Daylin Leach | |
---|---|
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 17th district | |
In office January 3, 2009 –December 4, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Constance H. Williams |
Succeeded by | Amanda Cappelletti |
Constituency | Parts of Delaware and Montgomery Counties |
Member of the PennsylvaniaHouseofRepresentatives from the 149th district | |
In office January 7,2003 [1] –November 30,2008 | |
Preceded by | Wallis Brooks |
Succeeded by | Tim Briggs |
Personal details | |
Born | Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,U.S. | June 23,1961
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Jennifer Anne Mirak |
Children | 2 |
Residence | Upper Merion Township,Montgomery County,Pennsylvania |
Alma mater | Temple University University of Houston Law Center |
Profession | Attorney |
Signature | |
Daylin Leach (born June 23,1961) is a former American politician and lawyer,who was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 17th senatorial district from 2009 until 2020. He was previously a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,representing the 149th district from 2003 to 2009.
Leach was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Parkland High School in 1979 in Allentown,Pennsylvania. [2] He received a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 1983 and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1986. [3]
He practiced law for 16 years,focusing on family and education law. He taught constitutional law,legal ethics and First Amendment law as an adjunct professor at Cedar Crest College and Muhlenberg College. Leach served as president of the Pennsylvania Young Democrats in the early 1990s and on the Allentown Zoning Board from 1990 to 1994. During his career,he co-hosted Lehigh Valley Firing Line,a local weekly political debate TV program.
In 2016,Philadelphia law firm Sacks Weston Diamond LLC [4] hired Leach to advise clients on medical marijuana licensing,permitting and regulatory rules. [5] He left the firm in July,2017,when he announced his congressional candidacy. [5]
Leach first ran for the 149th legislative district in a special election on February 12,2002,following the resignation of Democrat Connie Williams. Leach was the Democratic nominee and lost to Republican Wallis Brooks 48%-44%,a difference of 273 votes. [6] [7]
In the November 2002 rematch of their February special election,the Brooks campaign sent dozens of direct mail advertisements,including one accusing Leach of defending child molesters as an attorney. [8] On the Saturday before the election,one was sent to voters accusing Leach of being anti-Semitic. [8] The mailer carried a headline of "Anti-Semitism,Neo-Nazism,Holocaust Denial. They are not 'a big joke.'" [8] The charges stemmed from Leach's 1999 defense of an in absentia client from Texas who was sued in Allentown,Pennsylvania,for alleged comments in an Internet chat room. [8] [9] Following the dismissal,the plaintiff posted on the Internet,denouncing Leach and the Texas man as anti-Semites. The posts were unearthed by a Brooks researcher and used in the mailer. [8] "She had to know I was Jewish,because it had come up in a debate. But since I have a non-Jewish surname,she apparently thought she could get away with this," Leach said. [8] The campaign immediately convinced a local Jewish newspaper to denounce the mailer and reproduced the article on a flyer with a profile of Leach,emphasizing his Jewish roots and activism,on the reverse. [8] By election day,70 volunteers had hand-delivered the literature to most district households. [8] On November 5,2002,Leach defeated Brooks 53%-47%,a difference of 1,170 votes. [10]
Leach won re-election to a second term,defeating Republican Brad Murphy 62%-38%. [11]
Leach won re-election to a third term,defeating Republican Monica Treichel 67%-33%. [12]
In 2003,the political website PoliticsPA named him to "The Best of the Freshman Class" list,saying that he "has all the ingredients of a rising star" and that he "makes the job look fun." [13]
In August 2005,Leach published an op-ed article in The Philadelphia Inquirer criticizing the paper's coverage of the 2005 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise controversy. [14] In what the Philadelphia City Paper called "the paper's first round against Leach," Inquirer columnist John Grogan responded by accusing Leach of "funny math." [15] In response,Leach "struck back" against the Inquirer with a satirical email to associates under the pseudonym "Dutch Larooo" criticizing Inquirer reporter Mario F. Cattabiani. [16] [17]
On September 1,2005,Mario F. Cattabiani published a front-page article in The Philadelphia Inquirer that "exposed" Leach's long-standing and satirical blog "leachvent.com." [17] [18] The Philadelphia City Paper criticized the Inquirer for allowing Cattabiani to "answer his attacker" through a news article,noting that "thousands of insiders have laughed at Leach's satire for years," but the Inquirer acted as though it had been "recently discovered." [17] The Philadelphia City Paper wrote that Cattabiani's article incorrectly characterized Leach's website as a "blog" rather than satire and had focused on Leach's pseudonym's "impure thoughts," while ignoring the "satirical attack" on his Cattabiani's reporting. [17] The next day,Leach removed his website. [17] [19] [20] John Grogan wrote that Leach had "dug his own political grave." [17] [21] The Philadelphia City Paper criticized these negative articles about Leach by stating that "hidden behind the newspaper's florid obsession with Leach's naughty bits,is the state rep's pointed satire of their mediocre coverage –a criticism that the newspaper never addresses...The Inquirer savaged this young legislator because his satire was hitting its mark:Them." [17]
Notable work in the House includes proposed bills that would allow hybrid cars into the state fleet, [22] that give state funding for breast and ovarian cancer screening for low-income women,that would address redistricting reform,that would eliminate state's lethal use of paralytic drugs, [23] and that would require hospitals to offer emergency contraception to sexual assault victims. [24]
When Connie Williams of Pennsylvania's 17th senate district decided to retire,Leach decided to enter the election. He was the Democratic nominee and defeated Republican Lance Rogers,a Lower Merion Township Commissioner,62%-38%. [26]
Leach won re-election to a second term,defeating Republican nominee Charles Gehret 63%-37%. [27]
Leach won re-election to a third term,defeating Republican nominee Brian Gondek 64%-36%. [28]
Leach faced attorney and East Norriton Township,Pennsylvania Board of Supervisors Vice Chairwoman,Amanda Cappelletti,in the Democratic party. Cappelletti defeated Leach,receiving 63% of the vote and winning every county in the district. [29]
Leach was awarded the 2008 Humane Legislator Award by the Humane Society of the United States,the 2011 Legislative Leadership Award by GVF Transportation,and the 2011 Friend of Education Award by the Lower Merion Education Association. [24]
In January 2013,he proposed legislation that would legalize recreational use of marijuana in Pennsylvania for people 21 years or older,called the "Regulate Marijuana Act." [30] [31] In defending it,Leach argued “We would never,in a rational society,starting from scratch,have the policy we have now.” [32]
In 2016,a bill sponsored by Leach,legalizing some marijuana products for medical use,became law. [33] The medical marijuana bill sponsored by Leach does not permit medical patients to grow their own cannabis,and subsequent efforts by others to change the law have failed. [34]
In 2017,Leach made headlines in response to President Trump's threat to "destroy the career" of a Texas state senator who proposed legislation requiring a conviction before civil asset forfeiture,by goading the President to try to destroy Leach's career in a social media post. [35] [36]
In December 2017,Leach was accused of inappropriately touching young female staffers and volunteers. Leach's attorney referred to media reports as a witch hunt. [37] In a written statement,Leach denied the accusations,which he attributed to an unnamed political opponent. [38] In response to the allegations,Gov. Wolf called on Leach to resign. [39] In a statement the next day,Leach said he planned to stay in his seat and work with Senate leaders to address the allegations. [40] On February 24,2018,Leach abandoned his congressional campaign but announced that he will remain in his state senate seat. [41] In September 2019,an auditors report commissioned by the Pennsylvania Democratic Caucus concluded,"With respect to Senator Leach's behavior while as a member of the Senate,we conclude that there is no evidence of actionable discrimination for harassment in violation of applicable law or Caucus policies." [42] Further,the report found,"At no time did any such behavior actually create a hostile work environment under the circumstances presented here." [43]
On April 1, 2013, Main Line Times reported that Leach would run for Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district, which was open as incumbent Democrat Allyson Schwartz ran for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2014. However, while the majority of Upper Merion Township is within the boundaries of the 13th Congressional district, Leach's home in Wayne, Upper Merion Township is actually within the state's 7th Congressional district. [45] Leach lost in the Democratic primary, winning only 16.6% of the vote. [46]
On July 3, 2017, Leach announced his candidacy for the Congressional seat held by Republican Pat Meehan in Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district. Leach was expected to have several Democratic primary opponents. [47] On December 18, 2017, Leach announced he was "taking a step back" from his campaign to deal with misconduct allegations of sexual talk and inappropriate touching. His lawyer said that "doesn’t mean he's quitting." [40] In January 2018, Meehan withdrew his candidacy for reelection after revelations that he had used taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment complaint. [48] (Meehan resigned On April 27, 2018, saying he would pay back the taxpayer funds used for the settlement.) [49]
After the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the state's old congressional map, Leach's home, along with most of the Montgomery County portion of the old 7th, was drawn into the new 4th District, the successor to the old 13th. On February 24, 2018, Leach finally succumbed to pressures from fellow Democrats, including Governor Tom Wolf, to abandon his congressional campaign, announcing his withdrawal on his Facebook page. He had accumulated an impressive war chest for the election to the newly redrawn district.
According to Jewish Exponent , Leach is "known for being outspoken and proud of his Jewish identity". [50]
Leach formerly served as an ex-officio member of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute [51] and a member of the Norristown Farm Park Advisory Committee [52]
Joseph B. Scarnati III is an American politician from the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Pennsylvania State Senate as the member from the 25th District from 2001 to 2020, and was the president pro tempore from 2007 to 2020.
Patrick Leo Meehan is a former American Republican Party politician and federal prosecutor from Pennsylvania who represented parts of Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and Lancaster counties in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 until his resignation in 2018. He succeeded Democrat Joe Sestak, who ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.
Joshua David Shapiro is an American lawyer and politician who is the 48th governor of Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2023 and was on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2012 to 2017.
Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were held on November 5, 2002, with all districts being contested. State Representatives are elected for two-year terms, with the entire House of Representatives up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2002 ran from January 7, 2003 until November 30, 2004. Necessary primary elections were held on May 21, 2002.
Hardy Williams was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 8th district from 1983 to 1998.
Mario F. Cattabiani was a journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 6, 2012, alongside a presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. ran for and won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Tom Smith, and Libertarian nominee Rayburn Smith.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the state of Pennsylvania, a loss of one seat following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate. Primary elections were held Tuesday, April 24.
The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections, including the Governor of Pennsylvania and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
The 2016 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania took place on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in numerous other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on April 26. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pat Toomey was reelected to a second term in a close race, defeating Democratic nominee Katie McGinty and Libertarian Party nominee Edward Clifford. With a margin of 1.43%, this election was the second-closest race of the 2016 Senate election cycle, behind only the election in New Hampshire.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on April 26.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Pennsylvania, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. This was one of ten Democratic-held Senate seats up for election in a state that Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. The primary elections were held on May 15. Incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey Jr. ran for re-election to a third term. Casey, who faced no primary opposition, defeated the Republican nominee, Lou Barletta, Green Party nominee Neal Gale, and Libertarian Party nominee Dale Kerns. Casey was the first senator to be elected to a third term from Pennsylvania since Arlen Specter in 1992, and the first Pennsylvania Democrat to be popularly elected to three terms in the Senate.
The 2018 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, concurrently with the election of Pennsylvania's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various local elections. Incumbent Governor Tom Wolf won re-election to a second term by a double-digit margin, defeating Republican challenger Scott Wagner and two third-party candidates from the Green Party, Paul Glover and Libertarian Party, Ken Krawchuk. The primary elections were held on May 15. This was the only Democratic-held governorship up for election in a state that Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election.
The 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Democratic lieutenant governor John Fetterman won his first term in office, defeating Republican surgeon Mehmet Oz. Fetterman succeeded Republican incumbent senator Pat Toomey, who did not seek re-election after two terms. This was the only U.S. Senate seat to flip parties in 2022.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts.
Sharif Street is an American politician and attorney. He is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 3rd district since 2017. In 2018, Street was elected Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party under Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills of Allegheny County, and was elected Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party on June 18, 2022, the first person of color to fill that role.
Special elections for the 7th and 15th congressional districts in Pennsylvania were held on November 6, 2018, following the resignations of Republican U.S. Representatives Pat Meehan and Charlie Dent.
The 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. Democratic state attorney general Josh Shapiro defeated Republican state senator Doug Mastriano to win his first term in office. Shapiro succeeded Democratic incumbent Tom Wolf, who was term limited.
The 2018 Pennsylvania state elections took place on November 6, 2018. On that date, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania held elections for the following offices: Governor and Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania State Senate, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and various others. Primary elections took place on May 15, 2018.
Amanda Cappelletti is an American politician and lawyer. She is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 17th District since 2021.