Michael B. Diven (March 27, 1970 – August 18, 2020) was an American politician who served as a member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the
22nd District. He was defeated in 2006.
Early life and education
Diven was born, on March 27, 1970, in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
,
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, ...
, the son of Joey Diven, a police officer and famed local boxer.
Diven earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit
, image = Holy Gh ...
in 1993.
Career
After graduating from college, Diven served as a staff assistant to
Allegheny County Commissioner
Tom Foerster from 1993 through 1996.
In 1997, he was elected to represent 4th district of the Pittsburgh City Council at the age of 27, which made him the youngest person elected to that body at that time.
At various times, he served as a member of the
Brookline Area Community Council, as chairman of the Pittsburgh Public Safety Services committee, and on the board of the
Penn State Allegheny County Cooperative Extension.
He co-founded the Police and Communities Together (PACT) organization and served as president of the South Pittsburgh Housing Task Force.
He served on the board of the
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (also known as ALCOSAN) is a Municipal Authority in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that provides wastewater treatment services to 83 communities, including the city of Pittsburgh. Its principal sewage treatment ...
(Alcosan) until he was removed from the board in 2008 by Pittsburgh Mayor
Luke Ravenstahl.
Diven won election to the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives in November 2000, following the resignation of
Frank Gigliotti, who was convicted of soliciting bribes. During his tenure, Diven clashed with
Jack Wagner,
Bill DeWeese
H. William DeWeese (born April 18, 1950) is an American politician who is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, DeWeese served as the 135th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House from 1993 t ...
and the leadership of the House Democratic Caucus, who later backed Richard A. Nerone's unsuccessful primary challenge in 2004.
Citing the primary challenge and frustrated by the leadership's reluctance to pursue some of his agenda, including making health care benefits less expensive for school districts, Diven became a Republican in January 2005.
After he switched parties, the Democratic caucus fired his staff and cut the office phone lines.
That April, he unsuccessfully ran for the
Pennsylvania Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ...
seat left vacant by
Jack Wagner's 2004 election as
Pennsylvania Auditor General
The Pennsylvania auditor general is the chief fiscal officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1850. The current auditor general of Pennsylvania is Republican Timothy DeFoor.
History
The office of the auditor ...
, in a race that included Mark Rauterkus (Libertarian), ultimately losing to Wagner-ally
.
In 2006, Diven was defeated by
Jack Wagner's niece,
Chelsa Wagner
Chelsa L. Wagner (born July 24, 1977) is an American politician currently serving as a Judge in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. She previously served as the Allegheny County Controller. She resigned her position at the beginning of 2 ...
.
Diven returned to the Democratic party to run for District Justice in Pittsburgh in 2009, where he faced and lost to his former employee and successor in Pittsburgh City Council, Jim Motznik.
On two separate occasions, Diven was accused and staff members were indicted for forging signatures on nominating petitions.
Death
Diven died in August 2020, aged 50.
Election history
References
External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Michael Diven Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus - Rep. Mike Diven
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diven, Michael
1970 births
2020 deaths
Pennsylvania Democrats
Pennsylvania Republicans
Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Politicians from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh City Council members
Duquesne University alumni