Feb 1, 2014 1 min read

HERSHEY(AP) — Red, white and blue balloons dropped from the ceiling as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett accepted the Republican State Committee’s endorsement for a second four-year term.

The committee endorsed Corbett and Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley without opposition or dissent at Saturday’s meeting in Hershey.

In his speech, Corbett defended his first-term record as a combination of tough choices forced by a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall and smart decisions that eliminated inheritance taxes on farmers and small businesses, reduced unemployment and pumped billions of new dollars into highway and bridge projects.

Corbett compared this year’s election to halftime in a football game and vowed that if re-elected, his administration will “score and score and score” in the second half.

Eight Democrats are competing for the nomination to challenge Corbett in November.