Catherine Spahr

Catherine Spahr (Democratic Party) (also known as Cathy) ran for election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent District 160. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Spahr was a 2018 Democratic candidate for District 160 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She was defeated in the primary election on May 15, 2018.

Biography

Catherine Spahr was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. She pursued her undergraduate education at Harrisburg Area Community College and Dickinson College and her graduate education at Towson University and West Chester University. Her career experience includes working as the planning, zoning, and codes administrative coordinator for a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.^[1]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Incumbent Craig Williams defeated Catherine Spahr in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Craig Williams (R)	52.4	18,353
	Catherine Spahr (D)	47.6	16,698

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,051
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Catherine Spahr advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Catherine Spahr	100.0	6,544

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,544
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Incumbent Craig Williams advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Craig Williams	100.0	8,770

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,770
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

2020

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Craig Williams defeated Anton Andrew in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Craig Williams (R)	50.8	20,408
	Anton Andrew (D)	49.2	19,798

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,206
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Anton Andrew defeated Catherine Spahr in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on June 2, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Anton Andrew	60.7	5,210
	Catherine Spahr	39.3	3,379

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,589
= 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.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Craig Williams advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Craig Williams	100.0	6,999

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,999
= 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.
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Campaign finance

2018

See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Incumbent Stephen Barrar defeated Anton Andrew in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Stephen Barrar (R)	51.3	15,880
	Anton Andrew (D)	48.7	15,052

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 30,932
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Anton Andrew defeated Catherine Spahr in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on May 15, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Anton Andrew	53.2	2,167
	Catherine Spahr	46.8	1,904

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 4,071
= 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 House of Representatives District 160

Incumbent Stephen Barrar advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stephen Barrar	100.0	4,394

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 4,394
= 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.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Catherine Spahr did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Catherine Spahr completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Spahr's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a southeastern PA native and the only candidate in the 160th district with government experience, Cathy Spahr understands how the intersection of state and local government impacts individuals and businesses in Pennsylvania. She knows that Delaware and Chester Counties need a State Representative that's committed to fighting for Equity. The Greater Good. The People.

Cathy is your neighbor. Cathy is a working mom of twin, ten year old boys, Julien and Charlie. Just like many of us, she has weathered the difficult terrain of working while ensuring her boys have the best start in life. From finding affordable daycare, navigating Medicaid and CHIP, to working through learning differences, Cathy knows the struggle working families have while still ensuring the best opportunities for their family's future.

Cathy leads with integrity. With over 24 years of sobriety, Cathy has adopted a world view that demands rigorous honesty and integrity, an unwavering moral compass, and steadfast commitment and dedication. These are qualities she will bring with her to Harrisburg.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Cathy advocates for women. Cathy is adamant about protecting a woman's right to choose. If attacks on women's rights succeed, the government is fostering generations of poor, underserved families.
Cathy demands smart gun legislation. Cathy earned the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate designation (2018). She understands that common sense gun laws and solutions are needed in Pennsylvania - laws that protect everyone, while considering the rights of all citizens.
Cathy believes in a living wage for all. Everyone deserves equal pay for the same job, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, or religion. Over the years, Cathy has worked minimum wage and low wage jobs without benefits, and she understands the struggle to put food on the table and live paycheck to paycheck. Cathy believes in the power of unions to protect workers and ensure a responsible path toward a sustainable future.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Having a bachelors degree in Environmental Science and a masters degree in Geography and Planning, I am very passionate about planning for a sustainable future for our children that is inclusive of both the workers, businesses, and environmentalists. Without having a plan in place, Pennsylvania has been unable to move forward in an effective manor to put us on a sustainable path. I am going to go to Harrisburg to develop and implement a plan to bring our carbon footprint to zero, while ensuring that workers have jobs. The plan will be developed with all stakeholders at the table, prioritizing the needs of those who are most under served in our communities.

I am also passionate about a living wage. One job should be enough to put put on our tables and roofs over our heads. As someone who has worked low wage and minimum wage jobs, I know what it's like to make ends meet and worry about putting food on the table. Families should not have to live this way.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, humility, transparency, and dedication are the most important principles in an elected official. I am beyond tired of elected officials who are there for their own self-aggrandizement. Being an elected official is public service- it is not about me, it is about the people and ensuring everyone's needs are met. It is not about putting corporate america ahead of the people. To many elected officials are forgetting who put them there, and it is critical that we have representatives who carry the principles of honesty, integrity, humility, transparency, and dedication foremost in their daily lives.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am collaborative yet decisive. I believe leadership takes collaboration, and a recognition of knowing when I don't have the answers and that it is time to listen. I have learned that I don't need to have an answer for everything and it's ok to be quiet. Patience is a valuable asset in leadership and one that is probably underutilized. I persevere and don't give up. I am not someone who sits on the sidelines.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be a representative who is known for listening through action. In other words, because I listened and took the time to understand the needs of the constituents, the action I take is a reflection of that.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

My first historical memory is the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger; I was 13 years old and we watched it on live TV in school. Miss Bartuska, our school science teacher was one of the top ten finalists to have a chance to be on that flight. To this day, I cannot imagine the survivors guilt she lived with.

What is your favorite book? Why?

the Omnivore's Dilemma.... I learned that I am made out of corn and we have totally ruined our food systems. We have a lot to work on.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Hermione Granger

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Karma Chameleon

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

There have been many difficult things... not that different from everyday people, but going from being able to provide for my family without much thought, to my company going bankrupt and having to navigate the state safety net systems, truly made me realize we have a lot to work on.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

As someone who currently works in local government, I do believe my experience provides me with extra insight into the workings of government and how state legislation intersects with local government to impact residents and businesses. Being on the front line of government everyday, I see how important a transparent government, with elected officials who lead with integrity, impact the outcome of services to residents. If you have never worked in government, it is hard to comprehend how important policies and procedures are to fair and equitable outcomes. Rules are rules, and everyone should have to follow them. We should not look the other way because of who we know or what party someone belongs to. Government should be for the people- and that means all people.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would like to be a part of Environmental Resources and Energy. The lack of science in government is hampering our path to a sustainable future and I believe my background in environmental science would be an asset to this committee.

I would also like to be on local government. Again, because of my experience working on local government, I understand first hand the needs of local government.

I would also be interested in being on the Human Services committee, as that would provide me with an opportunity to share my personal experience within the drug and alcohol subcommittee. As a recovery alcoholic with over 24yrs sobriety, to have a comprehensive and successful approach to addressing the opioid and addiction crisis we need people who can share their personal experiences. We need to ensure the community and all stakeholders are at the table- this includes the voices of representatives who are in recovery.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I would model myself after State Representative Jennifer O'Mara (HD 165). She works hard for her district and provides amazing District Office services to her residents. Above all, she is about representing her constituents, regardless of their party, as evidenced by working across the isle in Harrisburg. She is honest, transparent and available. She has done such an outstanding job, that even republicans who previously opposed her, support her now. Through her tireless hard work, she has successfully brought her community together because she made her community her first priority.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

External links

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Candidate

Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 25, 2020

[show]

Current members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Joanna McClinton

Majority Leader:Kerry Benninghoff

Minority Leader:Jesse Topper

Representatives

District 1

Patrick Harkins (D)

District 2

Robert Merski (D)

District 3

Ryan Bizzarro (D)

District 4

Jake Banta (R)

District 5

Eric Weaknecht (R)

District 6

Bradley Roae (R)

District 7

Parke Wentling (R)

District 8

Aaron Bernstine (R)

District 9

Marla Brown (R)

District 10

Amen Brown (D)

District 11

Marci Mustello (R)

District 12

Stephenie Scialabba (R)

District 13

John Lawrence (R)

District 14

Roman Kozak (R)

District 15

Joshua Kail (R)

District 16

Robert Matzie (D)

District 17

Tim Bonner (R)

District 18

K.C. Tomlinson (R)

District 19

Aerion Abney (D)

District 20

Emily Kinkead (D)

District 21

Lindsay Powell (D)

District 22

Joshua Siegel (D)

District 23

Dan Frankel (D)

District 24

La'Tasha Mayes (D)

District 25

Brandon Markosek (D)

District 26

Paul Friel (D)

District 27

Daniel Deasy (D)

District 28

Jeremy Shaffer (R)

District 29

Tim Brennan (D)

District 30

Arvind Venkat (D)

District 31

Perry Warren (D)

District 32

Joe McAndrew (D)

District 33

Mandy Steele (D)

District 34

Abigail Salisbury (D)

District 35

Dan Goughnour (D)

District 36

Jessica Benham (D)

District 37

Mindy Fee (R)

District 38

John Inglis (D)

District 39

Andrew Kuzma (R)

District 40

Natalie Mihalek (R)

District 41

Brett Miller (R)

District 42

Dan Miller (D)

District 43

Keith Greiner (R)

District 44

Valerie Gaydos (R)

District 45

Anita Kulik (D)

District 46

Jason Ortitay (R)

District 47

Joe D'Orsie (R)

District 48

Timothy O'Neal (R)

District 49

Ismail Smith-Wade-El (D)

District 50

Bud Cook (R)

District 51

Charity Grimm Krupa (R)

District 52

Ryan Warner (R)

District 53

Steven Malagari (D)

District 54

Greg Scott (D)

District 55

Jill Cooper (R)

District 56

Brian Rasel (R)

District 57

Eric Nelson (R)

District 58

Eric Davanzo (R)

District 59

Leslie Rossi (R)

District 60

Abby Major (R)

District 61

Liz Hanbidge (D)

District 62

James Struzzi (R)

District 63

Josh Bashline (R)

District 64

R. James (R)

District 65

Kathy Rapp (R)

District 66

Brian Smith (R)

District 67

Martin Causer (R)

District 68

Clint Owlett (R)

District 69

Carl Metzgar (R)

District 70

Matthew Bradford (D)

District 71

Jim Rigby (R)

District 72

Frank Burns (D)

District 73

Dallas Kephart (R)

District 74

Dan Williams (D)

District 75

Mike Armanini (R)

District 76

Stephanie Borowicz (R)

District 77

Scott Conklin (D)

District 78

Jesse Topper (R)

District 79

Louis Schmitt (R)

District 80

Scott Barger (R)

District 81

Richard Irvin (R)

District 82

Paul Takac (D)

District 83

Jamie Flick (R)

District 84

Joe Hamm (R)

District 85

David Rowe (R)

District 86

Perry Stambaugh (R)

District 87

Thomas Kutz (R)

District 88

Sheryl Delozier (R)

District 89

Rob Kauffman (R)

District 90

Chad Reichard (R)

District 91

Dan Moul (R)

District 92

Marc Anderson (R)

District 93

Mike Jones (R)

District 94

Wendy Fink (R)

District 95

Carol Hill-Evans (D)

District 96

Nikki Rivera (D)

District 97

Steven Mentzer (R)

District 98

Tom Jones (R)

District 99

David Zimmerman (R)

District 100

Bryan Cutler (R)

District 101

John Schlegel (R)

District 102

Russell Diamond (R)

District 103

Nate Davidson (D)

District 104

Dave Madsen (D)

District 105

Justin Fleming (D)

District 106

Thomas Mehaffie (R)

District 107

Joanne Stehr (R)

District 108

Michael Stender (R)

District 109

Robert Leadbeter (R)

District 110

Tina Pickett (R)

District 111

Jonathan Fritz (R)

District 112

Kyle Mullins (D)

District 113

Kyle Donahue (D)

District 114

Bridget Malloy Kosierowski (D)

District 115

Maureen Madden (D)

District 116

Dane Watro (R)

District 117

Jamie Walsh (R)

District 118

James Haddock (D)

District 119

Alec Ryncavage (R)

District 120

Brenda Pugh (R)

District 121

Eddie Pashinski (D)

District 122

Doyle Heffley (R)

District 123

Tim Twardzik (R)

District 124

Jamie Barton (R)

District 125

Joe Kerwin (R)

District 126

Jacklyn Rusnock (D)

District 127

Manuel Guzman (D)

District 128

Mark Gillen (R)

District 129

Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (D)

District 130

David Maloney (R)

District 131

Milou Mackenzie (R)

District 132

Michael Schlossberg (D)

District 133

Jeanne McNeill (D)

District 134

Peter Schweyer (D)

District 135

Steve Samuelson (D)

District 136

Robert Freeman (D)

District 137

Joe Emrick (R)

District 138

Ann Flood (R)

District 139

Jeff Olsommer (R)

District 140

Jim Prokopiak (D)

District 141

Tina Davis (D)

District 142

Joseph Hogan (R)

District 143

Shelby Labs (R)

District 144

Brian Munroe (D)

District 145

Craig Staats (R)

District 146

Joseph Ciresi (D)

District 147

Donna Scheuren (R)

District 148

Mary Daley (D)

District 149

Tim Briggs (D)

District 150

Joseph Webster (D)

District 151

Melissa Cerrato (D)

District 152

Nancy Guenst (D)

District 153

Ben Sanchez (D)

District 154

Napoleon Nelson (D)

District 155

Danielle Friel Otten (D)

District 156

Christopher Pielli (D)

District 157

Melissa Shusterman (D)

District 158

Christina Sappey (D)

District 159

Carol Kazeem (D)

District 160

Craig Williams (R)

District 161

Leanne Krueger (D)

District 162

David Delloso (D)

District 163

Heather Boyd (D)

District 164

Gina Curry (D)

District 165

Jennifer O'Mara (D)

District 166

Gregory Vitali (D)

District 167

Kristine Howard (D)

District 168

Lisa Borowski (D)

District 169

Kate Klunk (R)

District 170

Martina White (R)

District 171

Kerry Benninghoff (R)

District 172

Sean Dougherty (D)

District 173

Patrick Gallagher (D)

District 174

Ed Neilson (D)

District 175

Mary Isaacson (D)

District 176

Jack Rader (R)

District 177

Joseph Hohenstein (D)

District 178

Kristin Marcell (R)

District 179

Jason Dawkins (D)

District 180

Jose Giral (D)

District 181

Malcolm Kenyatta (D)

District 182

Benjamin Waxman (D)

District 183

Zachary Mako (R)

District 184

Elizabeth Fiedler (D)

District 185

Regina Young (D)

District 186

Jordan Harris (D)

District 187

Gary Day (R)

District 188

Rick Krajewski (D)

District 189

Tarah Probst (D)

District 190

Roni Green (D)

District 191

Joanna McClinton (D)

District 192

Morgan Cephas (D)

District 193

Torren Ecker (R)

District 194

Tarik Khan (D)

District 195

Keith Harris (D)

District 196

Seth Grove (R)

District 197

Danilo Burgos (D)

District 198

Darisha Parker (D)

District 199

Barbara Gleim (R)

District 200

Christopher Rabb (D)

District 201

Andre Carroll (D)

District 202

Jared Solomon (D)

District 203

Anthony Bellmon (D)

Democratic Party (102)

Republican Party (101)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 25, 2020

[1]

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Catherine Spahr

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Campaign finance

2020

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Campaign finance

2018

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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