Tony Dastra, a Green Party candidate from Lancaster city, is running for Pennsylvania governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Lower Merion voters will see his name on the ballot alongside Josh Shapiro (Democratic), Stacy L. Garrity (Republican) and Kenneth Krawchuk (Libertarian), according to BallotReady.

Dastra is certified for the ballot.

Candidate information

  • Party: Green
  • Residence: Lancaster city, Pennsylvania
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, Arizona State University (2017); bachelor's degree in planning, urban planning, Arizona State University (2022)
  • Current employment: Public works and planning/zoning administrative assistant at Lancaster Township (since 2020); driver at Uber (since 2018)

Biography and employment details from BallotReady.

Dastra was 29 years old when he filed paperwork with the Pennsylvania Department of State as a Green Party gubernatorial candidate, LancasterOnline reported. He is an Eagle Scout.

Experience and public service

Dastra has run for office before. He ran as an independent candidate for mayor of Lancaster in 2017 and as a Green Party candidate for mayor in 2025, according to LancasterOnline. He served as a commissioner on the Lancaster Home Rule Study Commission from 2023 to 2024. He also founded a political organization called the Gold Goose Party.

On the issues

Dastra's policy positions below are drawn from his campaign website and statements reported by LancasterOnline and the Green Party US website.

Data centers: Dastra said the state needs to enact a mandatory moratorium on data centers to allow local communities to have meaningful conversations about their impact before they are approved. He has centered his campaign around this issue, according to LancasterOnline.

Property taxes: Dastra's campaign platform calls for eliminating working-class property taxes, according to his campaign website.

Gas tax: His platform calls for reducing the gas tax, according to his campaign website.

Healthcare: Dastra's platform calls for breaking up healthcare monopolies, according to his campaign website.

Campaign finance reform: Dastra said he supports public campaign financing of elections and "Democracy Dollars," under which each voter receives vouchers to donate to candidates of their choice. He said his campaign will not accept donations from corporations or corporate PACs, according to the Green Party US website.

Dastra said on the Green Party US website: "I hope that Voters who are fed up with corruption in Harrisburg will turn to the Green Party this year for two candidates who want to ban bribery."

Endorsements

The 35 elected delegates to the Green Party of Pennsylvania State Committee endorsed Dastra's campaign at the committee's March 2026 meeting, according to the Green Party of Pennsylvania website.

  • Green Party of Pennsylvania State Committee
  • Green Party of Pennsylvania