Jeff Coleman

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Jeff Coleman.jpg

| name = Jeff Coleman

| state_house = Pennsylvania

| district = 60th

| constituency = Parts of Armstrong and Indiana Counties

| term_start = January 2, 2001{{cite web |title = SESSION OF 2001 - 185TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - No. 1|work = Legislative Journal| publisher = Pennsylvania House of Representatives |date =2001-01-02|url = http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/HJ/2001/0/20010102.pdf}}

| term_end = November 30, 2004Per Article II, Section 2 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the legislative session ended on November 30, 2004

| predecessor = Timothy Pesci

| successor = Jeffrey Pyle

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|07|04|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Whidbey Island Naval Base

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Republican

| alma_mater = Liberty University (BS)

| occupation =

| spouse = Rebecca{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

| children = 4

| residence = Hershey, Pennsylvania

| religion =

| website =

}}

File:President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, and State Representative Jeff Coleman with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Husband Attorney Miguel Arroyo.jpg George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Jose Miguel Arroyo in 2003]]

Jeff Coleman (born July 4, 1975) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Background

Coleman was born to a Filipino American family at Whidbey Island Naval Base in Washington in 1975.{{cite web|title=Meet Jeff Coleman |work=Online Action Center |publisher=Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus |url=http://www.jeffcoleman.net/index.cfm?main=meetjeff&bw=high |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030409171948/http://www.jeffcoleman.net/index.cfm?main=meetjeff&bw=high |archive-date=2003-04-09 |url-status=dead }} In the 1980s his family returned to Manila, Philippines to serve as missionaries. It was during that time that the Philippines experienced the People Power Revolution, which Coleman credits for inspiring his "passion for public service." He graduated from Orchard Hills Christian Academy in 1994. He attended Liberty University, earning his degree in Government in 2001.{{cite web|title=Jeff Coleman (Republican) |work=Official Pennsylvania House of Representatives Profile |publisher=Pennsylvania House of Representatives |url=http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=60 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040219231538/http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=60 |archive-date=2004-02-19 |url-status=dead }} Prior to elective office, Coleman worked in a grocery store, waited tables, and was as radio news anchor in college. He also worked as an intern for Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and was elected to Apollo Borough Council.{{cite news | last = Simonich | first = Milan | title = NEWSMAKER / Jeff Coleman | work = Pittsburgh Post Gazette | publisher = PG Publishing Co. | date = 2001-02-19| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010219newsmakerreg4.asp}}

Political career

In the 2000 election for the 60th legislative district, the 25-year-old Coleman defeated long-time Democratic incumbent Tim Pesci in spite of the district being 70% Democratic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=65047|title=Our Campaigns - PA State House 060 Race - Nov 07, 2000}}{{cite news| last = Bull| first =John| title = Ousted Democrat now in his opponents' camp | work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| publisher = PG Publishing Co.| date = 2001-07-06| url = http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010706pescireg4p4.asp}}{{cite web | title = 2000 General Election - Representative in the General Assembly | work = Commonwealth of PA - Elections Information | publisher = Pennsylvania Department of State | year = 2004 | url = http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?FunctionID=13&ElectionID=2&OfficeID=13 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081127132539/http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?FunctionID=13&ElectionID=2&OfficeID=13 | archive-date = 2008-11-27 }} Coleman's under-funded campaign relied on an aggressive "door-to-door" campaign with hundreds of campaign volunteers. Bill DeWeese, the House Democratic Leader, said that Pesci had run a "condescending" race against Coleman, calling his opponent "Jeffy" and describing Coleman's campaign volunteers as "the Children from the Corn," referring to the horror film.{{cite news|last=Neri|first=Al|author-link=Albert J. Neri|title=The Four Corners of Pennsylvania and More - Southwest|work=The Insider|url=http://www.insiderpa.com/archive/insider7-2002.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012154258/http://www.insiderpa.com/archive/insider7-2002.htm|archive-date=2007-10-12}} He ran unopposed for reelection in 2002.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=55440|title=Our Campaigns - PA State House 060 Race - Nov 05, 2002}}

In a 2002 PoliticsPA Feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named the "Most Ambitious"{{cite web|title=Keystone State Yearbook Committee |work=PoliticsPA |publisher=The Publius Group |year=2001 |url=http://www.politicspa.com/yearbookcommittee.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020803170058/http://www.politicspa.com/yearbookcommittee.htm |archive-date=2002-08-03 |url-status=dead }}

Coleman surprised political observers by retiring prior to the 2004 elections to host a Harrisburg-based political radio program.{{cite news | last = Toland | first = Bill | title = Legislator eager to launch career as radio talk-show host| work = Pittsburgh Post Gazette | publisher = PG Publishing Co.| date = 2004-01-30 | url = http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04030/267413-54.stm}} In 2010, Politics Magazine named him one of the most influential Republicans in Pennsylvania, noting his success as a political consultant.{{Cite news|last=Roarty |first=Alex |author2=Sean Coit |title=Pennsylvania Influencers |newspaper=Politics Magazine |pages=44–49 |date=January 2010 |url=http://politicsmagazine.com/uploads/Image/Politics_PA_influencers_web.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229023006/http://politicsmagazine.com/uploads/Image/Politics_PA_influencers_web.pdf |archive-date=2009-12-29 |url-status=dead }}

Coleman unsuccessfully sought the 2022 Republican nomination for lieutenant governor,Karen Shuey, [https://www.readingeagle.com/2022/04/25/jeff-coleman-candidate-pennsylvania-lt-governor/ https://www.readingeagle.com/2022/04/25/jeff-coleman-candidate-pennsylvania-lt-governor/], Reading Eagle (April 25, 2022). coming in fifth place in the May 2022 primary election:

{{Election box begin no change |title = 2022 Republican primary, Pennsylvania lieutenant governor[https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/ 2022 Republican primary, Pennsylvania lieutenant governor]}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change