Patrick J. "Pat" Harkins (born December 22, 1963) is a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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....

 for 1st District

Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 1

The 1st District of an electoral district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and is currently represented by Democrat Pat Harkins. The district is located within Erie County and includes the following areas:* Erie** Ward 1...

 and was elected in 2006.

Personal

Harkins grew up in Erie

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

, attending Memorial High School. He attended vo-tech while in high school, earning an electronics certification. For 23 years, Harkins worked as a driver for UPS

United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...

. He also became active in the local Teamsters

Teamsters

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....

 Union and served as president of the Sacred Heart School Board. He also served as judge of elections in Erie County, Pennsylvania

Erie County, Pennsylvania

Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 280,566. Its county seat is the City of Erie.- Geography :...

Political

Harkins was first elected in 2006

Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2006

The 2006 Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were held on November 7, 2006, with all districts being contested. Necessary primary elections were held on May 16, 2006. Members elected in 2006 were inaugurated on January 2, 2007...

. The district opened up when Rep. Linda Bebko-Jones

Linda Bebko-Jones

Linda Bebko-Jones was an American politician who represented the 1st district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, which includes portions of Erie County.-Personal:...

 retired following a challenge to the validity of her petition signatures. He won a three-way primary election

Primary election

A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....

 over Democrats Michael Skrzypczak and Dennis Iaquinta and went on to defeat Republican

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...

 Christine Pontoriero with 75% of the vote.
Harkins is currently the secretary of the Education Committee. He is also a member of the Labor, Liquor Control, and Children & Youth Committees.

External links

• Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus – Pat Harkins official caucus website
• Pennsylvania House of Representatives – Pat Harkins official PA House website

• Follow the Money – Pat Harkins
  • 2006 campaign contributions