Jeff Coleman (born July 4, 1975) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Jeff Coleman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 60th district | |
| In office January 2, 2001[1] – November 30, 2004[2] | |
| Preceded by | Timothy Pesci |
| Succeeded by | Jeffrey Pyle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 4, 1975 Whidbey Island Naval Base |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Rebecca[citation needed] |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Liberty University (BS) |
Background
editColeman was born to a Filipino American family at Whidbey Island Naval Base in Washington in 1975.[3] In the 1980s his family returned to Manila, Philippines to serve as missionaries.[3] It was during that time that the Philippines experienced the People Power Revolution, which Coleman credits for inspiring his "passion for public service."[3] He graduated from Orchard Hills Christian Academy in 1994.[4] He attended Liberty University, earning his degree in Government in 2001.[4] Prior to elective office, Coleman worked in a grocery store, waited tables, and was as radio news anchor in college.[3] He also worked as an intern for Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and was elected to Apollo Borough Council.[3][5]
Political career
editIn the 2000 election for the 60th legislative district, the 25-year-old Coleman defeated long-time Democratic incumbent Tim Pesci in spite of the district being 70% Democratic.[6][7][8] Coleman's under-funded campaign relied on an aggressive "door-to-door" campaign with hundreds of campaign volunteers.[3] Bill DeWeese, the House Democratic Leader, said that Pesci had run a "condescending" race against Coleman, calling his opponent "Jeffy" and describing Coleman's campaign volunteers as "the Children from the Corn," referring to the horror film.[7][9] He ran unopposed for reelection in 2002.[10]
In a 2002 PoliticsPA Feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named the "Most Ambitious"[11]
Coleman surprised political observers by retiring prior to the 2004 elections to host a Harrisburg-based political radio program.[12] In 2010, Politics Magazine named him one of the most influential Republicans in Pennsylvania, noting his success as a political consultant.[13]
Coleman unsuccessfully sought the 2022 Republican nomination for lieutenant governor,[14] coming in fifth place in the May 2022 primary election:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Carrie DelRosso | 318,537 | 25.66 | |
| Republican | Richard Saccone | 195,171 | 15.72 | |
| Republican | Theodore Daniels | 150,749 | 12.14 | |
| Republican | Clarice D. Schillinger | 147,705 | 11.90 | |
| Republican | Jeffrey H. Coleman | 125,059 | 10.07 | |
| Republican | James E. Jones | 113,183 | 9.12 | |
| Republican | Russell H. Diamond | 73,751 | 5.94 | |
| Republican | John A. Brown | 58,961 | 4.75 | |
| Republican | Christopher C. Frye, Jr. | 58,403 | 4.70 | |
| Total votes | 100.00% | |||
References
edit- ^ "SESSION OF 2001 - 185TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - No. 1" (PDF). Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 2001-01-02.
- ^ Per Article II, Section 2 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the legislative session ended on November 30, 2004
- ^ a b c d e f "Meet Jeff Coleman". Online Action Center. Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus. Archived from the original on 2003-04-09.
- ^ a b "Jeff Coleman (Republican)". Official Pennsylvania House of Representatives Profile. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2004-02-19.
- ^ Simonich, Milan (2001-02-19). "NEWSMAKER / Jeff Coleman". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. PG Publishing Co.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - PA State House 060 Race - Nov 07, 2000".
- ^ a b Bull, John (2001-07-06). "Ousted Democrat now in his opponents' camp". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co.
- ^ "2000 General Election - Representative in the General Assembly". Commonwealth of PA - Elections Information. Pennsylvania Department of State. 2004. Archived from the original on 2008-11-27.
- ^ Neri, Al. "The Four Corners of Pennsylvania and More - Southwest". The Insider. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - PA State House 060 Race - Nov 05, 2002".
- ^ "Keystone State Yearbook Committee". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2001. Archived from the original on 2002-08-03.
- ^ Toland, Bill (2004-01-30). "Legislator eager to launch career as radio talk-show host". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. PG Publishing Co.
- ^ Roarty, Alex; Sean Coit (January 2010). "Pennsylvania Influencers" (PDF). Politics Magazine. pp. 44–49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-12-29.
- ^ Karen Shuey, https://www.readingeagle.com/2022/04/25/jeff-coleman-candidate-pennsylvania-lt-governor/, Reading Eagle (April 25, 2022).
- ^ 2022 Republican primary, Pennsylvania lieutenant governor
External links
edit- Biography from Pennsylvania House of Representatives Historical Biographies