Kerry Benninghoff
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Kerry Benninghoff
| image = Mock Bill Signing - Kerry Benninghoff (cropped).jpg
| office = Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
| term_start = June 22, 2020
| term_end = December 1, 2022
| predecessor = Bryan Cutler
| successor = Joanna McClinton
| office1 = Majority Whip of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
| leader1 = Bryan Cutler
| term_start1 = December 1, 2018
| term_end1 = June 22, 2020
| predecessor1 = Bryan Cutler
| successor1 = Donna Oberlander
| state_house2 = Pennsylvania
| district2 = 171st
| term_start2 = January 7, 1997
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 = Ruth C. Rudy
| successor2 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|1|14}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| spouse =
| children = 5
| education = Pennsylvania State University
| website = {{URL|kerrybenninghoff.com|Official website}}
}}
Kerry Albert Benninghoff (born January 14, 1962) is an American politician and coroner serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 171st district. Elected in November 1996, he assumed office on January 7, 1997.
Early life and education
Benninghoff was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania on January 14, 1962.{{Cite web |title=Kerry A. Benninghoff |url=https://archives.house.state.pa.us/people/member-biography?ID=215 |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Official Website - PA House Archives}} He graduated from State College Area High School and attended Pennsylvania State University from 1980 to 1981.{{cite web|url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/10176/kerry-benninghoff|title=Kerry Benninghoff's Biography|publisher=Vote Smart|access-date=October 19, 2023}} He is also a graduate of the Certified Coroners Training Program of the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.{{Cite web|title=Representative Kerry A. Benninghoff|url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=215|access-date=2022-02-17|website=The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly.|language=English}}
Career
While working as an orderly at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Pennsylvania, Benninghoff was appointed as deputy coroner of Centre County, Pennsylvania in 1985.{{cite news|author=My Linh Nguyen |title=Dealing with the dead |url=http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1993/10/10-21-93tdc/10-21-93dnews-6.asp |work=The Daily Collegian |date=1993-10-21 |access-date=2008-11-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525092656/http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1993/10/10-21-93tdc/10-21-93dnews-6.asp |archive-date=2011-05-25 }} In 1991, when Coroner Robert Neff retired, Benninghoff was elected to the office. He was re-elected in 1995.
In 1996, when Representative Ruth Rudy retired, Benninghoff declared his candidacy to succeed her. He defeated Democrat Keith Bierly in the general election that year and has been re-elected to each succeeding session of the House.{{cite news|author=Sean Kim|date=1996-11-06|title=Benninghoff Takes 171st State House|work=Centre Daily Times}}
In 2018, after being re-elected to the House, Benninghoff was elected by members of the Republican Caucus to serve as House majority whip.{{cite news |author=Geoff Rushton |title=Benninghoff Elected House Majority Whip |work=StateCollege.com |date=2018-11-14}}
On June 22, 2020, Bennighoff was elected House majority leader. As majority leader, Benninghoff is the second highest-ranking Republican in the chamber behind Speaker Bryan Cutler.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-22|title=Centre County Republican Kerry Benninghoff elected as Pa. House majority leader|url=https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/06/centre-county-republican-kerry-benninghoff-elected-as-pa-house-majority-leader.html|access-date=2022-02-17|website=pennlive|language=en}}
Benninghoff is against legalizing adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania. He has described it as a gateway drug and cites the opioid epidemic as a concern.{{cite web|last1=Radio|first1=Omny|title=Recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania - The KDKA Radio Morning Show with Larry Richert and Kevin Battle - Omny.fm|url=https://omny.fm/shows/kdka-morning-news-with-larry-richert-and-kevin-bat/recreational-marijuana-in-pennsylvania|access-date=7 April 2021|website=omny.fm}}
Personal life
Benninghoff lives in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. He has five children.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://kerrybenninghoff.com/ Representative Kerry Benninghoff's official web site]
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-pa-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Ruth C. Rudy}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 171st district|years=1997–present}}
{{s-inc}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Bryan Cutler}}
{{s-ttl|title=Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives|years=2020–2022}}
{{s-aft|after=Bryan Cutler}}
{{s-end}}
{{Pennsylvania House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benninghoff, Kerry}}
Category:Politicians from Centre County, Pennsylvania
Category:Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Category:State College Area High School alumni
Category:20th-century Pennsylvania politicians
Category:People from Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
{{Pennsylvania-PARepresentative-stub}}