Josh Shapiro
| Josh Shapiro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2012 Serving with Bruce Castor and Leslie Richards | |
| Preceded by | Joe Hoeffel |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 153rd district | |
| In office January 4, 2005[1] – January 3, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Ellen Bard |
| Succeeded by | Madeleine Dean |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 20, 1973 Kansas City, Missouri |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Lori |
| Residence | Abington, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | University of Rochester, Georgetown University |
| Occupation | attorney, political assistant |
| Religion | Jewish |
Josh Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is a Democratic politician. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 153rd legislative district, from 2005 to 2012. He currently serves as a member and Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.
Personal
Shapiro was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Rochester in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college, he moved to Washington, D.C. and became a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Carl Levin. He then worked as a senior advisor to U.S. Representative Peter Deutsch (1996–98) and to U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli (1998–99). From 1999 to 2003, he was chief of staff to U.S. Representative Joe Hoeffel.
Shapiro received his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University in 2002 and, in addition to his role as a state legislator, works as an attorney with Stradley, Ronon, Stevens, and Young. He lives in Abington with his wife and four children.[2]
Political career
In 2004, Shapiro ran for the seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives held by Ellen Bard, who had run unsuccessfully for Congress. His GOP opponent was Jon Fox, who represented Montgomery County in Congress from 1995 to 1999. Shapiro defeated Fox in November with 54% of the vote.[3]
He won re-election against a lesser-known opponent, Lou Guerra, taking 76% of the vote.[4] In 2007, Shapiro was named Deputy Speaker by incoming Speaker Denny O'Brien after Shapiro helped broker a deal to bring him into office.[5][6]
In the 2008 Democratic primary, Shapiro ran uncontested. Additionally he won a write-in campaign on the Republican side to ensure that would win re-election without major opposition in November. Shapiro was said to be considering a run for the United States Senate before Arlen Specter announced he had joined the Democratic Party.[7]
On January 31, 2011, Shapiro announced his candidacy for the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners after Hoeffel, whom Shapiro had succeeded as a state legislator, announced he would be retiring.[8] Shapiro, along with fellow Democrat Leslie Richards, won the majority for Montgomery County, something that has never happened in the county's history. He was sworn in on January 3, 2012.[9]
Pennsylvania political operatives have mentioned Shapiro as a potential Congressional candidate in Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district.[10]
References
- ↑ "SESSION OF 2005 - 189TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - No. 1". Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 2005-01-04.
- ↑ "About Josh Shapiro". Biography. Josh Shapiro for Montgomery County Commissioner. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ↑ Pennsylvania General Election Results, Pennsylvania Department of State, 11/2/04
- ↑ Pennsylvania General Election Results, Pennsylvania Department of State, 11/7/06
- ↑ Benjamin Wallace, Politics: Cleaning House, Philadelphia Magazine, December 2007
- ↑ Tom Waring, House speaker pays a visit to CORA, Northeast Times, 2/1/07
- ↑ "Torsella says he'll run for U.S. Senate". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ↑ Roebuck, Jeremy (2011-01-31). "Montco’s Hoeffel will not seek another term". Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ↑ Rawlins, John. "Democrats historically gain control of Montgomery County". Elections. ABC News. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ↑ Cahn, Emily (30 January 2014). "In Pa., House Democrats Are Really Ready for Hillary". Roll Call. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
External links
- Josh Shapiro for Montgomery County Commissioner official campaign website
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Follow the Money - Josh Shapiro