George Gekas
Encyclopedia
George William Gekas is a Republican
politician from Pennsylvania
. He represented the state's 17th Congressional
district from 1983 to 2003, when he was unseated in a major upset.
in 1930 of Greek parents. He graduated from Dickinson College
in 1952 where he was a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon
. He later obtained a law degree in 1958 after a brief stint in the Army
. After a short time in private practice, he served as assistant district attorney
for Dauphin County from 1960 to 1966.
representing Dauphin County. He served there until 1974, when he was upset by future Harrisburg mayor
Steven Reed in the anti-Watergate Democratic landslide.
Undaunted by his unexpected defeat, Gekas was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate
in 1976 and was reelected in 1980.
Gekas was one of the House's most conservative
members, much to the liking of a district where Republicans dominated at every level of government. However, he alienated many Democrats and moderate Republicans in the Harrisburg area with his voting record, lack of zeal in bringing federal funds back home, and his leadership in seeking to make individual bankruptcy
status more difficult and less useful to obtain. However, the district was drawn in such a way that Gekas never faced any serious opposition during his first 10 campaigns, and he even ran unopposed in 1994. He was one of the House managers in the impeachment trials of Alcee Hastings
and President Bill Clinton
.
Feature story
designating politicians with yearbook superlatives
, he was named "Missing in Action."
Pennsylvania lost two districts after the 2000 census. One of the districts that was eliminated was the Reading
-based 6th District, represented by five-term moderate-to-conservative Democrat Tim Holden
. The legislature split the 6th among three other districts, placing Holden's home in Gekas' 17th District. On paper, the new 17th so heavily favored Gekas that it appeared to be unwinnable for a Democrat, even a conservative Democrat like Holden. Indeed, George W. Bush
had won the district with 57 percent of the vote in 2000, and 60 percent of the district came from Gekas' old territory. Some thought the district had been blatantly gerrymandered to force Holden out of office.
However, Holden surprised everyone by running in the 17th, even though it was 65% new to him (a small portion of the even more Republican 9th District had been shifted to the 17th). Gekas received another rude surprise as the campaign wore on, as much of his old base endorsed Holden. Even his hometown paper, The Patriot-News
, endorsed Holden, saying that the 17th was not the same district that originally sent Gekas to Congress. Further, Holden made much of the fact that Gekas had never set foot in two predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Harrisburg, Uptown and Allison Hill, since first going to Congress. Holden visited these neighborhoods and asked residents not to vote for a congressman who could not trouble himself to visit them. On election night, Holden defeated Gekas by almost 6,000 votes. Gekas was the only Republican incumbent placed in a district with a Democratic incumbent to be defeated for re-election in 2002.
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...
politician from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He represented the state's 17th Congressional
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
district from 1983 to 2003, when he was unseated in a major upset.
Early life
George Gekas was born in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
in 1930 of Greek parents. He graduated from Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
in 1952 where he was a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
. He later obtained a law degree in 1958 after a brief stint in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. After a short time in private practice, he served as assistant district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for Dauphin County from 1960 to 1966.
Pennsylvania State House and Senate
In 1966, Gekas was elected to the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesPennsylvania 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....
representing Dauphin County. He served there until 1974, when he was upset by future Harrisburg mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Steven Reed in the anti-Watergate Democratic landslide.
Undaunted by his unexpected defeat, Gekas was elected to 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...
in 1976 and was reelected in 1980.
United States House of Representatives
After the 1980 census, Pennsylvania lost two congressional districts due to very slow population growth. The Republican-controlled legislature drew a new, heavily Republican Harrisburg-based district designed for Gekas. He easily won the seat in 1982 and was reelected nine more times.Gekas was one of the House's most conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
members, much to the liking of a district where Republicans dominated at every level of government. However, he alienated many Democrats and moderate Republicans in the Harrisburg area with his voting record, lack of zeal in bringing federal funds back home, and his leadership in seeking to make individual bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
status more difficult and less useful to obtain. However, the district was drawn in such a way that Gekas never faced any serious opposition during his first 10 campaigns, and he even ran unopposed in 1994. He was one of the House managers in the impeachment trials of Alcee Hastings
Alcee Hastings
Alcee Lamar Hastings is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
and President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
2002 House Campaign
In a 2002 PoliticsPAPoliticsPA
- 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...
Feature story
Feature story
- Published Features & news :While the distinction between published features and news is often clear, when approached conceptually there are few hard boundaries between the two. It is quite possible to write a feature in the style of a news story, for instance...
designating politicians with yearbook superlatives
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
, he was named "Missing in Action."
Pennsylvania lost two districts after the 2000 census. One of the districts that was eliminated was 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,...
-based 6th District, represented by five-term moderate-to-conservative Democrat Tim Holden
Tim Holden
Thomas Timothy "Tim" Holden is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
. The legislature split the 6th among three other districts, placing Holden's home in Gekas' 17th District. On paper, the new 17th so heavily favored Gekas that it appeared to be unwinnable for a Democrat, even a conservative Democrat like Holden. Indeed, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
had won the district with 57 percent of the vote in 2000, and 60 percent of the district came from Gekas' old territory. Some thought the district had been blatantly gerrymandered to force Holden out of office.
However, Holden surprised everyone by running in the 17th, even though it was 65% new to him (a small portion of the even more Republican 9th District had been shifted to the 17th). Gekas received another rude surprise as the campaign wore on, as much of his old base endorsed Holden. Even his hometown paper, The Patriot-News
The Patriot-News
The Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
, endorsed Holden, saying that the 17th was not the same district that originally sent Gekas to Congress. Further, Holden made much of the fact that Gekas had never set foot in two predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Harrisburg, Uptown and Allison Hill, since first going to Congress. Holden visited these neighborhoods and asked residents not to vote for a congressman who could not trouble himself to visit them. On election night, Holden defeated Gekas by almost 6,000 votes. Gekas was the only Republican incumbent placed in a district with a Democratic incumbent to be defeated for re-election in 2002.