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What you need to know about the third-party candidates running in Pennsylvania’s Senate race

Candidates from the Green, Libertarian, and Keystone parties are hoping to make a difference in a nationally watched race.

FILE - The U.S. Capitol is seen at sunset on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 8, 2022. Democrats have held both chambers of Congress and the presidency for two years. But they may not have such consolidated power for much longer.  Republicans could make big gains in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, bolstered by frustration over the economy, advantages in the redistricting process that takes place every 10 years and the traditional losses in a new president’s first midterm election. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
FILE - The U.S. Capitol is seen at sunset on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 8, 2022. Democrats have held both chambers of Congress and the presidency for two years. But they may not have such consolidated power for much longer.  Republicans could make big gains in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, bolstered by frustration over the economy, advantages in the redistricting process that takes place every 10 years and the traditional losses in a new president’s first midterm election. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)Read moreJacquelyn Martin / AP

Pennsylvania’s nationally watched U.S. Senate race has given significant exposure to Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz.

But there are three minor party candidates in the race as well, and they’re hoping to make an impact in an election where many voters have negative views of both leading candidates.

Larry Ceisler, a public affairs consultant and longtime Philadelphia political observer, said it’s possible this year that third-party candidates get more votes than the difference between Fetterman and Oz’s vote tallies. But he cautioned that it’s impossible to say whether that would mean they swayed the outcome because there’s no guarantee those voters would have backed the Democratic or Republican nominees.

“In a close election, these third parties could potentially be the difference,” Ceisler said. “The problem with that thesis is you have to assume that those people wanted to vote for one of the major party candidates.”

Here’s what you need to know about the Senate candidates from the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Keystone Party:

Daniel Wassmer, Keystone Party

The Keystone Party is a new Pennsylvania-based political party hoping to attract voters who have been turned off by the toxicity of races between the two major parties.

» READ MORE: Your voter guide to the Nov. 2022 election in Pennsylvania

That’s how Daniel Wassmer, a former Republican and Libertarian, found his way on the ticket as the fledgling party’s Senate candidate.

“I left the Republican Party because, when I saw what was going on with Trump, I was like, ‘I’m out of here. I got to find a different place to go,’ ” Wassmer said, citing Trump’s encouragement to his supporters to “knock the crap out” of a protester at one of his rallies. “I don’t understand why people keep voting for this stuff. It’s just maddening and they get people so riled up. To watch neighbors yelling and screaming over things is bizarre. This hero worship of politicians is absolutely off the wall.”

» READ MORE: What effect did the Oz-Fetterman debate have on the Senate race? Here’s what three new polls show.

One of the goals of his new party is “to listen to people and act in a civil manner,” said Wassmer, a teacher at Bucks County Community College.

Wassmer, a lawyer and professor who lives in Hawley, Pa., and used to work in the Bucks County solicitor’s office, said he supports abortion rights, lower taxes and less burdensome regulations, and marijuana legalization.

If elected, Wassmer said one of his top priorities will be to root out corruption in government contracting.

Erik Gerhardt, Libertarian Party

In Arizona’s Senate race, which is also closely contested, the Libertarian candidate dropped out of the race and endorsed Republican Blake Masters, rather than help Democrats by splitting conservative votes.

Erik Gerhardt, the Libertarian candidate for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, will not be following suit.

“They can’t promise me anything that would make me happy enough to do so,” Gerhardt told the conservative news outlet Reason. “There’s no monetary value to the morale that would be lost with either of [those] candidates winning that seat.”

» READ MORE: Your Pa. Senate reading list | Election Newsletter

Gerhardt, who did not respond to an interview request, is a carpenter and general contractor who lives in Pennsburg.

Gerhardt supports legalizing marijuana, lowering taxes, and protecting gun rights. He opposes raising the minimum wage and does not believe the federal government should restrict abortion rights.

Richard L. Weiss, Green Party

Green Party candidate Richard L. Weiss is an attorney from the Pittsburgh area who previously worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Weiss supports the “Medicare for all” proposal to provide universal health-care coverage, stronger gun regulation, and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. He opposes fracking, wants to legalize marijuana, and supports abortion rights.

“We need something different than the two parties,” Weiss told KDKA. “The environment is our No. 1 issue, and we really feel as though the major parties are not doing enough.”

Weiss said as the effects of climate change become more apparent, the Green Party will become more relevant.

“We’re seeing more and more disasters, higher temperatures, floods and droughts all over the world, and it’s really the climate that’s going to bring us to the board,” he said.