Paterno son to run for Pa. lieutenant gov.

The son of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is running for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania. 

Jay Paterno (D) confirmed the news to PennLive.com Thursday after an unfinished campaign website became public. 

{mosads}Some had expected the younger Paterno to mount a congressional bid against Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) in his competitive district, according to the report. 

However, he will now compete in a six-way race for the lieutenant governor spot. He has never served in elected office and said his name alone would not propel him to victory. 

“It’s one thing to vote for me because my name is Paterno, but you’ve got to stand on your own regardless of what your family name is,” he said. “Hopefully, I can be an asset.”

His candidacy, he said, has nothing to do with left over frustration at Gov. Tom Corbett (R), who had called on Penn State to fire Joe Paterno after his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted in 2012 on multiple counts of sexual abuse of children. 

His campaign is still gathering signatures to get on the ballot and will not begin campaigning in earnest for some time.