George Gekas

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 one of the biggest upsets in recent political history.

Related Topics:
Republican - Pennsylvania - Congressional - 1983 - 2003

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was born in Harrisburg, the state capital, in 1930. He graduated from Dickinson College in 1952, obtaining a law degree in 1958 after a brief stint in the Army.

Related Topics:
Harrisburg - 1930 - Dickinson College - 1952 - 1958 - Army

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After a short time in private practice, he served as assistant district attorney for Dauphin County from 1960 to 1966, when he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing Dauphin County. He served there until 1974, when he was upset by future Harrisburg mayor Steven Reed in the anti-Watergate Democratic landslide.

Related Topics:
District attorney - Dauphin County - 1960 - 1966 - Pennsylvania House of Representatives - 1974 - Mayor - Democratic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Undaunted by his unexpected defeat, Gekas was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1976 and was reelected in 1980. After the 1980 census, Pennsylvania lost two congressional districts due to a sharp drop in population. 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.

Related Topics:
1980 - 1982

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 way the district was drawn kept Gekas from facing any serious opposition, and he even ran unopposed in 1994. He was one of the House managers in the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton.

Related Topics:
1994 - Bill Clinton

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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. The district was blatantly gerrymandered to be unwinnable for a Democrat--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. However, Holden surprised everyone by running in the 17th. Gekas got another rude surprise as the campaign wore on, as much of his old base endorsed Holden. 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.

Related Topics:
2000 - Reading - Tim Holden - Gerrymandered - George W. Bush

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~