Kerry A. Benninghoff is an American politician and
coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
serving as a member 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 ...
from the
171st district. Elected in November 1996, he assumed office on January 7, 1997.
Early life and education
Benninghoff was born in
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon () is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,814 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Lebanon is located in the central part of the Lebanon Valley, east of Harrisbu ...
. He graduated from
State College Area High School
State College Area High School, often referred to locally as "State High," is a public high school in State College, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the only public high school in the State College Area School District and is within walking d ...
and attended
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 ...
from 1980 to 1981. He is also a graduate of the Certified Coroners Training Program of the
Pennsylvania State Police
The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police is a full service law enforcement agency which handles both traffic and cr ...
Academy.
Career
While working as an orderly at
Mount Nittany Medical Center
Mount Nittany Medical Center (MNMC) is a hospital in State College, Pennsylvania. It is an acute-care facility offering emergency, medical, surgical, diagnostic and community services. The hospital is located adjacent to the Pennsylvania State U ...
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 ...
, Benninghoff was appointed as deputy coroner of
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,172. Its county seat is Bellefonte. Centre County comprises the State College, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The lands ...
in 1985.
In 1991, when Coroner Robert Neff retired, Benninghoff was elected to the office. He was re-elected in 1995.
In 1996, when Representative
Ruth Rudy
Ruth Corman Rudy (born January 3, 1938) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature ...
retired, Benninghoff declared his candidacy to succeed her. He defeated
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 ...
Keith Bierly in the general election that year and has been re-elected to each succeeding session of the House.
In 2018, after being re-elected to the House, Benninghoff was elected by members of the Republican Caucus to serve as House majority whip.
On June 22, 2020, Bennighoff was elected House majority leader. As majority leader, Benninghoff is the second highest-ranking Republican in the chamber behind Speaker
Bryan Cutler
Bryan Dean Cutler (born April 2, 1975) is an American politician who is the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A Republican, Cutler represents the 100th legislative district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He w ...
.
Benninghoff is against legalizing adult-use
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
in Pennsylvania. He has described it as a gateway drug and cites the opioid epidemic as a concern.
Personal life
Benninghoff lives in
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Bellefonte is a borough in, and the county seat of, Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is approximately twelve miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The boro ...
. He has five children.
References
External links
Representative Kerry Benninghoff's official web site
, -
21st-century American politicians
American coroners
Living people
Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
People from Centre County, Pennsylvania
Year of birth missing (living people)
{{Pennsylvania-PARepresentative-stub