David J. "Chip" Brightbill is a former member and Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate

Pennsylvania State Senate

The Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It 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 every two years such...

. He is a member of the Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

He was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...

 to Jonathan and Verda (McGill) Brightbill and attended Pennsylvania Military College for two years before graduating from Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

 in 1964. He went on to obtain a law degree at Duquesne University School of Law

Duquesne University School of Law

Duquesne University School of Law is a private Catholic university law school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The School of Law was founded in 1911, and is the only multiple-division law school in western Pennsylvania. Located on the Duquesne University campus, the law school is walking...

 in 1970. Prior to being elected to the Senate in 1982, he served as Lebanon County District Attorney from 1977 to 1981. He was elected Majority Whip in 1989 and 1997 by the Republican caucus and became the Majority Leader in 2001 after Senator Joseph Loeper resigned in December 2000.

Brightbill served the 48th district, including all of Lebanon County

Lebanon County, Pennsylvania

As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...

, portions of Berks

Berks County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...

, Dauphin

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...

, and Lancaster

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...

 Counties, and the Chester County

Chester County, Pennsylvania

-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...

 borough of Elverson

Elverson, Pennsylvania

Elverson is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,225 at the 2010 census.Settled near the region's early iron mines, Elverson is close to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, an example of a 19th century "iron plantation".-History:Elverson's earliest...

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He was named runner up for the 2003 Politician of the Year by the political website PoliticsPA

PoliticsPA

- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...

, who noted his growing influence in the 2003 budget negotiations.

Brightbill was defeated in the May 2006 Republican primary election by tire salesman Mike Folmer

Mike Folmer

Mike Folmer of Lebanon, Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania State Senator who represents the 48th Senate district, which includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster Counties...

, receiving 36.8% of the vote. Brightbill's defeat was largely attributed to anger generated over a legislative pay raise

2005 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise controversy

In the early morning hours of July 7, 2005, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed pay increases for state lawmakers, judges, and top executive-branch officials. The vote took place at 2 a.m. without public review or commentary and Governor Ed Rendell signed the bill into law...

 vote in July 2005.

At the end of his term, Brightbill joined the Reading

Reading, Pennsylvania

Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...

 law firm of Stevens & Lee in their government affairs practice.

On May 19, 2007, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown College is a small comprehensive college located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. The school was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren...

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