Tim Holden

Thomas Timothy Holden (born March 5, 1957) is an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. representative for PA's 17th congressional district from 1993 to 2013.

However, to the surprise of many observers, Holden did not retire, instead opting to run in a district that was 65% new to him (a small corner from the even more Republican 9th District was moved to the 17th).

Gekas was forced into his first real campaign ever.

Holden managed to gain endorsements from much of Gekas' old base, much to Gekas' surprise.

He graduated from St. Clair Area High School in 1975.

In 1980, he earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Even Gekas' hometown paper, The Patriot-News, endorsed Holden, saying that the 17th was not the same district that elected Gekas in 1982.

Gekas got another rude surprise when Holden visited African American neighborhoods such as Uptown and Allison Hill after finding out that Gekas had never set foot in these neighborhoods in his congressional career.

He asked the residents of these neighborhoods not to vote for a congressman who didn't bother to visit them.

He became a licensed real estate agent, and later an insurance broker in 1983.

He has worked as a probation officer and as Sergeant-at-Arms for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and was the sheriff of Schuylkill County from 1985 to 1993.

He identified with many ordinary working people in his district.

He is a Roman Catholic.

In the 1990s, he represented Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district based in Reading and including Berks and Schuylkill counties.

The district was populated mostly by Reagan Democrats who were still willing to vote Republican in most elections (it voted for George H. W. Bush in 1992, Bob Dole in 1996 and George W. Bush in 2000), but Holden was re-elected four times without serious opposition.

After redistricting, incumbent Democratic U.S. Congressman Gus Yatron decided to retire.

In the Democratic primary, Holden defeated the Mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania, Warren Haggerty, and John Reusing 39%-32%-28%.

In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee John E. Jones III, a local government solicitor, 52%-48%.

Holden won re-election to a second term by defeating Republican nominee Fred Levering 57%-43%.

Holden won re-election to a third term by defeating Republican nominee Christian Leinbach, a staffer to U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, 59%-41%.

Holden won re-election to a fourth term by defeating Republican nominee John Meckley 61%-39%.

Holden won re-election to a fifth term by defeating Republican nominee Thomas Kopel 66%-34%.

Pennsylvania lost two districts after the 2000 United States Census.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly dismantled the 6th, splitting its territory among three other districts.

Gekas retained 60% of his former territory, and George W. Bush had carried the newly drawn district with 57% of the vote in 2000.

In November 2002, in one of the biggest upsets in recent political history, Holden narrowly defeated Gekas.

Holden ran for re-election against Republican lawyer Scott Paterno, son of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.

Paterno was actively supported by influential Republicans, and President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney came to the district several times to support him.

Nevertheless, Holden won re-election by a comfortable margin even as Bush easily carried the district.

In much of the district, he was the only elected Democrat above the county level.

Holden faced Republican Matthew Wertz, an Afghanistan War veteran, in the 2006.

Holden was the dean of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation during the 112th United States Congress.

The legislature considered placing Holden's home in Schuylkill County in the 11th District, a heavily Democratic area in northeastern Pennsylvania.

This would have forced a primary matchup with Paul Kanjorski, an eight-term Democrat who was slightly more liberal than Holden.

On April 24, 2012, Holden was defeated in the Democratic primary in his attempt to seek re-election after the boundaries of his district were redrawn.

He is now chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Holden is a lifelong resident of St. Clair, near Pottsville.

Eventually, it moved the largest slice of Holden's old district, including his home, to the Republican-leaning Harrisburg-based 17th District, represented by 10-term Republican George Gekas.

On paper, the redrawn 17th appeared to so heavily favor Gekas that it appeared unwinnable for a Democrat, even one as conservative as Holden.

To some, it was blatant gerrymandering to force Holden into retirement.