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Keith Rothfus

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Keith Rothfus
Keith Rothfus.png
U.S. House, Pennsylvania, District 12
Incumbent
In office
January 3, 2013
Term ends
January 3, 2015
Years in position 0
PartyRepublican
PredecessorMark Critz (D)
Compensation
Base salary$174,000/year
Elections and appointments
First electedNovember 6, 2012
Next electionNovember 4, 2014
Campaign $$1,987,085
Term limitsN/A
Education
High schoolWest Seneca West Senior High School
Bachelor'sState University of New York (Buffalo)
J.D.Notre Dame
Personal
BirthdayApril 25, 1962
Place of birthEndicott, New York
ProfessionLawyer
Net worth$9,987,526
ReligionCatholic
Websites
Office website
Campaign website
Keith Rothfus campaign logo

Contents

Keith Rothfus (b. April 25, 1962 in Edgeworth, Pennsylvania) is Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Pennsylvania. Rothfus was first elected in 2012.

Biography

After graduating from West Seneca West Senior High School in 1980, Rothfus attended the State University of New York College at Buffalo for his bachelor's degree in Information Systems. He later earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1994.[1]

Rothfus has spent most of his professional career working as an attorney in the private sector in Pennsylvania. From 2006 to 2007, he worked for the Department of Homeland Security, heading up the office that partnered with faith-based organizations to provide disaster relief. Rothfus is also a cancer survivor.[2]

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2013-2014

Rothfus serves on the following committees:[3]

Issues

Political Positions

Jobs and the Economy

Rothfus advocates permanently lowering individual income taxes to 2001 and 2003 rates. He also supports lowering corporate tax rates and repealing laws and regulations that stifle growth.[4]

Excerpt: "These policies will promote growth, and add the jobs that our economy so desperately needs. Congressional Budget Office models project growth over the next decade at 2 or 3 percent. This is not acceptable. When we look around and see idled stores and factories, we must be motivated to change course."

Energy

Rothfus supports using coal, natural gas and nuclear power as sources of energy. He also advocates drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Outer Continental Shelf, and developing the Marcellus Shale. Rothfus has also said he opposes cap and trade. [4]

Excerpt: "Washington does not always know better, and Pennsylvania is more than able to monitor its own businesses without interference from an agenda-driven EPA. It is time to become energy independent and to end the practice of buying energy from those who do not share our values."

Abortion

Rothfus is strongly pro-life. He opposes any federal support or taxpayer funding for abortion. Instead, Rothfus supports polices that favor adoption and involves parents in decisions concerning minors. He also opposes stem cell research.[4]

Excerpt: "I believe that the family is the basic building block of society and that the stronger the family, the stronger the society, and the less need for government intrusion into our lives. I will protect the family from threats to redefine it or to undercut its importance. I will vote to protect the institution of marriage as being between one man and one woman."

Elections

2014

See also: Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district elections, 2012

Race background

On February 26, 2013, PoliticsPA and The Hill previewed a combined three Pennsylvania races which are already showing promise, either for primary competitiveness or because the district may be vulnerable to partisan switch. Of the eighteen total House seats up for election in 2014, Republicans currently hold thirteen.

One of these seats is in the traditionally blue, though recently reddening, 12th district, where fallout from 2010 redistricting teamed up with a deep pocketed Republican challenger to spell narrow defeat for Democratic incumbent Rep. Mark Critz in Nov. 2012. Fresh off his successful challenge, Keith Rothfus (R) will likely have to face Critz for a re-match in 2014. Given that Critz lost by only four percentage points while Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney dominated the district vote in the general election, the Democrats are looking to Critz as their best hope to re-claim the seat.[5]


2012

See also: Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district elections, 2012

Rothfus ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Pennsylvania's 12th District. Rothfus was uncontested in the April 24, 2012 Republican Primary.[6] He unseated incumbent Mark Critz (D) in the November 6, 2012 general election.[7]


Politico rated the 12th district race between Mark Critz and Jason Altmire one of the 5 ugliest member vs. member battles.[8]

The Washington Post listed the House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania in 2012 as one of the states that could determine whether Democrats would retake the House or Republicans would hold their majority in 2013.[9] Ohio tied with Pennsylvania for 9th on the list.[9]

U.S. House, Pennsylvania, District 12 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Mark Critz Incumbent 48.3% 163,589
     Republican Green check mark.jpgKeith Rothfus 51.7% 175,352
Total Votes 338,941
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Endorsements

  • YG Action Network[10]
  • Gun Owners of America Victory Fund
  • FreedomWorks
  • Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA)
  • Chamber of Commerce[11]

Polls

2012 General Election 12th Congressional District

Mark Critz vs. Keith Rothfus
Response PoliticsPA
(June 13-15, 2012)		Benson Strategy Group Poll
(July 9-11, 2012)		McLaughlin & Associates Poll
(September 19-20, 2012)		Democratic Poll
(September 23-25, 2012)		Average
Mark Critz (D) 46%44%38%52% 45%
Keith Rothfus (R) 36%38%38%41% 38.25%
Undecided 18%18%24%7% 16.75%
Number polled 402400400400 400.5
Margin of error +/-4.9+/-4.9%+/-4.9%+/-4.9% 4.9%
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

2010

In 2010, Rothfus challenged Jason Altmire, for the 4th congressional district seat, but lost in the general election.[12]

U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania Congressional District 4 Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark.jpgJason Altmire Incumbent 50.8% 120,827
     Republican Keith Rothfus 49.2% 116,958
Total Votes 237,785

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Rothfus is available dating back to 2012. Based on available campaign finance records, Rothfus raised a total of $1,987,085 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 18, 2013.[13]

Keith Rothfus's Campaign Contribution History
Year Office Result Contributions
2012 US House (Pennsylvania, District 12) Won $1,987,085
Grand Total Raised $1,987,085

2012

Breakdown of the source of Rothfus' campaign funds before the 2012 election.

Rothfus won election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, his campaign committee raised a total of $1,987,085 and spent $1,993,455.[14]

Analysis

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Rothfus missed 1 of 108 roll call votes from January 2013 to April 2013. This amounts to 0.9%, which is better than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving as of April 2013.[15]

Net Worth

See also: Net Worth of United States Senators and Representatives

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Rothfus' net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $5,389,052 and $14,586,000. That averages to $9,987,526, which is higher than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232.[16]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

2012

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Having first won election to the U.S. House in the November 6, 2012 general election, Rothfus' 2012 vote rating is unavailable.[17][18]

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Keith + Rothfus + Pennsylvania + Congress + House

All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.

Keith Rothfus News Feed


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found


Personal

Rothfus and his wife Elsie have six children.[1]

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Facebook, "About Keith Rothfus," accessed October 2, 2012
  2. ↑ Keithpa4.com Bio for Keith Rothfus December 21, 2011
  3. ↑ CQ.com, House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Keith Rothfus Official Campaign Website, "Issues," accessed October 1, 2012
  5. ↑ The Hill, "Source: Former Rep. Mark Critz wants to run again," February 26, 2013
  6. ↑ Pennsylvania Secretary of State "Candidate List" Accessed April 18, 2012
  7. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State "2012 General Primary Unofficial Returns," April 24, 2012
  8. ↑ Politico "Congress 2012: The 5 ugliest member vs. member battles" Accessed April 18, 2012
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Washington Post "The 10 states that will determine control of the House in 2012" Accessed April 25, 2012
  10. ↑ PoliticsPA, "GOP groups lines up 500K ad against Critz," September 21, 2012
  11. ↑ PoliticsPA "Chamber of Commerce Endorses Rothfus" Accessed July 27, 2012
  12. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
  13. ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Keith Rothfus," Accessed April 18, 2013
  14. ↑ Open Secrets "Keith Rothfus' 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed March 4, 2013
  15. ↑ GovTrack, "Keith Rothfus," Accessed April 17, 2013
  16. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Keith Rothfus, (R-Pennsylvania), 2011"
  17. ↑ National Journal, "TABLE: House Liberal Scores by Issue Area," February 21, 2013
  18. ↑ National Journal, "TABLE: House Conservative Scores by Issue Area," February 21, 2013
Political offices
Preceded by
Mark Critz (D) 		U.S. House of Representatives - Pennsylvania, District 12
2013-Present 		Succeeded by
'
v • d • e
Pennsylvania's current delegation to the United States Congress
SenatorsCongressLogo.png
Representatives
Allyson Schwartz (D) • Bill Shuster (R) • Chaka Fattah (D) • Charles W. Dent (R) • Glenn Thompson (R) • Jim Gerlach (R) • Joseph R. Pitts (R) • Keith Rothfus (R) • Lou Barletta (R) • Matt Cartwright (D) • Michael F. Doyle (D) • Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R) • Mike Kelly (R) • Patrick Meehan (R) • Robert A. Brady (D) • Scott Perry (R) • Tim Murphy (R) • Tom Marino (R)
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