7]

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?

We must reduce the cost of government. It has been growing on average more than three times the rate of inflation for over 50 years. That means abolishing property taxes, eliminating the personal income tax, and reducing the corporate tax rate. Pardon all so-called "victimless criminals" who have hurt no one. That includes non-violent drug users victims of bureaucracy, and peaceful, honest people in general. Separate society and state. That means getting government out of the marriage business, transitioning welfare to the private sector, and championing the Universal Charitable Giving Act.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[7]

[the profile publisher] also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Ken Krawchuk answered the following:

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

I admire Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, Tesla Motors, Solar City, PayPal, and more. He sees no limit to what can be accomplished, even the seemingly impossible.[7]

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The book that best captures my political philosophy is my novel, Atlas Snubbed, a parody sequel to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. It shows how an entire society can be built on the key Libertarian principle: You have the right to live your life your own way, without interference, provided you respect the rights and property of others. It's the Golden Rule on a political level.[7]

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

The most important characteristic for any elected official is to have consistent principles, and the best principle is the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.[7]

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

Tenacity, integrity, and principles.[7]

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

The core responsibility of any elected official is to defend the rights and property of the citizens.[7]

What legacy would you like to leave?

A perfect legacy would be lower taxes, lower spending, and a government that respects the rights and property of the citizens.[7]

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

My first historical event was to see John F. Kennedy drive by in a parade when I was six years old. The most-recent historical event was to watch live the first launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in 2018.[7]

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

My first job was fixing TVs and radios for friends and neighbors.[7]

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

My favorite major holiday is Thanksgiving. Nothing is more important than family, and it's a wonderful reason for the family to get together.[7]

What is your favorite book? Why?

Atlas Snubbed. See above.[7]

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

Without a doubt, my most favorite thing in our home is our fireplace. Nothing is more peaceful, warm, and cheerful as a fire on a cold, dreary night.[7]

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

Ali In The Jungle, by the Hours.[7]

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

It has always been a struggle in my life to understand why some people say one thing and do another.[7]

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

The role of the Governor is to define, design, and develop the principles by which the state is governed. For me, that begins with defending your right to live your life your own way, without interference, provided you respect the rights and property of others.[7]

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

The most important power the Governor possesses is the power of the veto and the line item veto.[7]

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?

The Pennsylvania Constitution is my job description. It defines the budget process, and I am comfortable with that.[7]

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?

As governor, I would aggressively use the line item veto to reduce the cost, scope, and intrusiveness of government.[7]

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

The ideal relationship between any two political figures is to be able to compromise without betraying your principles.[7]

What do you love most about your state?

I absolutely love camping in Pennsylvania. In fact, my wife and I first met on a camping trip.[7]

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

The greatest challenges facing Pennsylvania is reducing the cost, scope, and intrusiveness of government.[7]