Jim Wertz
Jim Wertz (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Pennsylvania State Senate to represent District 49. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Wertz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jim Wertz earned a bachelor's degree from Edinboro University. Wertz's career experience includes working as an educator. He earned a graduate degree from American University and a Ph.D. from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 49
Incumbent Daniel Laughlin defeated Jim Wertz in the general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 49 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Daniel Laughlin (R) | 54.1 | 71,293 |
 | Jim Wertz (D)  | 45.8 | 60,457 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 117 | ||
| Total votes: 131,867 | |||
| = 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 State Senate District 49
Jim Wertz defeated Selena King in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 49 on April 23, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Wertz | 68.6 | 16,623 |
| Selena King | 29.2 | 7,083 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.2 | 537 | ||
| Total votes: 24,243 | |||
| = 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 49
Incumbent Daniel Laughlin advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 49 on April 23, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Laughlin | 98.7 | 15,709 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.3 | 209 | ||
| Total votes: 15,918 | |||
| = 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 Wertz's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Wertz in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jim Wertz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wertz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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From the time I became a full-time faculty member at Edinboro in 2009, I served in many leadership roles in our union including delegate to the Central Labor Council, Public Relations Chair, and statewide legislative assembly, but one of the most gratifying moments of my union membership was during our strike in 2016, during which I served as communications coordinator for Edinboro's chapter. In 2018, I ran for and won the chairmanship of the Erie County Democratic Party. As a party, we did a lot of work I am proud of including expanding the electorate and seeing an increase in voter turnout as well as prioritizing reaching voters across the county, including areas often ignored by candidates and campaigns.
I have been married to my college sweetheart, Kim, since 2007. We have three children, Ellie, Maddie, and August, and we live in Erie.- Defending democracy - I will oppose all voter suppression efforts and hold those who undermine our democracy accountable.
- Protecting reproductive rights - all Pennsylvanians deserve access to affordable, full-spectrum reproductive healthcare including birth control, abortion care, and IVF.
- Respecting workers - all work deserves respect, and that includes ensuring worker safety, higher wages, and protection of the right to organize
My next job was at working at Lebo’s Pedal Parlor in Reading which is celebrating 50 years of business this year.
- It is egregiously expensive for young people to attain higher education
- An aging workforce & population
American Federation of Teachers - PA
Roofers Local 210
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1211
Erie-Crawford Central Labor Council (recommended)
United Rural Democrats
Ricky’s Pride PAC
Congressman Matt Cartwright
State Senator John Kane
Fmr. Erie Mayor Joyce Savocchio
Fmr. Erie County Executive Judy Lynch
Erie City Councilperson Tyler Titus
Erie City Councilperson Chuck Nelson
Erie City Councilperson Jasmine Flores
Fmr. Erie City Councilperson Susannah Faulkner
Erie County Councilperson Terry Scutella
Erie County Councilperson Rock Copeland
Erie County Councilperson Chris Drexel
Education
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
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Pennsylvania State Senate District 49 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 26, 2024
