Todd Russell Platts

Todd Russell Platts (born March 5, 1962) is an American attorney and Republican Party politician who serves as a Judge on the York County Court of Common Pleas and is a former U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 19th congressional district, serving from 2001 to 2013.

Todd Russell Platts
Judge of the York County Court of Common Pleas
Assumed office
January 6, 2014
Preceded byMichael W. Flannelly
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 19th district
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byBill Goodling
Succeeded byScott Perry (Redistricting)
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 196th district
In office
January 5, 1993 – November 30, 2000
Preceded byRuth Harper
Succeeded byBeverly Mackereth
Personal details
Born (1962-03-05) March 5, 1962
York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Leslie Platts
EducationShippensburg University (BS)
Pepperdine University (JD)
Signature

The district, since redrawn and renumbered, encompassed south-central Pennsylvania, including all of York and Adams Counties, and a large portion of Cumberland County. York, Hanover, Gettysburg and Carlisle were some of the prominent cities and towns included. In January 2012, Platts announced his intention to retire from Congress.

Early life and education

Platts was born in York, Pennsylvania, on March 5, 1962. He graduated from York Suburban Senior High School in 1980. He continued his education locally, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 1984. He then attended Pepperdine University School of Law, and graduated cum laude with a Juris Doctor degree in 1991.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Platts was first elected to public office in November 1992, to represent the 196th legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.[1] The election marked the first time that the 196th district was fought on its present boundaries; following the 1990 census, the approved legislative reapportionment plan moved it out of Philadelphia, and into its present boundaries. He took office on January 5, 1993,[2] and left on November 30, 2000.[3]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

While in Congress, Platts refused to accept contributions from any special interests or political action committees.[4] He also promised to serve only six terms (12 years) in the House.

2000

Platts was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, after winning a little over half the vote in a crowded Republican primary,[5] and easily defeating college professor Jeff Sanders, the Democratic nominee, in the general election.[6] He replaced Congressman Bill Goodling, who chose not to run for re-election that year.

2002–2006

Platts ran unopposed by the Democratic Party during the 2002 and 2004 elections, although in 2002, he faced opposition in the Republican primary, most notably from Tom Glennon.[7] He faced York College professor and decorated Vietnam Veteran Phil Avillo, Jr., the Democratic nominee, and Derf Maitland of the Green Party in the 2006 election. Platts won 64% of the vote to Avillo's 33% and Maitland's 3%.[8]

2008
  • United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2008#District 19

In 2008, Platts and Avillo faced off again. With 67% of the vote, Platts became the most electorally successful Republican Congressional candidate in the Northeast.

2010
  • United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010#District 19

Platts was challenged by Democratic nominee Ryan Sanders and Independent Patriots nominee Joshua Monighan. Platts was re-elected to a sixth term with 72% of the vote.[9]

Tenure

As a Congressman, Platts supported many of President George W. Bush's initiatives, tax cuts, drilling in ANWR, the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, the Iraq War, and a ban on same-sex marriage.[10]

He opposed any version of Bush's school voucher proposal, supported offshore oil drilling, supported increasing government regulated fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, voted for the Matthew Shepard Act, a hate crimes prevention bill, and supported the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation. In 2006, the National Journal political index describes him as having a moderate voting record despite the relatively conservative nature of his district, although the district does include some exurbs of Baltimore, Maryland.[10] That journal gave him "conservative" ratings of 53% (economy), 65% (social issues) and 73% (foreign policy) in the 2004 congress. Platts' district went 64–36 for Bush in 2004. He has broken with his party on several issues, for example supporting President Obama's expansion of SCHIP and the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership and supports stem-cell research. Early in his political career, after his initial election to the Pennsylvania House, Platts supported abortion rights. However, he later changed his views and became anti-abortion. He remains so to this day, and he has a pro-life voting record as a Congressman.

Platts consistently voted against bail-outs of the financial industry and the automakers. He also voted against the economic stimulus legislation, the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, and fiscal year 2010 Budget Resolution.

Platts was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly gay service members.[11][12]

Along with nearly all other Republican members of the US House of Representatives, Mr. Platts voted to support The Path to Prosperity, the budget put forward by U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI).[13] However, the next year he joined nine other Republicans in voting against Rep. Ryan's budget.[14]

Committee assignments

[15]

Caucus Memberships
  • Congressional Arts Caucus

Post-congressional career

In 2013, Platts announced that he was running for a seat on the York County Court of Common Pleas.[16] In a poll conducted by the York County Bar Association, 77% of its members responded that they believed Platts to be "not qualified" to serve on the bench.[17] Platts and incumbent judge Mike Flannelly, also a Republican, who was appointed to the seat in 2012 following the death of Judge Chuck Patterson, both cross-filed to run in both the Democratic and Republican primary elections. Platts won the Republican primary 56%–44%, while Flannelly won the Democratic primary by the same margin.[18] Platts and Flannelly faced each other again in the general election in November,[19] which Platts won with 58% of the vote,[20][21] to serve a ten-year term.[22]

References
  1. "Todd R. Platts (Republican)". Official Pennsylvania House of Representatives Profile. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Archived from the original on January 25, 2000.
  2. "Session of 1993 – 177th of the General Assembly – No. 1" (PDF). Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. January 5, 1993. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  3. Per Article II, Section 2 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the legislative session ended on November 30, 2000.
  4. Wenner, David (March 21, 2012). "Adams County forum draws Republicans running to replace Platts in seat that now represents Harrisburg". The Patriot-News. PA Mwdia Group. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  5. "2000 General Primary: York". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. April 4, 2000. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  6. "2000 General Election: York". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. November 7, 2000. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  7. "2002 General Election: York". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. November 5, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  8. "2006 General Election: York". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. November 7, 2006. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  9. "2010 General Election: York". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. November 2, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  10. "Pennsylvania: Nineteenth District: Rep. Todd Platts (R)". Almanac of American Politics 2006. National Journal. June 22, 2005. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011.
  11. Geidner, Chris (December 15, 2010). "House Passes DADT Repeal Bill". Poliglot. Metro Weekly. Archived from the original on December 21, 2010.
  12. "House Vote 638 – Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'". Politics: Inside Congress. New York Times. December 15, 2010. Archived from the original on December 19, 2010.
  13. "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 277". clerk.house.gov. U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk. April 15, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  14. "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 151". clerk.house.gov. U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk. March 29, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  15. "Committees". Congressman Todd Russell Platts. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012.
  16. Kauffman, Christina (May 10, 2013). "Todd Platts running for York County judge". The York Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  17. Gross, Greg; Kauffman, Christina (May 3, 2013). "Bar association survey: Flannelly qualified, Platts not qualified for judge". The York Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  18. "2013 Municipal Primary: York". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. May 21, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  19. Kauffman, Christina (May 22, 2013). "Platts, Flannelly will have to square off again in race for judge". The York Dispatch. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  20. Mahon, Ed (November 5, 2013). "Todd Platts wins in York County judge race, defeats Michael Flannelly". Evening Sun. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  21. "2013 Municipal Election: York". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. November 5, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  22. "How Judges Are Elected". pacourts.us. The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. Retrieved June 25, 2017.

Media related to Todd Platts at Wikimedia Commons

Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Preceded by
Ruth Harper		 Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 196th district
1993–2000		 Succeeded by
Beverly Mackereth
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
William F. Goodling		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 19th congressional district
2001–2013		 Constituency abolished
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