James "Jim" Gerlach (born February 25, 1955) is a politician from the state of Pennsylvania, currently representing the state's 6th congressional district (map) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gerlach was re-elected in November, 2006; one of the few Republican representatives targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who retained his seat in Congress. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 391 × 600 pixels Full resolution (500 × 767 pixel, file size: 60 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Map The 6th Congressional District was substantially redrawn in the 2002 redistricting. ... For the ecclesiastical office, see Incumbent (ecclesiastical). ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Thomas Timothy Holden (born March 5, 1957) is an American politician who has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... Ellwood City is a borough located in Pennsylvania. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Map The 6th Congressional District was substantially redrawn in the 2002 redistricting. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Categories: Politics stubs ...

Education and early career

Gerlach was born in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Dickinson College where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, with a B.A. in Political Science. He also earned his law degree from Dickinson School of Law in 1980. After graduation, Gerlach worked as a legislative aide in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Ellwood City is a borough located in Pennsylvania. ... A mermaid sits atop Dickinson Colleges Old West. ... Sigma Chi (ΣΧ) is one of the largest and oldest all-male, college, Greek-letter social fraternities. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ... The Dickinson School of Law is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and is the law school of The Pennsylvania State University. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislative branch of Pennsylvania government. ...

In 1986, Gerlach moved back to Ellwood City to challenge then-State Rep. Frank LaGrotta, but returned to Chester County in 1987 to work for the Lamb, Windle & McErlane law firm in West Chester, the firm belonging to then-Chester County Republican Chairman William Lamb. Chester County is the name of several counties in the United States: Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County, South Carolina Chester County, Tennessee This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Chester County is the name of several counties in the United States: Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County, South Carolina Chester County, Tennessee This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

In preparation for the 1990 election against long-term Democratic State Rep. Samuel Morris, Gerlach visited 8,600 homes in the 155th District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, building his campaign around what he saw as the incumbent's inattentiveness to suburban sprawl. According to the Daily Local News, Gerlach charged that his opponent was "out of touch" with his constituency. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... The Daily Local News is a daily newspaper that covers events in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with limited coverage in neighboring Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Delaware County, Pennsylvania due to school districts and interscholastic league coverage in these two neighboring counties. ...

Gerlach proposed encouraging open-space preservation by using zoning laws to encourage developers to incorporate open space into development projects, along with the creation of environmental protection authorities.^[1]

During the election, Jim Gerlach's Democratic opponents accused the Western Pennsylvania native of moving to Chester County for the sole purpose of running against Morris. Jim denied that accusation, saying he came to Chester County because he and his wife saw it as "a great place to work and raise our kids." Chester County is the name of several counties in the United States: Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County, South Carolina Chester County, Tennessee This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Chester County is the name of several counties in the United States: Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County, South Carolina Chester County, Tennessee This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Gerlach was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by 23 votes out of 17,000 cast. He won re-election in 1992 with 64% of the vote. He was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1994, with 67% of the vote, and re-elected in 1998 without opposition. While in the State Senate, he helped change the state's welfare laws. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislative branch of Pennsylvania government. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...

While in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Pennsylvania Senate, Gerlach worked to sponsor legislation making it easier for the commonwealth's patchwork of townships to work together to preserve open space. Gov. Tom Ridge signed Gerlach's legislation into law in 2000. The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. ... Thomas Joseph Ridge (born August 27, 1945 near Pittsburgh, USA) is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives (1983–1995), Governor of Pennsylvania (1995–2001), Assistant to the President for Homeland Security (2001–2003), and the first United States Secretary of Homeland...

Congressional career

Election and re-election

Gerlach was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2002, representing Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District, (6th congressional district), an unusually-shaped district (sometimes called the "Pterodactyl District"^[2]) designed for Gerlach to win.^[3] He defeated Dan Wofford, son of former U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, 51.4%-48.6%.^[4] In 2004, Gerlach won a close re-election against Democrat Lois Murphy, 51.0%-49.0%. In a rematch in 2006, he again beat Lois Murphy by an even narrower margin of 50.6% to 49.4% (unofficial results as of November 8, 2006). The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Map The 6th Congressional District was substantially redrawn in the 2002 redistricting. ... Dan Wofford is a Democrat from the state of Pennsylvania. ... Senator Harris Wofford Harris Llewellyn Wofford (born April 9, 1926) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1995. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lois Murphy (born 1963 in Hempstead, New York) is a Democrat from the state of Pennsylvania, currently running for the U.S. House in Pennsylvanias 6th congressional district (map) against the Republican incumbent, Jim Gerlach. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lois Murphy (born 1963 in Hempstead, New York) is a Democrat from the state of Pennsylvania, currently running for the U.S. House in Pennsylvanias 6th congressional district (map) against the Republican incumbent, Jim Gerlach. ...

Political positions and actions

Gerlach is a member of two moderate political groups, The Republican Main Street Partnership, which supports embryonic stem-cell research, and Republicans for Environmental Protection. He is on the Financial Services, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. The liberal Americans for Democratic Action rated Gerlach's 2005 voting record at 35 points out of 100; the American Conservative Union gave him 56 points. The Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of social liberals and moderates in the United States Republican Party. ... Mouse embryonic stem cells. ... Republicans for Environmental Protection (or REP America), is a national organization of Republican voters formed in 1995 with the stated purpose of educating and advocating environmental issues and supporting efforts to conserve natural resources and protect human and environmental health. ... Americans For Democratic Action (ADA) was formed in January 1947, when Eleanor Roosevelt, John Kenneth Galbraith, Reinhold Niebuhr, Hubert Humphrey and 200 other activists. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The American Conservative Union (ACU) is a large conservative political lobbying group in the United States. ...

In 2003, Gerlach succeeded in getting a law passed that specified there would be a new veterans cemetery in the Philadelphia area within four years. The nearest military cemetery to accept casket burials was located 90 miles from Philadelphia. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: , Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government  - Mayor John F. Street (D) Area  - City 369. ...

Gerlach has strongly supported Schuylkill Valley commuter rail. At one point he said of the Bush administration's plan to cut federal money for construction costs from 80 percent to 50 percent: "There's just not going to be enough state and local funds to do the project. It will be a dead project."^{[citation needed]}

The farmland-preservation and open-space advocacy that Gerlach became known for during his tenure as a state legislator has continued during his congressional career. On Sept. 27, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Gerlach-sponsored bill H.R. 5313 that would make federal funds available to municipalities around the country to purchase conservation easements.^[5] This bill was never acted on by the Senate, and was re-introduced as H.R. 1152 in March 2007.

Gerlach has advocated the passage of legislation that would expand federal regulation of so-called "puppy mills," and cosponsored medical liability legislation.

Gerlach voted to make the Patriot Act permanent, and for continued intelligence gathering without civil oversight as recommended by the 9/11 Commission.^[6] The Commissions seal The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up in late 2002 to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response...

Gerlach voted against H. Con. Res. 63 (which disapproved of President Bush's decision to send 20,000 troops to Iraq) [1] saying that he opposed the resolution because it was "essentially meaningless", it was "fundamentally vague", and it would undercut troop morale. [2]

He was one of four Pennsylvania Republicans (the others being Todd Russell Platts, Charlie Dent, and Phil English) to vote to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal hate crimes bill, winning them praise from gay rights groups.^{[citation needed]} This vote targeted moderate voters, especially important after he won two very close elections to a strong Democratic candidate. Todd Russell Platts (b. ... Charles Charlie Dent (born May 24, 1960 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is a Republican Member of Congress, representing the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. ... Phillip Sheridan English (born June 20, 1956) is a Congressman from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, since 1995 representing the states 3rd Congressional district (map) in the U.S. House. ... Sexual orientation refers to the direction of an individuals sexuality, normally conceived of as falling into several significant categories based around the sex or gender that the individual finds attractive. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also...

Controversies

DeLay's ARMPAC contributions

In his three congressional campaigns Gerlach has received a total of $30,000 in contributions from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's political action committee ARMPAC, now disbanded. Following DeLay's indictment on money-laundering charges, Democrats criticized Gerlach for not returning the contributions or donating them to charity.[3] Gerlach has stated that he would return the contributions if DeLay was convicted of the crimes for which he was indicted.[4] The Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives acts as the leader of the party that has a majority control of the seats in the house (currently at least 218 of the 435 seats). ... Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas. ... In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group organized to elect or defeat government officials in order to promote legislation, often supporting the groups special interests. ... Americans for a Republican Majority also ARMPAC, a Political Action Committee formed by former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. ...

Refinery vote

Gerlach cast a controversial vote on HR 3893 in October 2005. HR 3893 provided $2 billion in subsidies to oil companies to build refineries and tax breaks that would cost an additional $3 billion, and weakened environmental protections. Gerlach initially voted against the bill, but the acting majority leader Blunt and DeLay held the vote open for 39 additional minutes, at which point Gerlach changed his vote from No to Yes, allowing the bill to pass.^[7]

2006 re-election campaign

Main article: Pennsylvania 6th Congressional District election, 2006

In 2006, Gerlach was not opposed in the primary. In the general election, he again faced Lois Murphy. This race was among the most competitive in the House in 2006. (See Notable U.S. House elections, 2006 — Pennsylvania.) In a year that saw a strong tide for Democrats, especially in competitive suburban districts like Gerlach's, Gerlach survived, beating Murphy by 3,001 votes out of more than 234,613 cast (unofficial results, not including provisional and absentee ballots). The Pennsylvania 6th congressional district election, 2006 is an election for the United States House of Representatives that will take place on November 7th, 2006 between 2-term incumbent Republican Jim Gerlach and his Democratic opponent Lois Murphy. ... Lois Murphy (born 1963 in Hempstead, New York) is a Democrat from the state of Pennsylvania, currently running for the U.S. House in Pennsylvanias 6th congressional district (map) against the Republican incumbent, Jim Gerlach. ... President Bush meets with Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer (then House Minority Leader and Minority Whip, respectively) at the Oval Office in the White House. ...

Gerlach was the only member of the "Philly Trio" of vulnerable Republican Congressmen to survive the 2006 election. He overcame a negative political climate that included the war in Iraq, an unpopular president and an extremely well-liked Democratic governor. Geography also played a factor; similar to the previous two cycles Gerlach carried: Chester County, Berks County, and Lehigh County by significant margins,^[8] while Murphy carried the heavily Democratic Montgomery County portion of the district.^[9] Chester County is the name of several counties in the United States: Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County, South Carolina Chester County, Tennessee This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Berks County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... Lehigh County, referred to as the Valley by locals, is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

References

1. ^ Rellahan, Michael. "James Gerlach seeks office with a drive of a running back", Daily Local News, October 30, 1990. 
2. ^ PA-6 Campaign 2004 USAToday.com, accessed October 18th, 2006
3. ^ Larry Eichel, GOP Redistricting Gamble Looks Safe. Philadelphia Inquirer, October 16, 2002. Accessed October 18, 2006
4. ^ Election 2002 — State Races: Pennsylvania, CNN.com, accessed October 18, 2005
5. ^ H.R. 5313
6. ^ http://www.issues2000.org/PA/Jim_Gerlach_Homeland_Security.htm#2006-103
7. ^ Justin Blum and Jonathan Weisman, GOP Leaders Win on Energy Bill, Washington Post October 8, 2005, accessed November 11, 2006
8. ^ Chester County results
9. ^ Dave Davies, For Gerlach, Murphy, geography was destiny, Daily News; November 9, 2006

The Daily Local News is a daily newspaper that covers events in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with limited coverage in neighboring Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Delaware County, Pennsylvania due to school districts and interscholastic league coverage in these two neighboring counties. ...

External links

• U.S. Congressman Jim Gerlach official House site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Federal Election Commission — Jim Gerlach campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Jim Gerlach issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Jim Gerlach campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Jim Gerlach (PA) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Jim Gerlach profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Jim Gerlach voting record
• Jim Gerlach for Congress official campaign site
• Jim Gerlach — OurCampaigns.com Bio
• Associated Press profile, accessed October 18, 2006