Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Scott Wallace (Pennsylvania)
Scott Wallace (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Elections
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1
Incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick defeated Scott Wallace in the general election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brian Fitzpatrick (R) | 51.3 | 169,053 |
 | Scott Wallace (D) | 48.7 | 160,745 | |
| Total votes: 329,798 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Steve Scheetz (L)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1
Scott Wallace defeated Rachel Reddick and Steve Bacher in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Wallace | 56.5 | 27,676 |
 | Rachel Reddick | 35.3 | 17,313 | |
 | Steve Bacher | 8.2 | 4,014 | |
| Total votes: 49,003 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1
Incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick defeated Dean Malik in the Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brian Fitzpatrick | 67.0 | 31,394 |
 | Dean Malik | 33.0 | 15,461 | |
| Total votes: 46,855 | |||
| = 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
2018
Campaign website
Wallace’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Climate Change Climate change is real, it is dangerous, and we ignore it at our own peril. For the past fifteen years, the charitable organization Christy and I have run has become a leader in the fight against climate change. We’ve worked to empower grassroots movements to raise awareness and fight climate change, and to hasten the transition to a prosperous clean-energy future, with jobs, economic opportunity, and a healthier planet for all. Instead of leaders like Trump who say that climate change is a “con job,” we need representatives who will embrace the clean-energy future. The only “con job” when it comes to climate change is Donald Trump. He lies about the science and hires climate-deniers like Scott Pruitt to sabotage the Environmental Protection Agency, so he can keep protecting oil and coal special interests at the expense of our kids’ future. Here’s where I stand: We need to reinstate the Paris climate treaty and the Clean Power Plan. Restore the EPA’s power to regulate climate pollution. Change our system of tax incentives to move away from carbon-based fuels toward renewable energy. Climate change is not just a crisis, but an opportunity to create millions of new jobs and protect our planet. But we have to commit to the fight, and we have to stand up to the truth-deniers like Donald Trump. It’s time to stop dragging our feet when it comes to finding real solutions to combat climate change. Good Government No President should be permitted to use their office for personal gain, whether in multi-million-dollar payments to the President’s office buildings, hotels, golf courses, country clubs, or any other scheme. The American people deserve to know that the decisions made by the country’s leaders are driven exclusively by the common good, never by personal financial gain or self-protection. Guns His proposal to arm teachers will only make things worse. Saying the solution to guns in schools is MORE guns in schools is like saying the solution to lung cancer is cigarettes. In Congress, I’ll take on Donald Trump and the NRA. Here’s what I’ll push for: Ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, bump stocks and silencers. Background checks on EVERY gun purchase, closing the loopholes for gun shows, internet sales and transfers to a “friend” or family. Hold gun manufacturers to the same legal standard as every other industry whose products negligently cause death – from cigarettes to cars to oil wells. Congress ridiculously granted gun manufacturers immunity in 2005, at the urging of the NRA. I’m also proud to say that my campaign has been given the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction. When I’m in Congress, we will fight for the common sense gun safety reforms that millions of Americans are demanding. Health care Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress would make things worse. They’re trying to throw millions of Americans off of their health care, cut Medicaid and Medicare, and eliminate protections for those with pre-existing conditions. Their plan would even make older Americans pay more for care. Here’s how I will protect health care: In Congress, I’ll stand up to Donald Trump and his Republican buddies in Congress. They’ve already decimated Obamacare by starving it of funding and killing the individual mandate, driving up premiums for everybody. I say it’s time for Medicare for All. My wife Christy and I are now on Medicare, and believe me, it’s great! Despite Republican scare tactics, there’s no government bureaucrat between us and our doctor. The only change for us has been – zero bills to pay when we leave the doctor’s office! Medicaid is a lifeline to millions of Americans with disabilities, those who live in poverty, children, and seniors in nursing homes. We must protect it, and work to preserve and expand the Medicaid expansion that was a part of the Affordable Care Act. We must fight to preserve the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. Its funding is a no-brainer, and must never again be made a political football. Prescription drug prices in America are the highest in the world, because the government is legislatively prohibited from negotiating lower prices. This must change. I believe health policy should be driven by what’s good for the American people, not for the pharmaceutical companies or the health insurance lobby. Immigration Donald Trump’s fear-mongering and racist rhetoric about immigrants is shameful and un-American. We do need sensible laws to regulate immigration, but Trump’s proposed border wall is offensive and impractical. And deporting all 11 million undocumented immigrants living, raising families, and contributing to the economy of America is absolutely not an option. President Eisenhower tried mass deportations in the 1950s, and it was a disaster, with human rights abuses, legal due process violations, and a black eye on America’s global reputation. Congress must ensure that families are reunited, and prevent our immigration system from ever again being used to inflict such pointless trauma on children. I do not support abolishing ICE. The problem is not the agency, but the inhumane policies foisted upon it by the Trump administration. We must restore the pathway to legal status for Dreamers, the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to America as children by their parents. Nine out of 10 Americans support reinstating Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). It is unconscionable that Trump dismantled it, and that Congress has not yet acted to restore it. Ultimately, Congress must enact comprehensive immigration reform that includes not just sensible immigration controls, but also a pathway to legal status for the millions of undocumented residents who have been tax-paying, law-abiding, productively engaged members of American society. It was a difficult multi-year process the last time Congress enacted comprehensive immigration reform, in 1986 – I know, because I was working for the chair of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, Senator Alan Simpson – and everybody had to give a little, but the result was solid bipartisan consensus. I know we can do it again, if we act in good faith, based on real facts, and the best interest of the nation. International Relations Our job in Congress must be to prevent conflict, not stoke it. And service members and their families are the first to get this. Preventing it means not only smart and careful diplomacy to recognize the warning signs and negotiate de-escalation and nonviolent resolution, but also looking further upstream to the root causes of conflict. Two fundamental drivers of conflict are population growth and climate change – issues which my wife, Christy, and I have spent decades working to mitigate. Adding another billion people to the planet, while allowing climate change to flood vast swaths of low-lying land, from Miami to Manhattan to Bangladesh – or to ruin vast arable lands with drought, fire and deforestation – is a recipe for mass migration, refugees, political upheaval, competition for scarce life-sustaining resources, and ultimately violent conflict. The most important things we can do to avoid conflict and global war is to intelligently manage these twin pressures of unchecked population growth and climate-driven devastation. When it comes to matters of war and peace, I would introduce legislation putting teeth in the Constitution’s mandate that only Congress has the power to declare war. It would specifically prohibit any person in the nuclear chain of command from implementing a nuclear-launch order from the President in the absence of an explicit congressional authorization and would establish a process for rapid congressional review. This would allow the dedicated public servants in the nuclear chain of command to refuse to implement an unlawful order from the President without fear of punishment from their Commander in Chief. THE U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIP America has had a unique relationship with the state of Israel from its very creation. I’m proud of, and deeply influenced by, my grandfather’s leading role in the establishment of the state of Israel. When he was Vice President, he pushed Franklin Roosevelt – unsuccessfully – to publicly endorse a Jewish homeland. As a key cabinet member under Harry Truman, he pushed a skeptical Truman on the issue of Israeli statehood. And after leaving the cabinet and running for president himself, he played a leading role in the establishment of the United Nations, under whose aegis the state of Israel was created, setting the stage for Truman’s recognition of it. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and a key ally in an unstable region. She is a pivotal trading partner and a key strategic ally against terrorism and weapons proliferation. It is a universal truth that cooperation in the areas of defense and counter-terrorism have enhanced the security of both nations, but the U.S.-Israel relationship is also built on an unshakable commitment to shared democratic values and interests. This relationship has personal importance to me; I have numerous cousins who are Israeli citizens or dual U.S./Israeli citizens with a deep commitment to long-term peace in the region. If elected to Congress, I am committed to working to further enhance our relationship with Israel and working with my colleagues to support that shared goal. FOREIGN AID I am proud that the U.S. has consistently stood with Israel over the past seven decades, providing billions of dollars in bilateral aid annually and championing regional negotiations for peace and stability. As Israel’s strongest and most dependable ally, the U.S. has a special obligation to provide bilateral assistance. A significant portion of the annual aid that Israel receives from the U.S. is reinvested in the U.S. economy through the creation of jobs and joint research and development projects. The technology and knowledge that is gained from these investments are invaluable to the counterterrorism and security of both Israel and the United States. I am committed to continuing this partnership and support. That means helping to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region, continuing implementation of the 2016 memorandum of understanding on security assistance, and continuing that conversation as necessary. I also support direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority, for collaboration with Israel on security in the West Bank, as has been successful in the recent past; we can be strong, smart and humanitarian at the same time. Additionally, I believe the United Nations has a supportive role to play and an ability to assist in defending Israel’s safety and security. MILITARY SECURITY & COUNTER TERRORISM Israel unequivocally has the right to defend itself and keep its people safe against threats from both military aggression and terrorism. That is the most fundamental and sacred responsibility of any free nation, and the right of any free people. America has a special obligation to help safeguard Israel’s security, and continuing to do so is in our mutual best interest. Hamas continues to use Gaza as a launchpad for attacks and Hezbollah continues to threaten Israel with rockets and terrorists from Lebanon and elsewhere. I will support U.S. aid for immediate threats to Israel’s national security, with missile defense systems like Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow II and III, joint military exercises, strategic planning, counter-terrorism cooperation and information-sharing, collaboration between our intelligence agencies, and maintaining a U.S. military presence and radar protection for Israeli security. We must also support continued collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli officials responsible for the security of the West Bank. But it is clear to me that, ultimately, the best protection for the people of Israel is a negotiated two-state solution allowing Israel and Palestine to live peacefully side-by-side. TWO-STATE SOLUTION I see no alternative to a two-state solution. The U.S. is in a unique position of leverage to bring together Israeli and Palestinian leaders, as Jimmy Carter did with the leaders of Israel and Egypt, and Bill Clinton did between Israel and Jordan, and Israel and the PLO. The status quo is unstable and becoming more polarized, with Hamas on the rise and the Palestinian Authority fading. I support a peace process arising from direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, because long-term peace requires more than just physical border security. Israel has to be recognized as a Jewish democratic state alongside a non-militarized Palestinian state. The United States certainly has a role to play but it should be facilitation of a peace process, not setting pre-conditions. The continued construction of settlements does complicate the prospects for negotiating secure and stable borders. THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for three millennia, approved by Congress as the site of the U.S. Embassy more than two decades ago. What’s unfortunate is the way the Trump administration executed the move, precipitously, politically, using the occasion to stoke partisan and evangelical divisions in the U.S. and violent conflict in Israel, rather than as a component or marker of broader peace negotiations. BDS I firmly oppose the BDS movement, which is hostile to Israel and incompatible with any balanced approach to a two-state solution. I expressly disavow the BDS grants which were made in the past by my family’s foundation, the Wallace Global Fund. They were made at the initiative of another board member, from discretionary grant funds not controlled by me. I am unequivocally pro-Israel, pro-peace and pro-democracy. IRAN SECURITY THREATS The Iran nuclear deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – was an imperfect and time-limited cure for Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but I believe it offered the best possible opportunity to slow down Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. I view the Administration’s recent decision to violate our commitment and withdraw from the JCPOA as precipitous and dangerous. Iran’s destabilizing behavior goes beyond nuclear activity. Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and a broader threat to regional security and instability. I would prefer to have strengthened and expanded upon the existing nuclear deal by including ballistic missiles and addressing Iran’s non-nuclear aggression in the region. A nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable, and a diplomatic outcome remains the best and most enduring solution. Jobs Our energy future is clean, and green. Transforming our energy infrastructure from digging up and burning dirty carbon-based fuels to the clean renewable energy of the future will create millions of new, good-paying jobs – in areas like solar, wind, and making buildings more energy efficient through improvements like better insulation and smart thermostats. If we invest wisely, America can not only can solve our planet’s climate emergency but transform industry and strengthen our economy. A critical part of sustainable jobs is building a clearer, cheaper pathway to employable skills for young people. Not every kid needs or wants a four-year liberal arts education, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of accompanying student debt. Here in Bucks County, we have three terrific vocational-technical schools, offering instruction in emerging new sectors like renewable energy and computer technology, which can launch a good-paying career without the debt. Low-cost community college, like the great Bucks County Community College, can also let students graduate with marketable skills and without crushing debt. One of my proudest accomplishments as a nonprofit lawyer is working several years to pass federal legislation to pay off $60,000 in college debt for students who commit to a career as a low-paid prosecutor or public defender, and now I want to help every single student in America graduate without debt. Another key component of strengthening our economy is ensuring that no one who works full-time is living in poverty, which is why I support increasing the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 per hour. Raising the minimum wage will lift millions of families out of poverty and help close the widening income inequality gap, particularly for workers of color. I also know that economic security means more than just having a good job now; we have to protect the promise of a secure retirement in the future. Our workers have earned it. That is why I will fight to protect and expand Social Security. Our economic future lies in a well-trained workforce and matching that workforce to the needs of industry. LGBTQ Rights The LGBTQ community has suffered from senseless acts of violence, employment discrimination, poverty, restricted access to health care, and threats to marriage equality. It saddens me that even now, in the 21st century, people are facing discrimination based simply on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that there is no federal or Pennsylvania law that protects LGBTQ people from this discrimination. That needs to change now. While we’ve made great strides, we still have a long road ahead of us. On my to-do list:
Enact the Equality Act to prohibit discrimination or segregation in employment, housing, credit, education, and federally funded programs. It is critically important to address discriminatory practices in schools that put LGBTQ youth at risk. Amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act so that it cannot be misused to justify discrimination on the pretext of religion. Oversight and accountability for the Trump administration’s attacks on the rights of transgender people. Support legislation banning the Gay and Trans “Panic” Defense, which is a legal defense that excuses violence based on bigotry and ignorance against the LGBTQ community. Support legislation to study and address the particular barriers encountered by LGBTQ people of color, in areas such as education, employment, economic insecurity and criminal justice.
Money in Politics In a perfect world, Americans would rise in unison to demand a constitutional amendment to override Citizens United: when it comes to elections, corporations are not people, and money is not speech, and Congress should be able to impose reasonable limits on the timing and amount of campaign fundraising and spending. But the reality is that amending the Constitution is extraordinarily difficult – requiring supermajorities in both Houses of Congress and among the state legislatures. A very heavy lift. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying, at the very least to educate and mobilize people. In the meantime, we can: Pass a law mandating that corporations disclose all their political spending. The Supreme Court in Citizens United blithely assumed transparency, but Congress refused to enact it. Transparency will empower the people to reward or punish corporations for their political spending. Ultimately, corporations will have to scale back, realizing that ANY political spending will alienate half their customer base. Public financing, with a higher match rate for low-dollar contributions – for example, contributions under $100 will be matched 6-to-1. Or the voucher system implemented in many cities across the country, where voters get, say, $200 in government vouchers and can allocate them as they wish among different political campaigns. Shift the power from corporations to the people. Mandate the Securities Exchange Commission to require all corporations to disclose their political spending, the same way they are already required to disclose the compensation they pay their CEO’s. Unlike practically every Republican candidate in the country, I refuse to take money from corporate PACs or lobbyists. I will personally match every dollar contributed to my campaign by a person within this district. I will be nobody’s Congressman but your own. You will never have to scratch your head wondering if that vote I cast was for my corporate benefactors, or for the people of this great district. Opioids My career has been devoted to breaking the cycle. Every prosecutor, every judge, every public defender knows that every unaddressed problem of addiction, mental illness, homelessness or PTSD is an invitation to more recidivism. I served years on the board of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, where judges, prosecutors and public defenders came together to make sure that criminal-case outcomes were focused on addiction and recidivism prevention. And I’ve worked on numerous projects for the U.S. Department of Justice exploring ways that judges, prosecutors and public defenders can collaborate on constructive crime-prevention case resolutions. Of course, law enforcement tools are essential in going after big-time drug dealers. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from our expensive failures in the drug war, it’s that law enforcement can’t do it alone. What about the addicts who sell small quantities to support their own habit? Treatment holds greater promise of breaking the cycle of drugs, crime and recidivism – that is, greater benefit to public safety, at lower cost. In the face of all this experience, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are returning to their long-standing favorites for addressing drugs: more law enforcement, prison, and even executions. We must be smarter than this. Opioids, as legal prescription drugs, also present a special challenge. Unlike illegal drugs, there are huge opportunities for regulation and training via the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession. And an ounce of prevention, education and treatment is worth a pound of punishment. Redistricting Reform Republicans in Pennsylvania are so good at gerrymandering that they were able to capture three-quarters of the state’s seats in Congress, while winning barely half of the votes. Fortunately, this scheme was invalidated by our Pennsylvania Supreme Court and just recently confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now voters are blessed with nonpartisan maps, where the actual will of the people determines their legislative representation. And what is the reaction of Pennsylvania Republicans? Incredibly, they are moving to impeach the state judges who found their blatant gerrymandering in violation of the state constitution. I suppose the lesson is: if the ref catches you committing a foul, fire the ref. We need a nonpartisan redistricting process at both the state and federal level. I will commit to carry the battle in Congress for fair federal congressional districts. This is not a partisan issue. It is equally wrong, whether done by Republicans or Democrats. The people must rule, not the politicians. Women’s Rights Christy and I have rededicated the foundation more broadly to advancing women’s rights, fighting against harmful patriarchal practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation, promoting women’s economic empowerment through access to microenterprise loans, educating investors about the value of investing in women-run businesses, and promoting access to family planning and girls’ education — which is critical to ensuring that women have agency over their own bodies and can participate fully in society. As your representative in Congress, I will rely on my decades of experience as a zealous advocate for the rights of women and girls to implement meaningful policy solutions that will improve the lives of women and families right here in the first district. Equal Pay for Equal Work: Women still earn around 80 cents to a man’s dollar for the same work, and the statistics are even worse for women of color. Instead of rolling back equal pay protections, like Donald Trump did last year, I will work to ensure that women are compensated fairly. It’s not just the right thing to do; it makes economic sense. If women were paid fairly, the American economy would see more than $500 billion in additional economic activity and millions of families would be lifted out of poverty. Reproductive Rights: The rights of women to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions is constantly under attack. Through my decades of work as an advocate for global family planning services, and as a proud parent myself, I know how important it is to protect the rights of women and families to make their own healthcare decisions. As your representative in Congress, I will support the full funding of Planned Parenthood for family planning and reproductive health services, and I will fight against dangerous, restrictive laws that impede on the ability of women and their doctors to make the best choices. It’s on Us: We must actively work to end rape culture and combat sexual violence and harassment everywhere — in the workplace, on college campuses, in the military, and even in the halls of Congress and the White House. I will work with leaders in all levels of government to ensure adequate resources to combat sexual assault and stronger protections for survivors of sexual violence. What I won’t do is protect perpetrators of sexual harassment or sexual violence — no matter their position, their politics, or their past. It is outrageous that Paul Ryan and this Congress have allowed taxpayer dollars to be used to make secret payments to settle claims of sexual harassment against Members of Congress. And it is ridiculous that after so many women have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct, our Republican Congress and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick cannot muster the courage to condemn his behavior, let alone take any action. Supporting Working Families: Out of 41 industrialized nations around the world, the United States is the only one that does not guarantee paid parental leave. We also have millions of workers who are faced with impossible decisions each day: go to work sick; leave a sick loved one home alone; or risk losing their job. This has to change, but first, our leaders and our priorities must change. Instead of spending trillions on tax cuts for the rich, I will work to implement common-sense solutions that support working families, such as paid parental leave, expanded sick and family medical leave, and policies that make childcare more affordable. When we empower women and families with policies like this, we are empowering our next generation of leaders and ensuring that they have the right to self-determination in this world. This is powerfully resonant with me because of my parents’ passion and because of my own daughters. The voters of Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District deserve a Representative who is a lifelong progressive Democrat, with decades of experience actually working for women’s rights and empowerment. As I learned in Quaker meeting, “Let your life speak.” [1] |
” |
| —Scott Wallace’s campaign website (2018)[2] | ||
Campaign advertisements
The following is an example of an ad from Wallace's 2018 election campaign.
|
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, 2018
- Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Scott Wallace for Congress, “Issues,” accessed September 17, 2018
