Timothy F. Hennessey (born November 4, 1947) is an American attorney and politician who was 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 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 ...

, representing the 26th District from 1993 to 2022.

Early life & education

Hennessey was born on November 4, 1947, in

Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888 ...

. He graduated from St. Pius X High School in 1965. In 1969, Hennessey earned a

bachelor of science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree from St. Joseph’s University. He received his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

degree from

Villanova University School of Law Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law (known as Villanova University School of Law) is a law school of the Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1953, the School of Law is approved by the American Bar Associat ...

in 1972.

Law career

Hennessey was a trial attorney for the Public Defenders’ Office in

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the De ...

from 1973 to 1992. He was also the solicitor of

North Coventry Township North Coventry Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,866 at the 2010 census. History The township derives its name from Coventry, England, the native home of an early settler. The Pottstown ...

for 15 years.

Political career

In 1992, Hennessey was elected as a

to represent the 26th District in the

. He was reelected 14 times. Following

redistricting Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...

in advance of the 2022 elections, Hennessey's now-redrawn district had a slight Democratic lean. He would later lose to Democrat Paul Friel in that year's general election. In 2019, Hennessey was made chairman of the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee. He previously chaired the Aging & Older Adult Services Committee, starting in 2007.

Political positions

2020 presidential election

Following the

2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala Ha ...

, Hennessey was one of 64 Pennsylvania Republican state legislators to sign a letter asking the state's Congressmen to reject the certification of Pennsylvania's electoral votes. According to Hennessey, he signed the letter after objecting to changes made to state election procedures with respect to mail-in ballots. During the certification of the electoral votes, supporters of then-President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

stormed the Capitol Building in a bid to prevent the certification of Trump's loss to Joe Biden. Hennessey condemned the violence at the Capitol that day, but denied any connection between the calls to reject certification and the storming. He also said he did not regret signing the letter. Hennessey also affirmed Biden's victory in the election.

Abortion

With regard to abortion bans, Hennessey supports exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Immigration

In 2021, Hennessey expressed support for allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver's license or similar equivalent.

Minimum wage

Despite supporting a minimum wage increase, in 2020, Hennessey came out against Governor

Tom Wolf Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he defeated Republican incumbent Tom Corbett in the 2014 gu ...

's minimum wage plan that according to Hennessey would "essentially double it in a few years."

Taxation

Hennessey supports amending the

Pennsylvania Constitution The Constitution of Pennsylvania is the supreme law within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All acts of the General Assembly, the governor, and each governmental agency are subordinate to it. Since 1776, Pennsylvania's Constitution has undergone ...

to exempt seniors from paying school taxes.

Personal life

Hennessey resides in

North Coventry Township, Pennsylvania North Coventry Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,866 at the 2010 census. History The township derives its name from Coventry, England, the native home of an early settler. The Pottstown ...

. He and his wife, Carol, have three children.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennessey, Timothy H. 1947 births Living people Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Saint Joseph's University alumni Villanova University School of Law alumni 21st-century American politicians Politicians from Chester County, Pennsylvania 20th-century American politicians