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Bob Mensch
Bob Mensch (Republican Party) was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing District 24. He assumed office on October 19, 2009. He left office on November 30, 2022.
Mensch (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Pennsylvania State Senate to represent District 24. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Mensch served as Marlborough Township Supervisor from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, he served as chairman of the Marlborough Township. Mensch served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009.
Biography
Mesch earned his B.A. in business from Valley Forge Military College in 1965. His professional experience includes working as the general manager/sales director for ARBROS Communications and as the district sales manager for the American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (AT&T) from 1969 to 1997. Mensch served in the United States Army Engineers Reserve from 1966 to 1972.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Mensch was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Communications & Technology Committee
- Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee
- Health & Human Services Committee, Vice Chair
- Senate Labor & Industry Committee
2019-2020
Mensch was assigned to the following committees:
- Aging & Youth Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Health & Human Services Committee
- Senate Game & Fisheries Committee
- Senate Labor & Industry Committee
- Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee, Vice Chair
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Aging & Youth |
| • Appropriations |
| • Game & Fisheries |
| • Health & Human Services |
| • Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness, Vice chair |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Mensch served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness, Vice-Chair |
| • Aging & Youth |
| • Appropriations |
| • Game & Fisheries |
| • Public Health & Welfare |
| • Joint State Government Commission |
| • Legislative Budget and Finance, Chair |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Mensch served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Aging & Youth, Chair |
| • Public Health & Welfare, Vice Chair |
| • Appropriations |
| • Communications & Technology |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness |
| • Legislative Budget and Finance |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Mensch served on these committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Legislative Budget and Finance |
| • Appropriations |
| • Communications & Technology |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Public Health & Welfare, Vice Chair |
| • Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Mensch served on these committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Communications & Technology |
| • Game & Fisheries |
| • Public Health & Welfare, Vice Chair |
| • Rules & Executive Nominations |
| • Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
Bob Mensch did not file to run for re-election in 2022.
2018
General election
General election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 24
Incumbent Bob Mensch defeated Linda Fields in the general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 24 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bob Mensch (R) | 52.4 | 54,586 |
 | Linda Fields (D) | 47.6 | 49,558 | |
| Total votes: 104,144 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 24
Linda Fields advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 24 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Linda Fields | 100.0 | 11,502 |
| Total votes: 11,502 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 24
Incumbent Bob Mensch advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 24 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Mensch | 100.0 | 12,968 |
| Total votes: 12,968 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in that election was March 11, 2014. Incumbent Bob Mensch was unopposed in the Republican primary, while Jack Hansen secured enough primary votes as a Democratic write-in candidate to appear on the general election ballot. Mensch defeated Hansen in the general election.[2][3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Bob Mensch Incumbent |
59.9% | 41,885 | |
| Democratic | Jack Hansen | 40.1% | 28,041 | |
| Total Votes | 69,926 | |||
2010
Mensch won re-election to District 24. He was unopposed in the May 18 Republican primary and defeated Democrat Bill Wallace in the November 2 general election.[5]
| Pennsylvania State Senate District 24 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Bob Mensch (R)
|
52,395 | |||
| Bill Wallace (R) | 34,481 | |||
2009
On September 29, 2009, Mensch was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate District 24 following a special election.[6]
Campaign themes
2014
Mensch's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[7]
Jobs and the Economy
- Excerpt: "He believes that if we are going to successfully jumpstart our economy, we must begin with the fundamental recognition that our businesses are competing globally."
Education
- Excerpt: "Senator Mensch believes that all Pennsylvania students — regardless of income or where they live – deserve a high-quality basic education. In the wake of sizable cuts in federal funding received by the state for basic education, Mensch has consistently supported increases in the state budget for K-12 funding."
Protecting our Children
- Excerpt: "As Chairman of the Senate Committee for Aging and Youth, Bob Mensch played an integral role in crafting and helping to pass a package of legislation that strengthens child protection laws in Pennsylvania. This legislative agenda addresses a range of issues with the goal of preventing child abuse and punishing those who prey on our children."
Downsizing Government
- Excerpt: "Bob Mensch believes that the legislature and Governor need to be doing the same thing with the state budget by finding cost savings – not raising personal taxes."
Healthcare
- Excerpt: "Bob has also worked to expand income eligibility requirements for PACE and PACENET, programs that help seniors receive low-cost medications."
2010
Mensch's campaign website highlighted the following areas:[8]
Businesses and Jobs
- Excerpt: Mensch "supports legislation to do away with semi-monthly sales tax return requirement in order to eliminate costs for our small businesses to build additional revenue" and "wants to allow small businesses to pay school property taxes on in installments, just as other property owners may do now."
Tax Reform
- Excerpt: Mensch "wants to work with the State Senate to bring comprehensive reform to our Property Tax structure in the state" and "supports legislation which will eliminate the 'Death Tax.'"
Government Reform and Transparency
- Excerpt: Mensch "supports a reduction in the number of legislators on the PHEAA board of directors and adding private-sector individuals who are experienced with higher education finance" and "believes the General Assembly should adopt recommendations made by the state Auditor General to prohibit risky financial practices by many school and local governments which have cost taxpayers millions and millions of dollars."
Environment and Open Space
- Excerpt: "Mensch is working to see that one tract of 151 acres of open space is added to the 2,000+ acre inventory in Marlborough. Additionally he appealed to, and won the cooperation of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to partner with Natural Lands Trust so another 46 acres of open space along the Unami Creek could be conserved."
Agriculture
- Excerpt: Mensch "believes the General Assembly should remove local zoning and building impediments many farmers face when they need to supplement farming operations through farm stands or other agribusiness opportunities" and "supports changing Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code to allow for the easier movement of tractors and other agricultural vehicles on roads."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Pennsylvania scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2022
In 2022, the Pennsylvania State Legislature was in session from January 4 to November 30.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to civil rights and civil liberties issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Pennsylvania State Legislature was in session from January 5 to December 31.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Pennsylvania State Legislature was in session from January 7 to November 30.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 2 through November 30.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 3 through December 31.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 5 through November 30.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 6 through December 31.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 7 through November 12.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 2 to December 31.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 3 to November 30.
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2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 4 through November 30.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Mensch and his wife, Joann, have two children.
See also
- Pennsylvania State Senate
- Senate Committees
- Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Joint Committees
- Pennsylvania state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official primary results for May 20, 2014," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 Official Candidate Listing," accessed March 19, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 General Election," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 2, 2014
- ↑ www.buckscounty.org, "Pennsylvania State Senate special election results for 2009," accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ Mensch for State Senate, "Issues," accessed September 3, 2014
- ↑ Mensch for State Senate, "Issues," accessed May 16, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Pennsylvania State Senate District 24 2009-2022 |
Succeeded by Tracy Pennycuick (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Pennsylvania House of Representatives 2007-2009 |
Succeeded by - |
