Timothy F. Hennessey (born November 4, 1947) is an American attorney and politician who was a Republican 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 ...

, representing the 26th District from 1993 to 2022.

Early life and education

Hennessey was born on November 4, 1947, in

Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts (Pennsylvanian), John Potts. The old name was abando ...

. He graduated from St. Pius X High School in 1965. In 1969, Hennessey earned a

bachelor of science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree from St. Joseph’s University. He received his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from

Villanova University School of Law The Charles Widger School of Law (known as Villanova Law) is the law school of Villanova University, a private Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was opened in 1953 and is approved by the American Bar Association (A ...

in 1972.

Law career

Hennessey was a trial attorney for the Public Defenders’ Office in

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially referred to as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in ...

from 1973 to 1992. He was also the solicitor of

North Coventry Township North Coventry Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,866 at the 2010 census. History The township derives its name from Coventry, England, the native home of an early settler. The Pottsto ...

for 15 years.

Political career

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, Hennessey was elected as a Republican to represent the 26th District in the

. He was reelected 14 times. Following

redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...

in advance of the 2022 elections, Hennessey's now-redrawn district had a slight Democratic lean. He would later lose to Democrat

Paul Friel Paul Friel is an American businessman and politician currently serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 26th District in Chester County, Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, Friel was electe ...

in that year's general election. In 2019, Hennessey was made chairman of the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee. He previously chaired the Aging & Older Adult Services Committee, starting in 2007.

Political positions

2020 presidential election

Following the

2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...

, Hennessey was one of 64 Pennsylvania Republican state legislators to sign a letter asking the state's Congressmen to reject the

certification Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...

of Pennsylvania's

electoral votes An electoral college is a body whose task is to elect a candidate to a particular office. It is mostly used in the political context for a constitutional body that appoints the head of state or government, and sometimes the upper parliamenta ...

. According to Hennessey, he signed the letter after objecting to changes made to state election procedures with respect to mail-in ballots. During the certification of the electoral votes, supporters of then-President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

stormed the U.S. Capitol Building in a bid to prevent the certification of Trump's loss to

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

. Hennessey condemned the violence at the Capitol that day, but denied any connection between the calls to reject certification and the storming. He also said he did not regret signing the letter, but still affirmed Biden's victory in the election.

Abortion

With regard to abortion bans, Hennessey supports exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Immigration

In 2021, Hennessey expressed support for allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver's license or similar equivalent.

Minimum wage

Despite supporting a minimum wage increase, in 2020, Hennessey came out against Governor

Tom Wolf Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2023. He previously served as chairman and CEO of his business, The Wolf Organization, and l ...

's minimum wage plan that according to Hennessey would "essentially double it in a few years."

Taxation

Hennessey supports amending the

Pennsylvania Constitution The Constitution of Pennsylvania is the supreme law within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All acts of the General Assembly, the governor, and each governmental agency are subordinate to it. Since 1776, Pennsylvania's Constitution has undergone ...

to exempt seniors from paying school taxes.

Personal life

Hennessey resides in

North Coventry Township, Pennsylvania North Coventry Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,866 at the 2010 census. History The township derives its name from Coventry, England, the native home of an early settler. The Pottsto ...

. He and his wife, Carol, have three children.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennessey, Timothy H. 1947 births Living people Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Saint Joseph's University alumni Villanova University School of Law alumni Politicians from Chester County, Pennsylvania 20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly 21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly