Torren Ecker

Torren Ecker is an attorney at a Hanover-based law firm. He also works with the East Berlin Community Center, the Hanover Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club.{{cite web |title = Hanover attorney going after Tallman's 193rd seat |publisher = The Gettysburg Times |date = 2018-01-26 |url=http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/local/article_a207dd95-8bd0-5d8c-b5be-1adf3e0dd82e.html}} Ecker worked as a legislative aid to Republican Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis in Virginia's 1st congressional district.{{cite web |title = Torren Ecker's Biography |url = https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/179588/torren-ecker#.W-OVy5NKg54}}

Ecker is a self-described conservative, and, in the early stages of his first campaign, promised to bring his "fiscal responsibility to Harrisburg to protect the hardworking families of the district."{{cite web |title = Hanover attorney going after Tallman's 193rd seat |publisher = The Gettysburg Times |date = 2018-01-26 |url=http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/local/article_a207dd95-8bd0-5d8c-b5be-1adf3e0dd82e.html}} He has stated that he is a supporter of Second Amendment rights, but believes that these rights can be balanced when addressing issues like school safety.{{cite web |title = Pennsylvania midterm elections: Q&A with 193rd House District candidate Torren Ecker |url=https://www.eveningsun.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/22/pennsylvania-midterm-elections-193rd-house-district-torren-ecker-matt-nelson/1578081002/}}

Ecker has stated that the school funding formula in Pennsylvania is inequitable and should be changed, and that the Commonwealth needs to increase funding for vocational programs and apprenticeships as a means of workforce development. He has also suggested that the public schoolteacher pension system needs to be reformed.{{cite web |title = Pennsylvania midterm elections: Q&A with 193rd House District candidate Torren Ecker |url=https://www.eveningsun.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/22/pennsylvania-midterm-elections-193rd-house-district-torren-ecker-matt-nelson/1578081002/}}

In 2018, Ecker campaigned on stopping Tom Wolf's "Liberal Agenda" and "Massive Tax Increases," but expressed gratitude that the Governor has supported increasing funding for apprenticeship programs.{{cite web |title = Issues, Ecker for State Rep |url = http://www.eckerforstaterep.com/issues/}}{{cite web |title = Pennsylvania midterm elections: Q&A with 193rd House District candidate Torren Ecker |date = 2018-10-22 |url=https://www.eveningsun.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/22/pennsylvania-midterm-elections-193rd-house-district-torren-ecker-matt-nelson/1578081002/}}

In the 2019-2020 Legislative session, Ecker was placed on the Children and Youth, Game and Fisheries, Labor and Industry, Veteran Affairs and Emergency Preparedness, and Judiciary committees.{{cite web |url=http://www.repecker.com/News/Press-Releases/Ecker-Announces-Committee-Assignments-for-2019-20-Legislative-Session- |title=Ecker Announces Committee Assignments for 2019-20 |date=January 22, 2019}}

During the 2019 Coronavirus pandemic, Ecker voted in favor of a bill that would terminate Governor Wolf's declaration of emergency, which served as the legal authority for much of the official response to the pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/RC/Public/rc_view_action2.cfm?sess_yr=2019&sess_ind=0&rc_body=H&rc_nbr=1406|title = House Roll Calls - 2019 RCS# 1406}}{{cite web|url=https://papost.org/2020/06/09/senate-gop-passes-resolution-to-end-coronavirus-emergency-declaration-sending-it-back-to-house-for-concurrence/ |title=Pa. legislature passes resolution to revoke Gov. Wolf's coronavirus emergency order|date=10 June 2020}} In a post on his official Facebook page, Ecker noted that "Pennsylvania will remain under the federal emergency declaration and CDC safety guidance would still apply," while cautioning "that nothing legally will change until the court rules or the governor follows the direction of the Legislature and cancels his emergency declaration."{{cite web |title=As you know, the General Assembly approved House Resolution… |url=https://www.facebook.com/RepTorrenEcker/photos/a.358435068046830/685476342009366/?type=3&theater |via=Facebook |access-date=24 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802222759/https://www.facebook.com/RepTorrenEcker/photos/a.358435068046830/685476342009366/?type=3&theater |archive-date=2020-08-02 |language=en |date=June 11, 2020 |url-status=live}}

Ecker did not co-sponsor a resolution from Daryl Metcalfe that would have initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Wolf for his response to the Coronavirus pandemic.{{cite web |url=https://legiscan.com/PA/bill/HR915/2019 |title=PA HR915 |access-date=June 24, 2020}}

In January 2025, Rep. Ecker announced his candidacy for Adams County Court of Common Pleashttps://www.abc27.com/news/state-rep-torren-eckers-announces-candidacy-for-adams-county-judge-of-court-of-common-pleas/ for the May 20, 2025 primary.

After Will Tallman announced he would not run for re-election in 2018, four candidates entered the Republican Primary in the 193rd District. Torren Ecker won the May 15th Primary by a one-vote margin over Barry Cockley, John Wardle, and Andrew Myers, receiving a total of 1,784 votes; initially, results indicated that Cockley had won by one vote, but a provisional ballot and absentee ballot that were originally uncounted were included in the final tally in favor of Ecker.{{cite web |title=Torren Ecker gets one-vote lead in 193rd GOP primary |publisher = The Sentinel |date = 2018-05-15 |url=https://www.eveningsun.com/story/news/2018/05/18/torren-ecker-gets-one-vote-lead-193rd-primary/623883002/}}

{{Election box begin no change | title = Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 193 Republican Primary, 2018}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Torren Ecker

|votes = 1,784

|percentage = 27.4%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Vincent Barry Cockley

|votes = 1,783

|percentage = 27.4%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = John Wardle

|votes = 1,537

|percentage = 23.6%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Andrew Myers

|votes = 1,404

|percentage = 21.6%

}}

{{Election box end}}

In the 2018 Election, receiving just over two-thirds of the vote, Ecker defeated his Democratic opponent Matt Nelson.{{cite web |url=https://www.eveningsun.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/06/pa-election-2018-result-193rd-district-91st-district-marty-qually-dan-moul-torren-ecker-matt-nelson/1895152002/|title=Pa. Election 2018: Republicans win in the 193rd, 91st House Districts}}

{{Election box begin no change | title = Pennsylvania House of Representatives election in 2018}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Torren Ecker

|votes = 16,376

|percentage = 67.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Matt Nelson

|votes = 7,727

|percentage = 32.1%

}}

{{Election box end}}

Ecker won re-election to another term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on November 3, 2020.{{cite web |title=Ballotpedia Page for Torren Ecker |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Torren_Ecker |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=5 December 2020}}

Ecker lives just outside of Hanover, Pennsylvania with his wife Laura, a special education teacher, and his two children, Addy and Oliver. He is a graduate of Spring Grove Area High School, George Mason University, and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University.{{cite web |title = Torren Ecker's Biography |url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/179588/torren-ecker#.W-OVy5NKg54}}{{cite web |title=Hanover attorney going after Tallman's 193rd seat |url=http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/news/local/article_a207dd95-8bd0-5d8c-b5be-1adf3e0dd82e.html}}

On April 18, 2023, the Pennsylvania State Police reported that Ecker had crashed his car into a guide rail in Huntington Township, and that alcohol was a factor. Ecker was not injured.{{cite web |last1=Ulrich |first1=Steve |title=Rep. Torren Ecker Crashes Car; Alcohol Suspected |url=https://www.politicspa.com/rep-torren-ecker-crashes-car-alcohol-suspected/120482/ |publisher=PoliticsPA |date=20 April 2023}}

• [http://www.eckerforstaterep.com/ Campaign Website]
• [http://www.repecker.com/ Official Website]

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{{Pennsylvania House of Representatives}}

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Category:Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Category:Living people

Category:1985 births

Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly