Thomas Bassett

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

Thomas Bassett

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Clarks Summit University, 2015

Graduate

Kutztown University, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Band teacher

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Thomas Bassett (Republican Party) ran for election to the Pennsylvania State Senate to represent District 22. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Bassett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Thomas Bassett was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree from Clarks Summit University in 2015 and a graduate degree from Kutztown University in 2019. His career experience includes working as a band teacher and composer. Bassett has pursued an EdD in music, conducted the Northern Tier Symphony Orchestra, and is certified in biblical counseling. He has been affiliated with PMEA, ACBC, and High Point Baptist Church.

Elections

2022

See also: Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 22

Incumbent Martin Flynn defeated Thomas Bassett in the general election for Pennsylvania State Senate District 22 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Martin Flynn (D)	60.4	54,127
		Thomas Bassett (R)	39.6	35,480

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 89,607
= 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 22

Incumbent Martin Flynn advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 22 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Martin Flynn	98.4	26,977
		Other/Write-in votes	1.6	434

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,411
= 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 22

Thomas Bassett advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania State Senate District 22 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thomas Bassett (Write-in)	47.1	1,504
		Other/Write-in votes	52.9	1,691

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3	Total votes: 3,195
= 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

• Joe Albert (R)

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Thomas Bassett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bassett's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Tom is a lifetime resident of Northeastern PA, committed Christian, experienced teacher, and musician.

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?

• Recover PA Economy
• Education Reform
• Government Integrity and Accountability

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about helping the community thrive. I am also passionate about restoring high quality education to our students, ensuring parental rights, and supporting our teachers.

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.

Note: Bassett submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on July 14, 2022.

Show past responsesHide past responses

May 13 submission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Thomas is a lifetime resident of Northeastern PA, committed Christian, experienced teacher, and conservative Republican.

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?

• Pro-Life
• Pro-Parents Rights
• Constitutional and Pro Small Government

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am running because I believe we can do better in Pennsylvania. I believe in taking action when there are problems and not sitting idle and complaining about them. The action I have chosen to take is to run for office. The primary areas that I will work to improve are education, government accountability, financial responsibility, and election integrity.

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

General studies in virtue, duty, and consequential ethics, appreciative inquiry, and community learning exchanges.

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

Honesty, integrity, work ethic, communication skills, critical thinking skills, discernment, care for the community.

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

I have the ability to listen and comprehend the deeper meaning of a situation. I possess strong critical thinking, communication, research, and writing skills. I have a strong work ethic with a proven history of finishing goals while being engaged in multiple endeavors. I am a lifetime resident of the community I am seeking to serve, and I genuinely care to see it protected and improved.

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

Drafting legislation that directly benefits the people, repealing legislation that doesn't work, zealously protecting and wisely spending the community's money, being present in the community to understand the needs, and being a voice for the community.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave the education system in a better state than when I began.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember was the Columbine shooting.

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

My first job was as a dishwasher at 15 at the former Castle Inn Restaurant in Dallas, PA. I worked there for 8 months and then I got a job at Walgreens. I worked at Walgreens from 2007-2018 and worked my way up to assistant manager, worked through college, and became a music teacher.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is the Bible because it is the only objective truth we have.

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

"Io Sperai" by George Frederick Handel

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The legislature should have an acute understanding of the beliefs and desires of the governor. This information should be used to work on areas of agreement as well as to foresee barriers to areas of disagreement. However, the legislature must maintain its autonomy to ensure the separation of powers.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

I perceive the greatest challenges to overcome as our failing infrastructure, education system reform and restoration, tax burden reduction, deficit reduction, and bringing more accountability and integrity to government.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Pennsylvania is a bicameral state.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe that. A candidate seeking office should possess knowledge and skills in some field, critical thinking, communication skills, a strong work ethic, and honesty and integrity.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I believe it is beneficial. If legislators are doing their jobs correctly, then they understand the needs of their community. It is important for legislators of other communities to understand what is going on in the entire state as bills are drafted and ratified.

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

Education committee.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Not at this time, but I would be interested in the Secretary of Education of PA.

Both sitting legislators 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?

Generally speaking, a theme that I have encountered so far is the desire for regular people to be in office. I share that desire and that is why I am running.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Rolls and corn are just the vehicle for the butter.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I believe they should. This ensures that there is representation from each community making those determinations. The constitution does not allow for dictators.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I believe that compromise wherever possible is necessary. I do not believe in compromising sincerely held values or beliefs and the Pennsylvania Constitution upholds that.

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.

Note: Bassett submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on May 13, 2022.

See also

2022 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

Pennsylvania State Senate District 22

Website

Facebook

Personal

Facebook

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Pennsylvania State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Joe Pittman

Minority Leader:Jay Costa

Senators

District 1

Nikil Saval (D)

District 2

Christine Tartaglione (D)

District 3

Sharif Street (D)

District 4

Art Haywood (D)

District 5

Joe Picozzi (R)

District 6

Frank Farry (R)

District 7

Vincent Hughes (D)

District 8

Anthony Williams (D)

District 9

John Kane (D)

District 10

Steve Santarsiero (D)

District 11

Judy Schwank (D)

District 12

Maria Collett (D)

District 13

Scott Martin (R)

District 14

Nick Miller (D)

District 15

Patty Kim (D)

District 16

Jarrett Coleman (R)

District 17

Amanda Cappelletti (D)

District 18

Lisa Boscola (D)

District 19

Carolyn Comitta (D)

District 20

Lisa Baker (R)

District 21

Scott Hutchinson (R)

District 22

Martin Flynn (D)

District 23

Gene Yaw (R)

District 24

Tracy Pennycuick (R)

District 25

Cris Dush (R)

District 26

Timothy Kearney (D)

District 27

Lynda Culver (R)

District 28

Kristin Phillips-Hill (R)

District 29

David Argall (R)

District 30

Judith Ward (R)

District 31

Dawn Keefer (R)

District 32

Patrick Stefano (R)

District 33

Doug Mastriano (R)

District 34

Greg Rothman (R)

District 35

Wayne Langerholc (R)

District 36

James Malone (D)

District 37

Devlin Robinson (R)

District 38

Lindsey Williams (D)

District 39

Kim Ward (R)

District 40

Rosemary Brown (R)

District 41

Joe Pittman (R)

District 42

Wayne Fontana (D)

District 43

Jay Costa (D)

District 44

Katie Muth (D)

District 45

Nick Pisciottano (D)

District 46

Camera Bartolotta (R)

District 47

Elder Vogel (R)

District 48

Chris Gebhard (R)

District 49

Daniel Laughlin (R)

District 50

Michele Brooks (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (23)