Keith J. Gillespie (born September 18, 1952) 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 ...
member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the
47th District and was elected in 2002.
Career
Prior to entering politics, Gillespie was a paramedic at Memorial Hospital in
York, Pennsylvania
York (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The populatio ...
. Later, he was the director of safety, security and pre-hospital systems at Memorial Hospital. Gillespie was also a president of the York County Republican Club.
Gillespie was first elected in 2002. He is currently a member of the House Game and Fisheries, Intergovernmental Affairs, Professional Licensure, and Tourism and Recreational Development Committees. He is also chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal/State Relations and Arts and Entertainment.
Committee assignments
* Game & Fisheries (chair)
* Professional Licensure
Election results
The 47th District from which Gillespie is elected includes residents of
Conewago,
East Manchester,
Hellam, and
Manchester Townships in a northeast portion of
York County, their surrounded and adjacent boroughs, and three (the northernmost) of
Springettsbury Township's eight local districts. Gillespie received 21.5% of the vote in a crowded eight-candidate Republican primary in 2002, which sent him to that year's general election.
While Chad Lonergan had won the corresponding Democratic primary,
Gillespie faced only independent candidate Marlin Cutshall in the 2002 general election and won with 13,114 votes (92.3%). He had no reelection challengers until 2010 when he beat Democrat Eric Wolfgang 72.8% – 27.2%. Democratic candidate Sarah Speed faced Gillespie in 2012 and he kept his seat with 20,236 votes (60.7%) to her 13,127. Gillespie had no ballot opposition in 2014 and 2016. Democrat Michael Wascovich received 35.6% of the vote in 2018 to Gillespie's 64.4%. In 2020, he won against Democrat Fred Owens, 65.4% to 34.6%.
In 2022, Gillespie lost in the Republican primary to challenger Joe D'Orsie, 40% to 59%.
Personal
Representative Gillespie graduated from
Solanco High School
Solanco High School is a midsized, rural, public secondary school located in southern Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, United States. It is a part of the Solanco School District. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in t ...
in 1970. He attended
Keystone Junior College
Keystone College is a private college in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Although the college's official mailing address is La Plume
''La Plume'' was a French bi-monthly literary and artistic review. The magazine was set up in 1889 by Léon Desch ...
and
Franklin and Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It employs 175 full-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 2,400 full-time students. It was founded upon the merger of Frankli ...
, studying biology and business administration.
Gillespie and his wife, a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital, have three children.
References
External links
Representative Gillespie's official web sitePA House profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Keith J.
1952 births
21st-century American politicians
Franklin & Marshall College alumni
Living people
People from Wilmington, Delaware
Politicians from York, Pennsylvania
Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives