Denny Semsick
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Denny Semsick (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent District 62. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Semsick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Denny Semsick was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania. He attended Western Pennsylvania Institute of Technology for undergraduate study. Before retiring, Semsick was a PennDOT planning and programming manager and director of marketing for civil engineering firms.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 62
Incumbent James Struzzi II defeated Denny Semsick in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 62 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Struzzi II (R) | 68.4 | 19,943 |
 | Denny Semsick (D)  | 31.6 | 9,211 | |
| Total votes: 29,154 | |||
| = 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 62
Denny Semsick advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 62 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Denny Semsick | 100.0 | 5,011 |
| Total votes: 5,011 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Laura Thomas (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 62
Incumbent James Struzzi II advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 62 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Struzzi II | 100.0 | 6,253 |
| Total votes: 6,253 | |||
| = 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 finance
Campaign themes
2020
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released June 7, 2020 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Denny Semsick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Semsick's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I'm retired from the PA State Department of Transportation. It's for love of my country I made this commitment to run for office to stop this ongoing demise of our middle class and the exploitation of the low income and our senior citizens. In PA the Republican Party has held the majority in both the House and Senate for the past 20 except for one four year period in 2010. They own what has happened in our area. The people in the 62nd District have not been represented very well. Since 1990 and continuing until today, Indiana County has consistently lost population. The median household income in Indiana County since 2010 has dropped and when calculating inflation, compounded annually, the disposable income for our 2020 families has greatly reduced. The most alarming observation is 38% of our county workforce earns less than $30,000 annually and another 13% earns less than $40,000 annually. The rate of poverty has increased and these trends are worse for the Borough of Indiana. Finally, our rate of unemployment from 2010 on has been above the state average except for a brief time in 2011 and at that time it was still over 7%. The above information tells me our legislators are using their positions to do the will of the Republican party statewide at the expense of our Indiana County citizens. The truth is in spite of the hard work by many caring individuals and organizations sufficient numbers of life sustaining jobs are not here.
- My campaign seeks to form a coalition o f county voters, moving past the divisive labels, Independent, Democrat and Republican and make real progress together.
- The interests of the middle class, low income, elderly, disadvantaged and many other groups must be protected rather than optioned away to the wealthy.
- I believe it's now our time to organize, as communities, as labor unions, and fight to defend our country, our democracy, and embrace facts instead of fiction.
Real Estate Tax Reform - House Bill 76 as proposed is poorly conceived and provides windfall benefits for the wealthy and out-of-state property owners on the backs of the hard working Pennsylvanians. Our campaign has developed a counter proposal which will provide actual property tax relief to all property owners and minimize the proposed state income tax an sales tax increases. Detailed information will be released during our campaign.
Low-cost prescription drugs - Should existing drug companies refuse to negotiate lower cost, the state should be able to import drugs from licensed pharmacies in Canada and other countries under strict controls. It's unacceptable that the people in the USA pay, by far, the high prices in the world.
Public Education - Education at all levels has been severely underfunded for generations. Our state legislature has made the existing critical situation worse thru their mandates for charter and cyber schools. I've interviewed many people involved in education and we have an extensive list of issues.
I believe Abraham Lincoln, FDR and Barack Obama possess the qualities necessary to guide us through the chaos and divisiveness that has overtaken our country. Partisan politics and double standards rule the day. We need big thinkers with big ideas who put their country first. We need someone who thinks things through and can, with sincerity and honesty, calm the nerves of an anxious nation and bring us back to the people, as a nation, we really are. A people no longer afraid of the future, a nation moving forward together.
I love my country and I have a strong desire to commit myself to exhaust all efforts to help others to the best of my ability. My strong ethics will prevent me from ever knowingly doing the wrong thing or compromising to the extent that it would negatively affect any other individuals. I'm respectful of others and a very good listener - I learn much more that way. Also, I learned a long time ago the best way to help resolve an issue is to learn the facts about that issue. For example, I attended a dairy seminar this past spring and talked to many dairy owners about their issues and I'm enrolled in an upcoming 7-week training course in substance use disorders or addictions. I'm open-minded and able to engage others easily which will aid me significantly in team building to reach bipartisan solutions.
Recognizing that you represent all the constituents in your district, not just the ones of your political affiliation, is job one. Having ethics, being honest and focusing on doing the best you can, everyday for all constituents in an effort to improve their standard of living and the safety of their families is a must. You must maintain honest open communications with your constituents and keep them informed of pending issues while providing positive, respectful leadership.
"Becoming" by Michelle Obama. The first words that come to mind are inspiring and eye-opening. She immediately puts you at ease as she share's childhood memories of family, memories to which so many of us can relate. Then, before you realize it, you're drawn completely into her life which she unselfishly allows you to share with her. It's then you gain a glimpse into the stark reality of growing up black in America. Every challenge makes her more determined - from a child all they way to First Lady. You come to see who she is today started back in Chicago with family. You "feel" her happiness as she relates her childhood memories whether visiting relatives or going on a family drive with her family. She learns to embrace life rather than allow it to hold her back. She draws her strengthen and determination from her parents, especially her father's medical issue. He does not allow it to dictate his life - he fights it with grit and determination. She shows us that we are truly more alike than we are different and the common good is so much more important than the individual self.
The current conversations and agenda of issues is too limited. The lack of vision and thought process to see the entire big picture is detrimental to our state. Our state faces many challenges, both economic and social, but because of our current legislature's limited vision, they are only addressed but not resolved. Closing our eyes to these issues now is irresponsible and shortsighted. Wasteful government spending, corporate welfare and lack of supporting the Marcellus Shale Severance Extraction Tax is hampering our ability to address critical issues. The Republican majority's insistence of party over people prevents compromise which is absolutely vital in resolving the real issues of real people .
Each branch of our government must conduct themselves in a respectful manner with the other branches, recognizing that under our state constitution each branch has their specific purpose and duties and must operate within the confines granted to them by the state constitution. Wanting to change the rules because the rules don't suit you at present speaks to partisan politics at its worst. Open and sincere conversations are a must. Criticism and degrading comments are divisive and inhibits our ability to come together. There must be honest negotiations and a willingness to compromise that will allow bipartisan cooperation in resolving our problems.
Team building, both within your party and across the aisle, is critical when building bipartisan support for legislation. Being respectful and considerate of others' points of view is a positive position to take when building relationships. But these relationship are like a marriage. It takes a lot of effort, and you must continually work on it realizing that to be successful, there will be - must be, give and take.
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.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 8, 2020
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
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
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
District 50
Bud Cook (R)
District 51
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
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
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
District 130
David Maloney (R)
District 131
Milou Mackenzie (R)
District 132
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
District 156
District 157
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
District 172
Sean Dougherty (D)
District 173
District 174
Ed Neilson (D)
District 175
Mary Isaacson (D)
District 176
Jack Rader (R)
District 177
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
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)
