GOP Candidate for 9th Senate District
CONCORD, PA – Representative Tom Killion (R-168) has earned the unanimous support of conferees to serve as the Republican candidate in the upcoming Special Election to fill the vacancy in the 9th Senate District. Republican Party conferees from Delaware and Chester Counties selected Killion as the party’s nominee at a conferee meeting held tonight at the Concordville Inn in Concord Township.
“I’m running because I think I will have a stronger voice in the legislature as one of 50 members of the Senate as opposed to one of 203 members of the State House of Representatives,” said Killion. “As a member of the Senate, I will side with working families in opposing Governor Wolf’s proposals to hike the state sales and personal income taxes. I will fight for common sense liquor and pension reform that has been blocked by special interests. And I will work to ensure our schools are properly funded with a fair and equitable education funding formula.”
Lieutenant Governor Michael Stack announced on Wednesday that the Special Election in the 9th Senate District will take place on the same day as the Primary Election, Tuesday, April 26, 2016.
“While we are still in the early stages of the campaign, I am thrilled with the outpouring of support that I have already received,” said Killion. “I’m ready to hit the ground running with the opening of a campaign office in the next few weeks, a coordinated volunteer effort, and many events already on the schedule.”
“I have known Tom for many years and he is a smart, highly effective leader,” said Andrew Reilly, Chairman of the Delaware County Republican Party. “He has an extensive record of involvement with local community and charitable organizations, he’s a small business owner who founded two local businesses, and has local government experience as the former Chairman of Delaware County Council. His background and experience will make him a great advocate in the Senate for local residents.”
“Tom is a strong candidate with a proven record of fighting proposed tax hikes, working to attract businesses and create jobs, and protecting open space,” said Val DiGiorgio, Chairman of the Chester County Republican Committee. “In the House, Tom has been a leader on a number of high profile issues, including medical malpractice reform, pension reform, and liquor privatization, to name a few. He will make an excellent Senator.”
When a Special Election is called to fill a vacant House or Senate seat that spans multiple counties, the Republican Party bylaws call for a conferee meeting to be held to select the Republican Party’s nominee in the Special Election. Each county is allocated a specific number of conferees based on the electoral results of the 2012 Presidential race. The conferees to select a nominee in the 9th Senate District consisted of a total of 61 conferees — 26 from Chester County and 35 from Delaware County. Conferees must be registered Republican electors that reside in the 9th Senatorial District.
About Tom Killion
Rep. Tom Killion has represented the residents of the 168th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2003. His business background and experience, as well as his focus on business development and economic issues, has led to appointments on several key House committees. He currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee, as well as the Insurance, Liquor Control and Consumer Affairs Committees. Citing his leadership skills, House leaders named Killion chief deputy whip for the 2015-16 legislative session.
Prior to his service in the legislature, Killion was Chairman of Delaware County Council, where he served local residents from 1992 to 2000. While on Council, Tom was instrumental in the effort to convince SAP American to establish its North American headquarters in Pennsylvania. Now the third largest software firm in the world, SAP’s campus in Newtown Square is home to 2,500 employees and has attracted a range of spin-off industries to locate in the region.
Tom is committed to keeping taxes low, fighting for fiscal responsibility in state government, finding innovative funding solutions to preserve open space, and improving our state’s healthcare. He has actively supported medical malpractice reform, property tax reform, efforts to privatize the state’s liquor system, and pension reform.
Active in a diverse range of non-profit organizations, Tom helped raise private dollars for the creation of the new Rocky Run YMCA branch and worked to improve the quality of life for residents through the Healthy Communities Initiative and Domestic Abuse Project. Tom also served as a board member of Elwyn, Inc. and the Delaware County Cerebral Palsy Association, both of which support residents with mental and physical disabilities. A long-time supporter of improving the states’ library system, Tom is past President of the Rachel Kohl Library board. A former Vice Chairman of the Chester Heights Planning Commission, Killion has been a longtime advocate of smart growth and land preservation issues.
As the founder of a small business, Tom knows first-hand the impact of government on our economic and community life. He has been a consistent voice in Harrisburg for common-sense solutions to the problems faced by our hard-working families and businesses. In addition, his work on the Advisory Committee for Penn State University’s Brandywine campus has provided Tom special insight into the unique higher education needs for Pennsylvania.
Killion has served on various other boards and organizations. These include the Children and Adult Disability and Educational Services (CADES), SEPTA, VisitPhilly, the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry, Southeastern PA Chamber of Commerce, and the Southeastern PA Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
He and his wife Eileen live in Middletown and have two adult daughters. Tom is a graduate of Penn State University and Cardinal O’Hara High School.
Contact: Pete Peterson, 215-990-8928
Are there any fund raising events planned by Toms committee in next few weeks before the election.