Jon D. Fox (April 22, 1947 – February 11, 2018) was an American
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 ...
politician. He served as a member of
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 ...
from 1985 to 1992 before being elected to the
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners is the legislative council and executive arm of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Currently, it has 3 different members.
Members of the Board of Commissioners are tasked with managing the county's pr ...
(1992-1995). His final political role was as a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
between 1995 and 1999.
Early life
Fox was born in
Abington, Pennsylvania. He graduated from
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
in
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is a home rule municipality in Centre County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a college town, dominated economically, culturally and demographically by the presence of the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania Sta ...
in 1969, and earned a
J.D. from the Delaware School of Law (now
Widener University School of Law
Widener University Delaware Law School (Delaware Law School and formerly Widener University School of Law) is a private law school in Wilmington, Delaware. It is one of two separate ABA-accredited law schools of Widener University. Widener Univ ...
), in
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
, in 1975. He served in the
United States Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...
from 1969 to 1975. He held positions with the
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...
, and was a guest lecturer for the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans. From 1976 to 1984 he was assistant
district attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...
for the state of Pennsylvania.
Political career
Fox made his first successful run at political office in 1984, winning a seat in 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 ...
from the Abington area after
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Joe Hoeffel
Joseph Merrill Hoeffel III ( ; born September 3, 1950) is an American author and politician. A Democrat, Hoeffel was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005, representing Pennsylvania's 13th congressional distri ...
retired. He would serve in the House until the 1991
primary election
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
, when he challenged the incumbent GOP commissioners for a seat on the
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners is the legislative council and executive arm of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Currently, it has 3 different members.
Members of the Board of Commissioners are tasked with managing the county's pr ...
. Fox and Mario Mele defeated the incumbents and went on to win the general election. However, Fox, who believed that he would be elected chairman, was surprised when Mele nominated himself for the job, with Hoeffel seconding.
In 1992, he ran unsuccessfully for Congress against Democrat
Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
Marjorie Margolies (; formerly Margolies-Mezvinsky; born June 21, 1942) is a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government, an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, and a women's rights activist. She i ...
, losing by less than 1,400 votes. However, Fox sought a rematch in 1994 and, with Mezvinsky saddled with a vote for a tax increase, Fox became part of the
Republican Revolution
The "Republican Revolution", "Revolution of '94", or "Gingrich Revolution" are political slogans that refer to the Republican Party (GOP) success in the 1994 U.S. mid-term elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of ...
. Fox was re-elected once, in 1996, defeating Hoeffel by 84 votes out of nearly 250,000 cast. In 1998, three Republicans, Mike McMonagle,
Melissa Brown and Jonathan Newman challenged him in the GOP primary. Fox staved off the internal challenge and faced Hoeffel in a rematch for the general election. Fox also faced a backlash after the
impeachment
Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements.
In ...
of
President Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
; the 13th, long a classic "
Yankee Republican" district, had become increasingly friendly to Democrats in the 1990s. In November, Fox was unable to overcome these challenges and lost 51.6%–46.6%. After the election, Fox voted for all four articles of impeachment against Clinton.
In 2004, State Representative
Ellen Bard
Ellen M. Bard (January 11, 1949 – October 28, 2009) was an American politician serving as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Bard was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from Pomona College in 1971. She ...
, who held Fox' old state house seat retired to run for Congress, and Fox was persuaded to run for the seat. Fox faced newcomer
Josh Shapiro
Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the Pennsylvania Attorney General since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the governor-elect of Pennsylvania.
Raised in Montgomery ...
in a district that had become increasingly favorable to Democrats since his original tenure. His campaign did not gain traction with the electorate, and he was defeated 54.3%–44.7%.
2004 General Election Results, ourcampaigns.com, 11/2/04
/ref>
Personal life
Fox lived in Abington with his wife, Judi, with whom he has a son, Will. He was active in the Republican Party as the Area Chairman for Abington Township. He practiced law and also worked as an instructor at Manor College
Manor College is a private Catholic college in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. It offers associate and bachelor's degrees and is best known for its veterinary technician and dental hygiene programs. To give students a hands-on learning experience, th ...
in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Center City Philadelphia.
History
The community was named for William Jenkins, a Welsh pioneer settler.
Jenkintown is located just ...
. Fox died on February 11, 2018, of complications with cancer at age 70.
See also
* List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
This is a list of Jewish members of the United States Congress. , there are 10 Jewish senators and 27 Jewish members of the House of Representatives serving in the United States Congress.
Senate
Elected to the Senate, but not seated
House ...
References
External links
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Jon D.
1947 births
2018 deaths
Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania
Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Montgomery County Commissioners (Pennsylvania)
Pennsylvania lawyers
Pennsylvania State University alumni
Military personnel from Pennsylvania
United States Air Force officers
United States Air Force reservists
Widener University alumni
Widener University School of Law alumni
People from Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
People from Cheltenham, Pennsylvania
20th-century American lawyers
21st-century American Jews
Candidates in the 2004 United States elections