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Mike Folmer
Mike Folmer is a former member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing District 48 from 2007 to 2019. Folmer resigned his seat in the state Senate on September 18, 2019, after being charged with possession of child pornography.[1] On February 27, 2020, Folmer pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.[2] On July 21, 2020, Folmer was sentenced to up to two years in prison.[3]
Biography
Folmer resides in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where his family began operating a produce store in the 1920s. He earned a degree in history from Grace College in 1978. While there, Folmer sold produce door-to-door. After graduating, Folmer worked as a financial consultant and sales manager. He is a founding member of the Constitutional Organization of Liberty, described by its website as an organization "dedicated to helping reintroduce to the people of Pennsylvania the principles and ideals upon which this republic and this commonwealth were established."[4][5]
Committee assignments
2019-2020
Folmer was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Finance Committee
- Intergovernmental Operations Committee
- Senate Labor & Industry Committee
- Rules & Executive Nominations Committee
- Senate State Government Committee, Chair
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Communications & Technology |
| • Education |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Labor & Industry |
| • Rules & Executive Nominations |
| • State Government, Chair |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Folmer served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • State Government, Chair |
| • Education, Vice-Chair |
| • Communications & Technology |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Labor & Industry |
| • Rules & Executive Nominations |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Folmer served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Education, Chair |
| • Labor & Industry, Vice Chair |
| • Communications & Technology |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Rules & Executive Nominations |
| • State Government |
| • Urban Affairs & Housing |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Folmer served on these committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Communications & Technology, Chair |
| • Education, Vice Chair |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Labor & Industry |
| • State Government |
| • Urban Affairs & Housing |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Folmer served on these committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Communications & Technology, Chair |
| • Education |
| • Labor & Industry |
| • State Government, Vice Chair |
| • Urban Affairs & Housing |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 48
Incumbent Mike Folmer defeated Lois Herr in the general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 48 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Folmer (R) | 62.9 | 60,357 |
 | Lois Herr (D) | 37.1 | 35,545 | |
| Total votes: 95,902 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 48
Lois Herr advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 48 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lois Herr | 100.0 | 8,943 |
| Total votes: 8,943 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 48
Incumbent Mike Folmer advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 48 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Folmer | 100.0 | 19,468 |
| Total votes: 19,468 | |||
| = 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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2014
Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate 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 that election was March 11, 2014. Incumbent Mike Folmer was unopposed in the Republican primary. Folmer was unchallenged in the general election.[6][7]
2010
Folmer won re-election to District 48. He was unopposed in the May 18 Republican primary and defeated Democrat Jo Ellen Litz in the November 2 general election.[8]
| Pennsylvania State Senate District 48 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 Mike Folmer (R)
|
63,609 | |||
| Jo Ellen Litz (D) | 24,298 | |||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Folmer was elected to District 48 of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Folmer defeated John Liss (D) in the general election.[9]
Folmer raised $249,719 for this campaign.[10]
| Pennsylvania State Senate District 48 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| FOLMER, MIKE (R)
|
54,425 | |||
| LISS, JOHN R. (D) | 31,442 | |||
Campaign themes
2014
Folmer's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[11]
- Legislative Reform
- Excerpt: "Audit the General Assembly for waste and abuse; make all legislative meetings public; require public comment on legislation; ban gifts to public officials."
- Political Reform
- Excerpt: "Enact 12-year term limits for House and Senate members; term limit committee chairs; require instant online posting of legislative voting records; ban taxpayer funded "public service announcements."
- Taxation and Spending Reform
- Excerpt: "Implement a "Taxpayers Bill of Rights" to limit spending increases; eliminate unfunded mandates; limit political distribution of tax dollars to special interests; require a three-fifths majority to pass a tax increase; work to eliminate property taxes."
- Legal and Labor Law Reform
- Excerpt: "Give taxpayers a vote on legal reform measures; end unlimited jury awards and enforce a "loser pays" rule; allow Pennsylvanians to choose whether or not they want to join a union."
- Standing Up for Life
- Excerpt: "Mike Folmer is a strong supporter of the right-to-life. He opposes abortion, and believes elected leaders must do more to promote a culture that welcomes and protects life at all stages."
Noteworthy events
Resignation following arrest (2019)
Folmer resigned on September 18, 2019, following his arrest the previous day on charges of sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography, and criminal use of a communication facility.[1][12] He was released on a $25,000 bail shortly after the arrest.[13]
Five months later, on February 27, Folmer entered a guilty plea to three counts of child pornography possession and one count of criminal use of a communications device.[14] He was sentenced to serve two years in prison and eight years of probation. Folmer must also register as a sex offender for 15 years.[15]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Pennsylvania scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 2 through November 30.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 3 through December 31.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 5 through November 30.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 6 through December 31.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 7 through November 12.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 2 to December 31.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 3 to November 30.
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2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 4 through November 30.
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Endorsements
Presidential preference
2012
Mike Folmer endorsed Ron Paul in the 2012 presidential election.[16]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Mike is married to Sheila Folmer. They have two children and reside in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Mike + Folmer + Pennsylvania + Senate'"
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
- Pennsylvania State Senate
- Senate Committees
- Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Joint Committees
- Pennsylvania state legislative districts
External links
- Mike Folmer's personal website
- Profile from the Pennsylvania State Senate
- Profile from Open States
- Mike Folmer on Facebook
- Mike Folmer on Twitter
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 PoliticsPA, "Folmer Resigns After Being Charged With Possession of Child Pornography," September 18, 2019
- ↑ "Ex-Pennsylvania state senator Mike Folmer pleads guilty in child porn case," "The Philadelphia Inquirer," February 27, 2020
- ↑ "Former State Sen. Mike Folmer sentenced to up to 2 years in prison on child porn charges," "Local 21 News," July 21, 2020
- ↑ Senator Folmer, "Bio," accessed September 18, 2019
- ↑ Constitutional Organization of Liberty, "Home," accessed September 18, 2019
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official primary results for May 20, 2014," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 Official Candidate Listing," accessed March 19, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 2, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2006 General Election," accessed March 11, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Report on 2006 campaign contributions," accessed May 2, 2014
- ↑ Mike Folmer Citizen for State Senate, "The Issues," accessed May 16, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ USA Today, "Child porn found on phone of Pennsylvania state Sen. Mike Folmer: prosecutor," September 17, 2019
- ↑ Lebanon Daily News, "Who is Mike Folmer? Pa. state senator arrested on child pornography charges, resigns seat," September 18, 2019
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Ex-Pennsylvania state senator Mike Folmer pleads guilty in child porn case," February 27, 2020
- ↑ Fox 43, "Former state senator Mike Folmer sentenced to prison on child pornography charges," July 21, 2020
- ↑ Politicalnews.me, "Ron Paul Endorsed By Pennsylvania State Senator Mike Folmer at Philadelphia Rally," April 20, 2012
