Pa. State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff announces reelection bid for 171st Legislative District
First elected to the House in 1996, State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, announced he will seek reelection for a 13th term this November.
On Friday, Benninghoff launched his candidacy to represent the 171st Legislative District, which includes parts of Centre and Mifflin counties. In 2018, he was elected to serve as Majority Whip and is responsible for tracking House votes, aiding the Majority Leader in advancing the Caucus agenda and informing colleagues on upcoming issues and proposed legislation.
“My desire to serve and represent our community is as sincere and unwavering today as it was on the day I first took the sacred oath of office,” Benninghoff said in a statement. “I hope it is evident that every day since, I have stayed true to my promise to work hard, be accessible, elevate the needs of our community and keep money in your wallet by keeping government spending under control.”
Prior to his appointment as Majority Whip, Benninghoff served on the leadership team for two terms as the House Majority Policy chairman and as chairman of the House Majority Finance and State Government committees. He is the founder and current chair of the bipartisan Cancer Caucus.
Benninghoff said he’s passionate about cancer research and health care initiatives. He values a strong education system and thinks taxes should be low.
“It would be a great honor and humbling privilege to continue to represent the good, honest people of the 171st Legislative District in Harrisburg, where I have worked hard to build a reputation for transparent leadership, keeping my word and holding government accountable,” he said in a release.
A charter member of Leadership Centre County and former board member of the Easter Seals of Central Pennsylvania, Benninghoff is a member of the Bellefonte Kiwanis Club, the Fraternal Order of Police, Bald Eagle Lodge No. 51 and a member of the Faith United Methodist Church. He graduated from State College Area High School and attended Penn State.
Formerly, Benninghoff worked in construction, as a hospital orderly and served two terms as Centre County coroner.
