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Gregory Michalek

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Gregory Michalek
Image of Gregory Michalek

Republican Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 6, 2018

Education

High school

North Allegheny Senior High School, 1982

Associate

Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, 1995

Bachelor's

Westminster College, 1987

Personal
Profession
Retail sales management
Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Gregory Michalek (Republican Party) ran for election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent District 9. Michalek lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.

Michalek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.

Michalek was a 2014 Republican candidate for District 9 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Biography

Michalek earned his associate degree in Culinary Arts from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in 1995 and his B.A. in Theatre and Business from Westminster College in 1987. His professional experience includes working in retail sales management.[1]

Elections

2018

See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 9

Incumbent Chris Sainato defeated Gregory Michalek in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 9 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Chris Sainato
Chris Sainato (D)
 
56.9
 
11,959
Image of Gregory Michalek
Gregory Michalek (R) Candidate Connection
 
43.1
 
9,068

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 21,027
Candidate Connection = 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 9

Incumbent Chris Sainato advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 9 on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Chris Sainato
Chris Sainato
 
100.0
 
2,817

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 2,817
Candidate Connection = 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 9

Gregory Michalek advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 9 on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Gregory Michalek
Gregory Michalek Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
2,748

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 2,748
Candidate Connection = 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

See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 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 this election was March 11, 2014. Incumbent Chris Sainato was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Gary Cangey defeated Gregory Michalek in the Republican primary. Sainato defeated Cangey in the general election.[2][3][4]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 9 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngChris Sainato Incumbent 66.8% 10,085
     Republican Gary Cangey 33.2% 5,002
Total Votes 15,087
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 9 Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngGary Cangey 52.2% 1,007
Gregory Michalek 47.8% 921
Total Votes 1,928

Campaign themes

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Candidate Connection

Gregory Michalek participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on September 28, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Gregory Michalek's responses follow below.[5]

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

“ Economic and Education Opportunity Reform

Reducing Government Regulations
Government Transparency[6][7]

”

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?

“ Education is one of my primary passions. Our return on investment in education is dismal.

Secondary: Administrators, Teachers and Students all recognize the current "standardized" tests are a waste. A waste of time and money. Classroom time wasted on test prep and administration aside; a single test used for evaluation is not an adequate way to judge a students readiness for graduation, or the overall performance of a teacher.
State funded post-secondary; Students in our State College system graduate with some of the greatest student loan debt in the nation. This sets them up for an added 10 to 15 years of struggle while starting a career and family.
I know Pennsylvania residents that attend a State School in Ohio, and accumulate less student debit in 4 years, at out of State tuition rates, that a PA resident does in three semesters at our State Institutions.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[7]

”

Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Gregory Michalek answered the following:

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?

“ People that stand by their beliefs. One of the most striking examples is Bernie Sanders. I do not agree with his political beliefs, but I do respect his willingness to stand up for what he believes. Even if it has been proven throughout history, to fail. He states his belief and stands behind it. He is great at identifying a problem. He makes a suggested solution. I believe that his solutions are the exact opposite action of what will solve the problem, but he puts it out there and stands up for it.[7] ”
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else that best describes your political philosophy?
“ Many people are familiar with, or have read, Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations". Widely accepted as the foundation for a Capitalist society. What few have read is his accompanying text; "A Theory of Moral Sentiment", Before anyone delves into Capitalism, they need to read this work. It lays out the values necessary to avoid the abuse of labor and shift to "Crony" capitalism that have shaped our history.[7] ”
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
“ Integrity and honesty. If you make a mistake, own it. No one is perfect. Stand up and admit mistakes, do your best to make amends and move on. If you were not in the wrong, stand up and defend yourself.[7] ”
What qualities do you possess that would make you a successful officeholder?
“ I will make a decision on a plan. Hopefully the information I had was accurate and a good decision was made. Life carries no guarantees except death, taxes and being defined by your biggest mistake. Your ability to acknowledge and recover from any bad decisions are what defines you.[7] ”
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
“ Service beyond paperwork. Advocating for your constituents, knowing that they can achieve more than they think. Fighting ti get them that opportunity to excel.[7] ”
What legacy would you like to leave?
“ Encouragement of people to reach up and make their lives matter.[7] ”
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at that time?
“ Neil Armstrong and the Moon Landing in 1969. More because my dad and grandmother were fighting about whether it was really happening or a big hoax. I was five. My grandmother was never convinced it really happened, even though a Son in Law worked for NASA at Kennedy Space Center.[7] ”
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
“ My first paid work was stuffing envelopes. I did it usually on Saturday morning, once a month for 2 years. One penny per business size envelope, three cents each if they were oversize envelopes.[7] ”
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
“ Veteran's Day. That is one of the few times that even the most of far wings of the political spectrum will settle down and admit that there are people that sacrificed to make their free expression of ideas possible.[7] ”
What is your favorite book? Why?
“ The Bible. It provides a solid basis of morality. Even if you do not believe in Jesus or God; The 10 commandments form the basis for what most hold as morality. Do not kill... Do not steal...

If we lived by those original 10 laws, we would be a much more civil society.[7]

”
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
“ Family. Made up of people, my family is their own entity. It changes depending upon who is present and includes people that do not live in this structure.[7] ”
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
“ As far as I remember, it was the William Tell Overture. At the time it was the funny music from the cartoons.[7] ”
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
“ Dealing with the discrimination and fear of others in response to my epilepsy. It kept me out of most sports, got me sympathy from teachers and bullying from many students, To this day, I keep in contact with some who defended me in elementary school. I have had no seizures in over 20 years, but remain on medication. I do know when I have missed a dose. I travel with several days supply at all times. In each vehicle and one day's doses on me at all times.[7] ”
(For non-Nebraska candidates) What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?
“ The bills they are allowed to initiate.[7] ”
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
“ No. I believe William Penn did not plan for our Representatives to be in session as much as they are. Representatives should be from the general population, not those educated in politics or law.[7] ”
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
“ Shifting tax revenue. Seniors are becoming the largest percentage of the population. They need relief from some of the tax burden for services used exclusively on younger residents. Most notably, school taxes.[7] ”
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
“ Friendly opposition. Competing ideas often lead to the best outcome for all involved. As long as neither attacks the liberties guaranteed in the State or U.S. Constitution, they have remained true to their oath of office,[7] ”
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
“ Building relationships with other legislators is essential for effective representation of your district. You must start with those who share your core principals, do not compromise those, but show you are willing to negotiate most issues.[7] ”
What process do you favor for redistricting?
“ Allowing public input, set some additional guidelines, but the final decision should be the legislature. Size of State government must be cut[7] ”
If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
“ I would not want to serve on Liquor Control, or professional Licensure. I would consider any other committee.[7] ”
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
“ Daryl Metcalfe.[7] ”
Are you interested in running for a different political office in the future?
“ At this time; No.[7] ”
Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
“ There are several, but many more from life that have caused me to pursue this office. One of the most recent was dealing with a company that sees itself as a privatized board of parole. The person I had dealings with, was, in my opinion, on a power trip.[7] ”

2014

Michalek's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[8]

Government Spending

  • Excerpt: "Serving as an elected is a privilege, not a career. The size and cost if our legislature is way out of proportion to the needs of the Commonwealth; I will seek to have it cut by 50%. If that is by size, compensation or a combination, it must happen. The compensation for an elected official should never exceed the median household income of the area served."

Economy

  • Excerpt: "The 9th District, although having received funding, has yet to experience long term economic growth and job creation. Transforming the approach to jobs and sources of funding will be needed to reverse this trend. Local control of education is a keystone needed for this to become reality."

Education

  • Excerpt: "Our public education lacks accountability. Not only should their expenditures and all administrative meetings require transparency, but they should be held responsible for their results. Encouraging school choice will encourage bringing their standards up, rather than teaching to the lowest common denominator with untried programs such as “Common Core”."

Environment

  • Excerpt: "Responsible development and utilization of the natural resources of our Commonwealth will go hand in hand with creating more economic opportunity and funding resources for our schools. We must also take appropriate steps to help local producers of food, by limiting the encroachment of mega farms and GMO plantings; even allowing farmers to sue for damages caused by GMO contamination of conventional crops."

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Michalek and his wife have three children. They reside in New Castle, Pennsylvania.[1]

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Gregory + Michalek + Pennsylvania + House"

Gregory Michalek News Feed

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Official campaign website, "About," accessed April 30, 2014
  2. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official primary results for May 20, 2014," accessed July 9, 2014
  3. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 Official Candidate Listing," accessed March 21, 2014
  4. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 General Election," accessed December 5, 2014
  5. ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
  6. ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Gregory Michalek's responses," September 28, 2018
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 7.23 7.24 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. ↑ Official campaign website, "Core Issues," accessed April 30, 2014


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