Patrick J. Harkins (born December 22, 1963) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the

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. It ...

for 1st District and was elected in 2006.

Early life and education

Harkins grew up in

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...

. The youngest of five children to Bernard (Babe) and Rita Harkins. He graduated from Erie Tech Memorial High School. While in high school he earned an electrical-electronics certification. At

Mercyhurst College Mercyhurst University is a private Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. History On September 20, 1926, Mercyhurst College opened its doors just a few blocks away from the city's southern boundary. It was founded by the Si ...

, he studied political science and business. After a year at Mercyhurst he transferred to Penn State Behrend where he studied political science and business. He worked as a driver for

UPS UPS most commonly refers to: * Uninterruptible power supply, a device which provides continuous power to electronics * United Parcel Service, an American courier company UPS or ups may also refer to: Companies and organizations United Parcel S ...

for 25 years. While employed there he also became active in the local Teamsters Union, Teamsters LU 397.

Career

Harkins was first elected in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

. The district opened up when Rep. Linda Bebko-Jones retired following a challenge to the validity of her petition signatures. He won a three-way

primary election Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...

over Democrats Michael Skrzypczak and Dennis Iaquinta and went on to defeat Republican Christine Pontoriero with 75% of the vote. In the primary of 2016 Harkins faced no opposition, in the general election on November 8. 2016 Harkins won reelection to his sixth term defeating William Edward Crotty by 76% to 22%. Harkins was sworn in for his sixth term on January 3, 2017.

Committee assignments

* Gaming Oversight * Professional Licensure * Rules

Personal life

Harkins served as a board member on the Sacred Heart School Board for six years, and served as board president for three of those six years. Harkins and his wife Michelle founded the Reservoir Dogs neighborhood crime watch organization in their neighborhood. He also served as judge of elections in

Erie County, Pennsylvania Erie County is the northernmost county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,876. Its county seat is Erie. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803. The county is part of the Nort ...

References

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 1963 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Politicians from Erie, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University alumni Mercyhurst University alumni 21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly {{Pennsylvania-PARepresentative-stub