Guy Lorin Reschenthaler[1] (/ˈrɛʃənˌθɑːlər/ RESH-ən-THAHL-ər; born April 17, 1983) is an American politician, attorney, judge, and U.S. Navy veteran. A Republican, he is the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 14th congressional district and was previously a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 37th district. He served as a district judge, and in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) during the Iraq War. He is serving as the Republican Chief Deputy Whip in the 118th Congress.[2]
Guy Reschenthaler | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2018 | |
| House Republican Chief Deputy Whip | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Leader | Kevin McCarthy Mike Johnson |
| Preceded by | Drew Ferguson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 14th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Conor Lamb (redistricting) |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 37th district | |
| In office November 24, 2015 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Matthew H. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Pam Iovino |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Guy Lorin Reschenthaler April 17, 1983 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Pennsylvania State University, Behrend (BA) Duquesne University (JD) |
| Website | House website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 2008–2012 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Naval Legal Service Office |
| Unit | Judge Advocate General's Corps |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Early life and education
editReschenthaler was born in Pittsburgh on April 17, 1983.[3] He was raised in Pittsburgh's South Hills and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 2001. He graduated from Penn State Erie, The Behrend College in 2004 with a BA in political science. Upon graduation, Reschenthaler attended Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, earning a JD degree in 2007. At Duquesne, Reschenthaler founded the Military Law Society chapter and interned at the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh.[4]
Military career
editAfter law school, Reschenthaler was commissioned in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG).[5] In the U.S. Navy, Reschenthaler deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in 2009. In 2010, he was one of three attorneys who defended a Navy SEAL accused of covering up an assault on terrorist Ahmad Hashim Abd al-Isawi while al-Isawi was in custody. The Navy SEAL represented by Reschenthaler and the other SEALs charged were acquitted of all charges.[6] Reschenthaler was awarded the Michael Taylor Shelby Award for Professionalism, Ethics and Dedication in the practice of law.[7] He left military service in 2012.
Legal career
editThis section may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. (July 2019) |
After leaving the Navy, Reschenthaler returned to Pittsburgh to practice law in spring 2012 before being elected magisterial district judge in Pittsburgh's South Hills in 2013. In Pennsylvania, magisterial judges typically handle traffic tickets.[5][8] He was elected district judge in May 2013. As a magistrate, Reschenthaler said that he would seek to reduce truancy.[9]
In 2013, Reschenthaler briefly co-hosted a radio program with Carl Higbie.[10] Reschenthaler had heated debates with Higbie on the show, with CNN reporting that, "In one episode in March 2013, after Higbie repeatedly argued that 'the black race' was 'lazier than the white race,' Reschenthaler became audibly upset at his co-host. The congressional candidate said that he was 'turning red' and 'feeling uncomfortable' listening to Higbie’s rant, which he called 'insane' and 'so off-base.'"[11]
Reschenthaler also wrote the foreword to a 2012 self-published book by Higbie. In April 2018, Reschenthaler denounced the book and disavowed the foreword he had written. He said he had only read parts of the book.[12][10]
Reschenthaler was of counsel at Pittsburgh law firm Brennan, Robins & Daley and serves as a member of Penn State Behrend's Political Science Advisory Board.[5][13]
Pennsylvania Senate
editAfter State Senator Matt Smith resigned, Reschenthaler won the Republican nomination for a special election in the 37th state Senate district in July 2015. He defeated the Democratic nominee, Heather Arnet, in the general election to serve the remainder of Smith's term, ending in 2016.[14][15] He was sworn in on November 24, 2015.[16][17][18]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2018 special
editIn October 2017, Reschenthaler announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the special election in Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district.[19] At the Republican Party conference, he lost to State Representative Rick Saccone. He received 75 votes from local activists and failed to gain a majority in the first round of voting. He was defeated by 32 votes in the second round.[citation needed]
2018 general
editAfter a court threw out Pennsylvania's congressional map as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander, the 18th district was renumbered the 14th and made even more Republican on paper.[20] Democrat Conor Lamb defeated Saccone in the special election for the old 18th, but had his home drawn into the neighboring 17th district (the former 12th district) and sought a full term there.[citation needed]
Reschenthaler ran in the Republican primary for the reconfigured 14th, again facing Saccone. This time, he won the nomination[21] with 55.4% of the vote to Saccone's 44.6%. In the general election, he defeated the Democratic nominee, businesswoman Bibiana Boerio, with 58% of the vote.[22]
2020 general
editReschenthaler ran for reelection. He defeated the Democratic nominee, U.S. Marine Corps veteran William Marx, with 64.7% of the vote.[23][24][25]
On December 31, 2020, Reschenthaler and seven other Republican U.S. representatives from Pennsylvania said they would oppose the certification of Pennsylvania's electors when Congress met to count electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election on January 6, 2021. The eight claimed that state officials had illegally allowed the counting of mail-in ballots that were received after Election Day but postmarked by November 3. According to NBC Philadelphia news and the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, this was not proven.[26][27][28]
Reschentaler was also among those who signed an amicus brief to a lawsuit filed by Texas's attorney general (Texas v. Pennsylvania) seeking to throw out federal election results in key swing states, including Pennsylvania.[29][30]
Reschenthaler, who represents the southwest corner of Pennsylvania, was one of 147 Republican representatives and senators to vote against certifying the presidential election results.[31][32][33]
2024 general
Reschenthaler is running for reelection against Democratic nominee Army combat veteran Chris Dziados.[34][35]
Tenure
editIn December 2020, Reschenthaler joined other Republicans in voting against providing $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans, on grounds that such aid would further weaken the US economy.[36]
In April 2024, Reschenthaler co-sponsored a bill to rename Dulles International Airport after former president Donald Trump. He said in an interview that there would be "no better symbol of freedom, prosperity and strength".[37]
In May 2024, Reschenthaler co-sponsored a bill to extend US military benefits to American citizens in the Israel Defense Forces, including Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994.[38]
Committee assignments
edit- Committee on Appropriations[39]
- Committee on Rules
- Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
Caucus memberships
editElectoral history
edit
Reschenthaler: 55–60%
Reschenthaler: 60–65% 65–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Guy Reschenthaler | 23,245 | 55.4 | |
| Republican | Rick Saccone | 18,734 | 44.6 | |
| Total votes | 41,979 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Guy Reschenthaler | 151,386 | 57.9 | |
| Democratic | Bibiana Boerio | 110,051 | 42.1 | |
| Total votes | 261,437 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Guy Reschenthaler (incumbent) | 66,671 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 66,671 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Guy Reschenthaler (incumbent) | 241,688 | 64.7 | |
| Democratic | Bill Marx | 131,895 | 35.3 | |
| Total votes | 373,583 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Guy Reschenthaler (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 230,865 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ "Duquesne University School of Law Class of 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ "Majority Whip-Elect Tom Emmer Announces Chief Deputy Whip". Congressman Tom Emmer. December 2, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ Perks, Ashley (November 15, 2018). "Pennsylvania New Members 2019". The Hill. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- ^ https://dspace.rmu.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11347/141/Guy%20Reschenthaler.pdf Archived February 19, 2019, at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b c "Political Science Advisory Board". Penn State Behrend. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ "Navy SEAL found not guilty of covering up assault". Orange County Register. April 23, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
- ^ Pao, Jag. "Judge Advocate Receives Federal Service Award". U.S. Navy JAG Corps. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
- ^ O'Toole, James (July 11, 2015). "GOP nominates Reschenthaler for Pennsylvania Senate in 37th". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ "Magistrate to address truancy at West Jefferson schools". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
- ^ a b Andrew Kaczynski; Chris Massie. "GOP congressional candidate did fundraisers, hosted radio show with disgraced Trump official who made racist remarks". CNN. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- ^ Masse, Chris. "GOP congressional candidate did fundraisers, hosted radio show with disgraced Trump official". CNN. CNN. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Routh, Julian (April 27, 2018). "GOP congressional candidate Reschenthaler disavows foreword to controversial book". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ "Guy Reschenthaler". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ Mursch, Alyssa (November 3, 2015). "SD-37: Reschenthaler Wins Special Election". PoliticsPA. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ "Election Day: Republican Guy Reschenthaler takes state Senate's 37th District seat". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 3, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ Aupperlee, Aaron (November 3, 2015). "Republican Reschenthaler cruises to state Senate win". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ "Senator-Elect Guy Reschenthaler to Take Oath of Office Nov. 24; Will Represent 37th District in Pennsylvania State Senate". Pennsylvania Senate Republicans. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ Field, Nick (November 24, 2015). "SD-37: Reschenthaler Sworn Into Office". PoliticsPA. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ Potter, Chris (October 4, 2017). "Reschenthaler announces bid for Murphy's seat". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Cohn, Nate; Bloch, Matthew; Quealy, Kevin (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania House Districts Are In. We Review the Mapmakers' Choices". The Upshot. The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
- ^ Lindstrom, Wes Venteicher and Natasha. "Reschenthaler gives Saccone a second election loss in two months". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Election Results: 14th House District". The New York Times. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ "Ballotpedia, Guy Reschenthaler".
- ^ "Ballotpedia, William Marx".
- ^ "Pennsylvania Elections - Office Results". www.electionreturns.pa.gov. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Micek, John L. "Eight of Pa.'s nine Republicans in the U.S. House say they will oppose certification of Pa.'s electors". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ "PENNSYLVANIA MEMBERS OF CONGRESS RELEASE STATEMENT REGARDING CERTIFICATION OF ELECTORS". Representative Dan Meuser. December 31, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ^ Chinchilla, Rudy and Gyllenhal, Randy (January 7, 2021). "Despite Deaths, Chaos, 8 Pa. Republicans Still Object to Biden's Victory". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Pennsylvania Capital-Star op cit".
- ^ Nassir, Noreen and Richer, Allanna Durkin (December 11, 2020). "Seven Pa. GOP congressmen sign onto Texas-led lawsuit to overturn the will of the people". WITF. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ mjones@observer-reporter.com, Mike Jones Staff writer (January 12, 2021). "Lamb, Reschenthaler split on impeachment". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Levy, Mark (January 6, 2021). "8 Pa. House GOP Members to Oppose Biden's Electoral Votes". NBC10Philadelphia. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ Sutor, Dave (April 24, 2024). "ELECTION 2024 | Dziados projected to win Democratic primary in 14th, face Reschenthaler for U.S. House seat; Joyce, Farnham turn focus to fall". The Tribune-Democrat. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "Dziados wins Democratic nomination for 14th Congressional District". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "Reschenthaler: 'We cannot weaken' US economy with more stimulus". Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ Pengelly, Martin (April 2, 2024). "Republicans propose renaming Dulles airport after Trump as 'symbol of freedom'". The Guardian. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Eaton, Sabrina (May 22, 2024). "Rep. Max Miller wants to extend some U.S. service member protections to Americans in Israel's defense forces". Cleveland. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ "Member Profiles: Guy Reschenthaler". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ "Members of the Caucus on U.S. - Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans". Turkish Coalition of America. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ^ "MEMBERS". RMSP. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ Boockvar, Kathy. "Pennsylvania Elections – Office Results | Representative in Congress". electionreturns.pa.gov. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Presidential Election - Representative in Congress". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
External links
edit- Congressman Guy Reschenthaler official U.S. House website
- Campaign website
- Guy Reschenthaler at Ballotpedia
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN