Dave L. Reed (born March 6, 1978) is a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

former member, and former Majority Leader, of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

. He represented the 62nd District, made up of parts of

Indiana County Indiana County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the west central part of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,246. Its county seat is Indiana. Indiana County comprises the Indiana, PA Mi ...

. In November 2014, Reed was elected House Majority Leader and assumed those duties on December 1. He was sworn into his seventh term on January 6, 2015.

Biography

Early life

Reed was born David Leroy Reed in

Blairsville, Pennsylvania Blairsville is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States, located east of Pittsburgh, and on the Conemaugh River. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 3,252. History Blairsville was settled in 1818 and incorporated in 182 ...

. He attended and graduated from Homer-Center High School, where he played football and baseball. After high school, Reed attended

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. As of fall 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The univ ...

, receiving a bachelor's degree in mathematics/economics. He later earned a master's degree in government administration from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

. Reed completed an internship in the Governor's Policy Office for Community and Economic Development in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

. He also coordinated special projects for the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce and worked as a director of a business-development group for

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

In 2002, the 24-year-old Reed challenged Representative

Sara Steelman Sara G. Steelman (born 1946 in Wichita, Kansas) of Indiana, Pennsylvania, American biologist and politician, served seven terms as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1991 until 2002. Steelman is married to Jo ...

for the 62nd legislative district, winning an upset. Both candidates made improving the local economic climate part of their platforms. Reed was inspired to challenge Steelman after seeing fellow 20-something

Jeff Coleman Jeff Coleman (born July 4, 1975) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Background Coleman was born to a Filipino American family at Whidbey Island Naval Base in Washington in 1975. In the 1980s his family ...

defeat another long-term Democrat in the adjacent 60th legislative district. As a challenger, Reed followed the campaign blueprint established in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

by when young

defeated Tim Pesci in nearby Armstrong County. Coleman personally assisted Reed in his campaign, from recruiting campaign help to advising him on his campaign statements. The political news site

PoliticsPA PoliticsPA.com is a website centered on the politics of Pennsylvania. Content The website reports on political and campaign news in Pennsylvania, from the state legislature up to federal races. The editors write occasional features, like the we ...

named Reed's campaign website the "sixth best website" in Pennsylvania during the election season. During the campaign, Steelman "erupted" on the district's airwaves with taxpayer-funded "

public service announcements A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

" for the first time in a decade. His website was praised by

as being among the best in that election cycle. With the 57-43 victory, Reed became the youngest member of the House. Coleman had previously held that distinction. In 2003, the political website

named him to "The Best of the Freshman Class" list, saying that "What he lacks in practical experience, Reed more than makes up for with hard work."

U.S. congressional campaign

In January 2018, Reed announced he would campaign for the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district is located in the east central part of the state and encompasses all of Carbon County, Columbia County, Lebanon County, Montour County, and Schuylkill County, as well as parts of Berks County, Luzerne ...

after

Bill Shuster William Franklin Shuster (; born January 10, 1961) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for from 2001 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party, and is a son of former Congressman Bud Shuster. In ...

announced he would not run for re-election in 2018. However, he ended his campaign several months later when the

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme ...

ruled the current district maps illegal and established new district maps. The new maps placed Reed's residence in Indiana, Pennsylvania in a new 15th congressional district alongside current Representative Glenn Thompson.

Personal life

Reed is married to the former Heather Camp, whom he met during his first election campaign. They have a son and two daughters, and reside in White Township, Pennsylvania.

References

External links

Dave Reed
''official website''
PA House profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Dave L. 1978 births 21st-century American politicians Candidates in the 2018 United States elections Living people Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives People from Homer City, Pennsylvania People from Indiana, Pennsylvania