Gary Spillane
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Gary Spillane (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent District 144. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Spillane completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Gary Spillane earned a bachelor's degree from Tulane University and Boston University in 1981. Spillane's career experience includes working as a sales manager, as a tree climber and pruner, as a carpenter, as a painter, and as a newspaper reporter.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 144
Incumbent F. Todd Polinchock defeated Gary Spillane in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 144 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | F. Todd Polinchock (R) | 55.5 | 22,915 |
 | Gary Spillane (D)  | 44.5 | 18,372 | |
| Total votes: 41,287 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 144
Gary Spillane advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 144 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gary Spillane | 100.0 | 7,512 |
| Total votes: 7,512 | |||
| = 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 144
Incumbent F. Todd Polinchock advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 144 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | F. Todd Polinchock | 100.0 | 7,185 |
| Total votes: 7,185 | |||
| = 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
Endorsements
To view Spillane's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gary Spillane completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Spillane's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
As a business manager, husband, father, and 25-year resident of Bucks County, I know what it takes to create jobs, protect our healthcare and environment, and fight for the working families of PA. When I started my own building products company in 2007, we promised integrity, honesty and passion. The Great Recession hit us hard but I made a commitment to our employees and customers: we will make it through this together. With loans and personal sacrifice, we kept every employee, providing living wages and benefits. This is what I will do in Harrisburg: work hard and build alliances with the leaders who understand what it takes to provide for a strong, fair Pennsylvania.
- I believe healthcare is a right. It protects our families, our neighbors, and our economy. Every one of us should have access to quality healthcare.
- Education is the bedrock of opportunity for our children. I will work to ensure all students and teachers are provided adequate funding for Pre-K through 12th grade, college, and vocational training.
- The air we breathe; the water we drink; where we work and play- this is the environment we share. Protecting our environment and expanding green spaces is a key priority.
My family and professional life have seen the devastation of opioid and alcohol addiction. Together we should address the Substance Abuse Disorder epidemic on all fronts. As the father of a daughter happily married to a woman, I am keenly aware of the legal protections our state should provide to protect the LGBTQ+ and other threatened communities. The health and economic stresses during this pandemic have laid bare our inequities and failures as a society. We must address our continuing social justice issues to strengthen all our communities in this Commonwealth.
President Abraham Lincoln worked consistently to create alliances and consensus on the most challenging and important issues of his era. His quiet demeanor and keen ear helped him show his contemporaries a path forward where so many others saw only roadblocks and darkness.
No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodman.
Listening is the most important skill for any leader.
I listen, think, and work hard.
I've started and run small businesses in Bucks County where I hired, trained, and promoted dozens of people. I've signed the front of more paychecks than the back. I opened a new company in 2007 and hired people, bought trucks, forklifts, and inventory. The Great Recession of 2008 hit like a hurricane. I promised my crew no one would lose their home or health insurance. I stopped taking a paycheck. We never missed payroll or skipped an insurance payment. We stay focused and planned for the future. By 2011, we were making money, increasing pay and benefits, and improving our service to customers. That's how you move through difficulties to succeed. Failing to plan is planning to fail. We need to provide affordable healthcare, preserve our beautiful environment, and protect our futures by planning for the challenges that come: pandemics, financial breakdowns, addiction and abuse. We need to reinforce our schools, our healthcare, our police, firefighters and emergency personnel. We are seeing how important our front-line workers are. Paying a living wage and providing affordable healthcare secures everyone's future.
Senator Bobby Kennedy was shot when I was nine years old. I'd heard about the deaths of the Rev. King and President Kennedy but I was watching television with my family when Bobby was shot. It was horrifying.
A summer job at the Bryn Mawr Car Wash. We worked for ten hours a day with no assigned breaks and the boss kept the tips. It was hot, sunny, and I loved it.
The PA House is comprised of 203 members while the Senate has fifty. The processes for each are very similar. It is the make-up of each body's legislators that differs so.
In many ways, our public servants would serve us better after having experienced careers in the private sector. Understanding the daily responsibilities of business ownership, management, and employees provides an insight into the impacts of our laws and regulations. Parenthood, coaching, care-giving, travel, and education are also valuable contributors to one's ability to serve with honor and integrity.
We must work together during the current pandemic, the aftermath, and its reverberating economic impact. As a state, we need to re-focus our priorities so each of us has access to quality, affordable healthcare, schools, and housing. These foundational priorities will allow our state to move forward with strength, intelligence, and purpose.
Governor Tom Wolf has shown us the traits of effective leadership. As established in our state constitution, the governor is the executive, managing the daily business of the state. The legislature is the deliberative branch, observing and proposing laws, regulations, and performance. Open communication and transparency between the branches and the citizenry is key to the systems' success.
With fifty states in our union, we can only benefit from the shared experiences of the other state governments.
I support Fair Districts PA, the coalition calling for non-partisan redistricting at the state level to stop partisan gerrymandering. I support early voting, no excuse mail-in ballots, same-day registration, automatic voter registration when a citizen turns 18, and other reforms that make it easier for all Pennsylvanians to vote. I also support campaign finance reform for increased transparency and accountability for our elected officials.
Committees focused on our pensions, environment, employment, and education are priorities for me but I will serve where leadership determines I can be most effective in serving PA.
Not applicable.
It would be an honor to lead in any capacity the members choose.
Governor Tom Wolf, for his measured, informed, consistent leadership.
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 October 12, 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)
