Erik Telford
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
Erik Telford is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Erik is a senior public affairs and communications executive with more than 15 years of diverse experience across public policy, advocacy, and public affairs institutions. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Erik served as the senior vice president at Stand Together Communications, the Koch network’s marketing and communications capability. Erik has also served as the president of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a state-based watchdog journalism organization. And at Americans for Prosperity, he was the executive director of RightOnline (an initiative he founded) and the director of membership and online strategy. He is currently on the board of the American Commitment Foundation.
In 2013, Campaigns & Elections Magazine honored Erik as an “Advocacy Innovator” and in 2011 as a “Rising Star in American Politics.” Politics Online named him one of the “Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics.”
Education
NY Governor Moves Toward Federal Scholarship Tax Credit as Shapiro Remains Undecided
Harrisburg, Pa., May 8, 2026 — Yesterday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed her intention to opt into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). While Hochul has yet to formally submit her opt-in form to the IRS, New York would mark the thirtieth…
Media Hit
Read More: NY Governor Moves Toward Federal Scholarship Tax Credit as Shapiro Remains UndecidedEducation
Deficit Watch: May 2026
Background Pennsylvania continues to face serious fiscal challenges. The enacted 2025–26 General Fund budget created a $4.6 billion structural deficit. Gov. Josh…
Deficit Watch
Read More: Deficit Watch: May 2026Education
Education Landscape in Pennsylvania
Overview There are approximately two million school-age children in the commonwealth. Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) 2025–26 enrollment reports show 73.5 percent attend their assigned district…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Education Landscape in PennsylvaniaEducation
Philly Schools Don’t Need More Money…
Originally published by The Philadelphia Citizen. A majority of the Philadelphia students receiving diplomas cannot read or do math at grade level. In 2025, …
Media Hit
Read More: Philly Schools Don’t Need More Money…Energy
Pennsylvania Lost $5 Billion in Energy Investment and Power Supply Under RGGI
Harrisburg, Pa., May 4, 2026 — Last fall, Pennsylvania lawmakers removed the Keystone State from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) after six years of legal battles. According to new…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Lost $5 Billion in Energy Investment and Power Supply Under RGGI
Pennsylvania’s RGGI Odyssey
Six Years of Lost Investment Underline Danger of New State Energy Taxes Summary From 2019 to 2025, the looming implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) chilled investment in Pennsylvania’s electric grid. For six…
Backgrounder
Read More: Pennsylvania’s RGGI OdysseyEducation
What Are You Waiting for, Gov. Shapiro?
Originally published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It will cost the state more not to support the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program than it will to…
Media Hit
Read More: What Are You Waiting for, Gov. Shapiro?Education
[MEDIA] Andrew Lewis Addresses Pennsylvania Press Club
Andrew Lewis, President & CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, addressed the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday afternoon. In his speech, Lewis outlined the path forward to make Pennsylvania the leading…
Media Hit
Read More: [MEDIA] Andrew Lewis Addresses Pennsylvania Press ClubPublic Union Democracy
Pennsylvania Unions are Spending Your Tax Dollars to Pick Your Politicians
Originally published in The Mercury. What if I told you that your tax dollars fund political campaigns that you probably didn’t vote for? Unwittingly, taxpayers have…
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvania Unions are Spending Your Tax Dollars to Pick Your PoliticiansPublic Union Democracy
Even in an Off-Year, Unions Spend Millions in Pennsylvania in 2025
Harrisburg, Pa., April 22, 2026 — Despite 2025 being an off-year election, Pennsylvania still saw heavy political spending by unions, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Foundation. The…
Press Release
Read More: Even in an Off-Year, Unions Spend Millions in Pennsylvania in 2025Public Union Democracy
Full Court Press: Pennsylvania Union Political Spending in 2025
Key Points Political action committees (PACs) affiliated with trade unions and government unions spent $22.4 million in monetary and in-kind political activity in 2025, a year with few legislative elections…
Backgrounder
Read More: Full Court Press: Pennsylvania Union Political Spending in 2025
Megan Martin Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award as a Leader in Law
Harrisburg, Pa., April 15, 2026 — Central Penn Business Journal has honored Megan Martin, chief operating officer and general counsel of the Commonwealth Foundation, with the Lifetime Achievement Leaders…
Organization Updates
Read More: Megan Martin Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award as a Leader in LawEducation
Education Tax Credits Deliver Over 100,000 Scholarships, Yet Waitlists Remain
Summary For the first time since inception, Pennsylvania scholarship organizations awarded over 100,000 scholarships during the 2023–24 school year through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Education Tax Credits Deliver Over 100,000 Scholarships, Yet Waitlists RemainEnergy
Pennsylvania is an Energy Giant That Keeps Tripping Over Its Own Red Tape
Originally published by PennLive. Pennsylvania has an energy problem—and it has nothing to do with what’s in the ground. The commonwealth is an energy…
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvania is an Energy Giant That Keeps Tripping Over Its Own Red TapeEducation
The Case for Pennsylvania Tax-Credit Scholarships
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Tax-credit scholarships are vital to Pennsylvania students and families. But they could help even more kids if lawmakers in Harrisburg got out…
Media Hit
Read More: The Case for Pennsylvania Tax-Credit ScholarshipsEnergy
Pennsylvanians Need Energy Affordability, Not Governor Shapiro’s Legal Antics
Originally published by Delco Times. When Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Pennsylvania would join a multistate lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, he no doubt expected applause.
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvanians Need Energy Affordability, Not Governor Shapiro’s Legal AnticsEnergy
Pennsylvania LNG the key to American energy independence
Originally published in the Washington Times. Chaos in the Middle East has spiked oil prices, disrupted international trade and revealed one uncomfortable reality: American energy independence, stability and affordability are…
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvania LNG the key to American energy independenceState Budget
Deficit Watch: April 2026
Background Pennsylvania continues to face serious fiscal challenges. The enacted 2025–26 General Fund budget created a $4.6 billion structural deficit. Gov. Josh…
Deficit Watch
Read More: Deficit Watch: April 2026
Radical Tax Hikes Will Accelerate PA’s Outmigration
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Gov. Josh Shapiro keeps repeating the claim that Pennsylvania is the only growing state in the Northeast. But that’s not true. Residents…
Media Hit
Read More: Radical Tax Hikes Will Accelerate PA’s OutmigrationState Budget
[MEDIA] Megan Martin Talks State Budget on PCN’s ‘Capitol Watch’
In February, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a $53.26 billion budget that will worsen the state’s deficit to over $6.5 billion while failing to address key issues like educational choice and…
Media Hit
Read More: [MEDIA] Megan Martin Talks State Budget on PCN’s ‘Capitol Watch’State Budget
Shapiro’s “Affordability” Agenda Has a $7 Billion Problem
Originally published in The Mercury. Gov. Josh Shapiro wants Pennsylvanians to believe that he is delivering affordability. But his unaffordable budget tells a different story. The…
Media Hit
Read More: Shapiro’s “Affordability” Agenda Has a $7 Billion Problem