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Scott Wagner (Pennsylvania)
Scott Wagner (Republican Party) was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing District 28. He assumed office on April 2, 2014. He left office on June 4, 2018.
Wagner (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Pennsylvania. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Wagner filed for governor on a joint ticket with lieutenant governor candidate Jeff Bartos (R).
Wagner is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing District 28 from 2014 to 2018. He was first elected to the chamber in a special election on March 18, 2014. He resigned on June 4, 2018, to focus on campaiging for governor.[1] Wagner was the first write-in candidate to ever win election to the Pennsylvania State Senate.[2]
Biography
Wagner's professional experience includes owning Penn Waste, Inc. and KBS Trucking.[3]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Governor of Pennsylvania
Incumbent Tom Wolf defeated Scott Wagner, Ken Krawchuk, and Paul Glover in the general election for Governor of Pennsylvania on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tom Wolf (D) | 57.8 | 2,895,652 |
 | Scott Wagner (R) | 40.7 | 2,039,882 | |
 | Ken Krawchuk (L) | 1.0 | 49,229 | |
 | Paul Glover (G) | 0.6 | 27,792 | |
| Total votes: 5,012,555 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Pennsylvania
Incumbent Tom Wolf advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Pennsylvania on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Wolf | 100.0 | 749,812 |
| Total votes: 749,812 | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Pennsylvania
Scott Wagner defeated Paul Mango and Laura Ellsworth in the Republican primary for Governor of Pennsylvania on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Wagner | 44.3 | 326,612 |
 | Paul Mango | 36.9 | 271,857 | |
 | Laura Ellsworth | 18.8 | 138,843 | |
| Total votes: 737,312 | |||
| = candidate completed 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. Linda E. Small was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Scott Wagner defeated Zachary Alexander Rockford Hearn in the Republican primary. Ron Miller (R) withdrew from the race on March 26, 2014. Wagner defeated Small in the general election.[4][5][6][7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Scott Wagner Incumbent |
64.7% | 46,247 | |
| Democratic | Linda Small | 35.3% | 25,205 | |
| Total Votes | 71,452 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Scott Wagner Incumbent |
84.9% | 13,214 |
| Zachary Alexander Rockford Hearn | 15.1% | 2,349 |
| Total Votes | 15,563 | |
Write-in candidate Scott Wagner (R) defeated party-nominated candidates Linda E. Small (D) and Ron Miller (R) in the special election, which took place on March 18, 2014.[8][9][10]
The seat was vacant following Mike Waugh's (R) appointment as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Farm Show on January 12.
A special election for the position of Pennsylvania State Senate District 28 was called for March 18. Candidates were nominated by their party rather than chosen through a primary[11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Wagner (Write-in) |
47.7% | 10,654 | |
| Republican | Ron Miller | 26.6% | 5,951 | |
| Democratic | Linda E. Small | 25.7% | 5,744 | |
| Total Votes | 22,349 | |||
Campaign themes
2018
Campaign website
Wagner’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
JOBS AND YOUR PAYCHECK WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? In a word, opportunity -- or lack of it. The Wolf Administration is chasing good-paying job providers away to other states -- and he's blocking Pennsylvania from becoming the economic powerhouse of the Northeast. Under Tom Wolf, PA has one of the most punishing tax and regulatory burdens in the country -- with more than 150,000 regulations on the books. As a job creator, Scott Wagner knows firsthand how Governor Wolf's failed policies are hurting job creators, often forcing them to close shop or move to states with better business climates -- taking good paying jobs (and our kids) with them. SCOTT'S PLAN Protecting paychecks means plenty of good paying jobs. To make that happen, Scott intends to treat entrepreneurs like the valuable job creators they are. He will free business owners to from regulations and burdensome processes so they can provide better paychecks for hard working Pennsylvanians who've waited far too long for a chance to get ahead. How? Scott is a man of action. TAXES AND YOUR PAYCHECK WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? In a word, mismanagement. Recent reports found hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted, poorly invested, or lost. Our current governor, Tom Wolf, doesn't understand the concept of a hard earned dollar, because he's only ever known privilege and influence. His gross mismanagement takes a great deal of unecessary money out of your wallet. No governor has been more financially reckless, or done more to benefit wealthy special interests -- while treating hard working Pennsylvanians like ATM machines, and denying them the most basic considerations -- like safe, well-maintained roads. SCOTT'S PLAN Scott will protect your paycheck by cutting up Harrisburg's credit cards and shutting off the spending valve. He'll make it a place that takes less from you and returns more by forcing every agency to implement zero-based budgeting which will protect taxpayers from mismanagement. He'll sign legislation to eliminate the school taxes on your home, and he'll break Pennsylvania’s 45-year streak of tax increases on everything from personal income and sales, to gas and digital downloads. EDUCATION AND YOUR PAYCHECK WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? In a word, politics. An immensely powerful school employees' union (the PSEA), and the politicians it controls, are diverting more and more money meant for students to an out of control state employee pension program. They’ve blocked Harrisburg from solving this crisis for students and overly burdened taxpayers. Politicians have promised, but failed to end reliance on property taxes to fund schools contributing to massive student inequality. Taxpayers are handcuffed to a system that drains them while it steals away the equal and excellent education our children deserve. SCOTT'S PLAN Scott will take on the big union bosses who own Tom Wolf -- so he can fix the student-robbing pension crisis and make sure funding goes to our students where it belongs. He'll end property tax reliance and make sure that no student is hurt by his or her zip code. He’ll sign legislation to stop over-prescribing of opioids and treat it like the code red crisis it is. He'll retool and reinvent the education system to prepare children to fill STEM jobs and the 200,000 available skilled labor positions. THE CULTURE AND YOUR PAYCHECK WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? In a word, self-interest. Harrisburg is notorious for a culture which has allowed politicians and wealthy special interests to prosper at the expense of hard working Pennsylvanians. It has become known as a place where bribery, fraud and abuse of power are casually accepted -- where public service has become profitable. PA is home to the most expensive, wasteful and lavish legislature in the country -- one that has left honest citizens behind, and forgotten their interests. Instead of a system that encourages service to those hard workers, we have a system that has bred a generation of career politicians who look out for themselves. SCOTT'S PLAN Scott knows that to protect paychecks, we have to ensure elected officials are working for taxpayers, not themselves. He'll push to reduce the size of the legislature, abolish lawmaker per diems, pensions and lifetime health insurance plans. To break the culture of political careerism, Scott will work toward limiting terms in the legislature. He’ll move to ban former lawmakers from lobbying and to prohibit lobbying firms from engaging in campaign work on behalf of politicians.[12] |
” |
| —Wagner for Governor[13] | ||
Campaign advertisements
The following is an example of an ad from Wagner's 2018 election campaign.
|
2014
Wagner's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[14]
Bring Fiscal Responsibility to State Government
- Excerpt: "Promote the spending of taxpayer’s dollars in a fair and reasonable manner. Enhance and increase government efficiency. Harrisburg has a spending problem, not a revenue problem."
Restore Prosperity to Pennsylvania
- Excerpt: "Spur economic growth at a greater rate than government growth. Balance private and public job growth in line with appropriate social service needs. Pennsylvania needs new private sector jobs created, not more government jobs."
Control Property Taxes
- Excerpt: "It is unfair for Pennsylvanians to spend most of their adult life paying off their mortgages only to be burdened by excessive property taxes in retirement."
Reform Harrisburg’s Political System
- Excerpt: "High salaries, lavish pensions, automatic pay raises and excessive per diems are just a few examples of why we have the most expensive legislature in the country."
Protect and Defend our Constitutional Freedoms
- Excerpt: "Preserving our constitutional freedoms, including the 2nd Amendment and protecting life, will always be one of my guiding principles."
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Labor & Industry, Vice chair |
| • Local Government, Chair |
| • Transportation |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Wagner served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Urban Affairs & Housing, Chair |
| • Labor & Industry, Vice-Chair |
| • Appropriations |
| • Intergovernmental Operations |
| • Law & Justice |
| • Transportation |
2014-2015
At the beginning of the 2014 legislative session, Wagner served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Aging & Youth, Vice-Chair |
| • Intergovernmental Operations, Chair |
| • Local Government |
| • Urban Affairs & Housing |
| • Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness |
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.
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.
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
In 2018, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 2 through November 30.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animals.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to small business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
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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See also
- Pennsylvania State Senate
- Senate Committees
- Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Joint Committees
- Pennsylvania state legislative districts
- Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2014
- Pennsylvania State Senate District 28
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- Campaign Twitter page
- State senate campaign website
- State senate campaign Facebook page
- Profile from Open States
Footnotes
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Pa. Sen. Scott Wagner resigning his seat to focus on governor's race," May 31, 2018
- ↑ yorkdispatch.com, "Scott Wagner's presumed win a historic first," March 19, 2014
- ↑ scottwagnerforsenate.com, "Scott's Story," accessed March 19, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official primary results for May 20, 2014," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Withdrawals," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 Official Candidate Listing," accessed March 19, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 General Election," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed March 3, 2014
- ↑ ydr.com, "Wagner apparent winner in special state Senate election," March 19, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Secretary of State, "Official special election results," accessed August 29, 2014
- ↑ philly.com, "Lt. Gov calls special election to fill vacant Senate seat," January 13, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Wagner for Governor, "Scott's Plan," accessed September 27, 2018
- ↑ scottwagnerforsenate.com, "The Issues," accessed March 19, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mike Waugh (R) |
Pennsylvania State Senate District 28 April 2, 2014-2018 |
Succeeded by Kristin Hill (R) |
