Paul Daigle

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Paul Daigle

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 2, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Gordon College, 1997

Graduate

Eastern University, 2011

Personal

Birthplace

New Bedford, Mass.

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Paul Daigle (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 2, 2020.

Daigle completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Paul Daigle was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Gordon College in 1997 and a graduate degree from Eastern University in 2011. Daigle’s career experience includes working at 28 non-profit and civic organizations as a volunteer, intern, staff member, executive director, and board member.

Elections

2020

See also: Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District election, 2020

Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 11

Incumbent Lloyd Smucker defeated Sarah Hammond in the general election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 11 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lloyd Smucker (R)	63.1	241,915
		Sarah Hammond (D)	36.9	141,325

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 383,240
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 11

Sarah Hammond defeated Paul Daigle in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 11 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Hammond	72.3	39,038
		Paul Daigle	27.7	14,936

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 53,974
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Adam Nesbitt (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 11

Incumbent Lloyd Smucker advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 11 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lloyd Smucker	100.0	78,842

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 78,842
= 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 themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Paul Daigle completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Daigle's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

During my career, I have served with 28 different non-profit and civic organizations as a volunteer, intern, staff member, executive director, and board member. I have held positions as a homeless services program director, an executive director, a leadership role at a public policy advocacy group, and numerous positions within higher education. I helped an organization get its first Housing and Urban Development and Department of Labor grants and have been a lead contributor for grant reporting to the Department of Education. I have significant event planning experience including planning major events with elected officials like two different state's Lieutenant governors. I have been a guest speaker in numerous settings leading workshops on everything from higher education topics, fair trade, public policy related to homelessness, and management strategy. Currently, I oversee a program that employs 1,300 students each year at Franklin & Marshall College.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Reform - Washington is broken. I will fight hard for systemic changes that will give power back to ordinary Americans, get money and lobbyists out of politics, protect voting rights, and make sure our government works efficiently and effectively for the rest of us.
• Opportunity - I will work hard to level the playing field so that every family has a fair shot at the American Dream by raising the minimum wage, providing paid family leave, fighting for health care for all and criminal justice reform.
• Promise - America needs to keep its promises to our seniors and to future generations. I will work hard to combat climate change, strengthen and protect social security, and deal with our growing national debt.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Policies that help fight the corruption and dysfunction in Washington so that ordinary Americans - and not the wealthy and well-connected - are who our elected officials are working for.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

A few potential sources:

Website: Represent.us - on the corrupting influence of money and lobbyists in our politics.
Movie: Inequality for All - depicts the nation's increasing wealth and income inequality
Organization: No Labels - while I don't agree with everything they say or do, I am appreciative of the desire to get our nation's leaders to work together (on a bi-partisan basis) to deal with our big, long-term challenges.
Book: The Bible - there are surprising passages about the fair treatment of workers, income redistribution, and debt forgiveness.

Place: The holocaust museum in Washington, D.C. I visited 20 years ago and have never forgotten the experience. I think everyone should visit at least once in their life. Knowing the U.S. government knew what was happening for years before doing or saying anything was probably the most traumatic part of the visit.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity matters. Elected officials need to be true to their word and commitments. Integrity also means not letting special interests and lobbyists keep an elected official from fighting for the things that matter to their constituents.

It's also important to have an ability to work hard for what you believe in but also have the willingness to build consensus and compromise when necessary for progress to happen.

I also think all leaders need to be teachable - willing to learn and admit they may not have the right solution and they can learn from others.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Empathy - I lead with empathy. I try to connect with those around me and see how best I can serve them. I see elected office primarily as a way to serve others.

Teamwork - I invest in those around me and want them to thrive. As a result, I like building teams of strong leaders and am not intimidated by others' intelligence or success. I would rather surround myself with team members who are smarter and more talented than I am - so that as a team - we can accomplish even more together.

Humility - I never assume I know everything. On the contrary, I'm frequently keenly aware of how much I don't know. This drives me to learn more as I lead and make decisions.

Complexity - I frequently acknowledge that simple answers usually only work with simple problems. Most of life's (and our nations) issues are deeply complex and require complex solutions.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

An elected official needs to be responsive to their constituents. That means being available and having opportunities to hear from their constituents. This is why I'm committing to 12 in-person town halls each year.
Additionally, Congresspersons need to be able to provide leadership by not just looking at short-term needs but also looking ahead and planning for the long-term needs of our country.

What legacy would you like to leave?

More than anything else - I would like to be a part of a movement to make Congress - yet again - the People's House. Right now, Washington seems to work primarily for the wealthy and the well-connected. Big money and lobbyists have more sway over policy and then everyday Americans. This needs to end. I want to be a part of this reform effort.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

One of my first jobs was being the bookkeeper for Burt's Bees. I started at 14 ½ years old and soon was overseeing accounts receivables, payables, and payroll. I also helped with wholesale sales calls, staffing the retail store, and shipping our orders. I even signed my own paychecks. I learned a lot about small business development, marketing, and more while I was there. I worked there for two years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

This is hard to narrow down because I've liked so many books.

The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs - while parts are controversial, it opened my mind up to the complexity of international economics and provide some blueprints for making a real dent in global poverty
The Return of the Prodigal Son - by Henry Nouwen - it's a story of grace told through a reflection on Rembrandt's painting of the Prodigal Son.
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller - helps describe faith in a deeply approachable manner
Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime" - a moving piece that's hilarious at the same time

A book I really want to read: Elizabeth Warren's "The Two-Income Trap"

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Jack Ryan in Tom Clancy's Executive Orders - He has to rebuild the American government after one of the worst attacks in history on American soil. While he has worked in government for years, he was never political. When he is thrust into the Presidency - he leads not with the ideology of one political party - but with trying to do what's right for the country - regardless of party and interest. He displays great integrity throughout the process.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The last song I heard was the national anthem because my daughter was singing it in the shower. The last song stuck in my head was "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Self-criticism. I have a real drive to be successful which can be a really good thing when it's directed towards worthy goals. But, the flip side is that my expectations for myself are sometimes unreasonable. It's taken years of reflection and the help of others to learn to give my all but also have grace for myself at the same time. I'm a work in progress.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The unique diversity of its membership is both a strength and a challenge. Additionally, the need for cooperation and even compromise to be an effective institution is a strategic asset for our nation.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

It's helpful but it is not the only type of experience necessary to be effective in the House. A wide range of past experience provides Congressional members with the advantage of diverse viewpoints and different industry know-how. My own experience in higher education and nonprofits provides me with a diverse set of experiences that I believe make me uniquely qualified to be effective in Congress. I have worked in education, business development, social services, and policy advocacy. I understand the potential of unintended, negative consequences of good intentions - and frequently try to think through the implications of plans and procedures so that the most effective and efficient approach is used to get the job done.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Reclaiming the American Dream for the rest of us - not just for the wealthy and well-connected. Income inequality is at dangerous levels and incomes are not rising at the same pace as the cost of living. We need to build an economy that truly provides opportunity for all.

Reforming Washington by fighting corruption and fixing dysfunction. Washington is broken and we need to get big money out of politics and give power and voice back to ordinary Americans.

Keeping America's promise to future generations by combatting climate change and saving social security. Our nation's leaders are focused on short-term problems and solutions instead of 'leading' by looking at both the challenges and opportunities that are on the horizon.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

While a first-year congressperson has limited say on what their committee assignments may be, here is a list of committees that would interest me:

Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee for the Education and Labor Committee
Government Operations and Economic and Consumer Policy subcommittees of the Oversight and Reform Committee
Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee of the Oversight and Reform Committee
Consumer Protection & Commerce and Energy subcommittees of the Energy and Commerce Committee
Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
Rules Committee
Ways and Means Committee

Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Recovery and the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, & Accountability subcommittees of Homeland Security Committee

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

While a slightly longer-term may be nice, the two-year length is fine.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

While studies have shown term limits could have negative, unintended consequences, I do support term limits of 18 years for elected positions (9 terms in the house and 3 terms in the Senate).

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

No.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - because of her hard work (she had holes in her shoes from campaigning) and her passion for everyday working people.

Senator Amy Klobuchar - because her effectiveness to build consensus and get legislation passed

Congresswoman Katie Porter - because of her determination in hearings as evidenced recently while questioning Dr. Redfield, the head of the CDC which led to a commitment to cover the costs of virus testing.

Both sitting representatives 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?

Hearing supermarket employees say they are priced out of local rental units is a reminder that the costs of living are going up substantially without corresponding wage growth. Likewise, a family friend admitted to me that the health care plan his employer offers is costing him just under $1,000 a month which is more than a third of his income. Although he loves the job, he is looking for alternatives because he can't afford to pay for other bills as a result. For me, both of these stories indicate just how out of reach the American Dream is for so many Americans.

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.

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Footnotes

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Pennsylvania's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Fetterman (D)

David McCormick (R)

Representatives

District 1

Brian Fitzpatrick (R)

District 2

Brendan Boyle (D)

District 3

Dwight Evans (D)

District 4

Madeleine Dean (D)

District 5

Mary Scanlon (D)

District 6

Chrissy Houlahan (D)

District 7

Ryan Mackenzie (R)

District 8

Rob Bresnahan (R)

District 9

Dan Meuser (R)

District 10

Scott Perry (R)

District 11

Lloyd Smucker (R)

District 12

Summer Lee (D)

District 13

John Joyce (R)

District 14

Guy Reschenthaler (R)

District 15

Glenn Thompson (R)

District 16

Mike Kelly (R)

District 17

Chris Deluzio (D)

Republican Party (11)

Democratic Party (8)