U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard Township, has won reelection for a ninth term in Congress, according to the Associated Press.
Thompson led Democratic challenger and first-time candidate Zach Womer, of Philipsburg, in the race for Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District by a margin of 72.8% to 27.3% with 62% of votes counted. Republican Grant Martin had also staged a write-in campaign. The AP called the race at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District includes all of Centre, Armstrong, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Snyder, Tioga, Union and Warren counties and parts of Indiana, Lycoming and Venango counties. It is Pennsylvania’s largest congressional district in terms of geographical area.
“I am so thankful for the volunteers and supporters who have made this victory possible. This election was about hard work, determination and providing the voters a clear vision for the road ahead,” Thompson said in a statement.
“From Kittanning to Selinsgrove, from Warren to State College, and every town and municipality in between, the hardworking families of Pennsylvania recognize this election has been a choice between higher prices and handouts or unlocking America’s true economic potential. We still have a lot of work to do and I look forward to addressing these challenges as your voice and vote in Washington.”
Thompson currently chairs the House Agricultural Committee, the first Pennsylvania congressman in 170 years and first Penn State alumnus to hold the position. He is a senior member of the Education and Labor Committee.
Prior to running for Congress, Thompson spent 28 years as a therapist, rehabilitation services manager and a licensed nursing home administrator. and he served on the Bald Eagle Area School Board.
“I’m proud to be national leader in education when it came to repealing No Child Left Behind, replacing it with the Every Student Succeeds Act; the national leader in career and technical education, an early leader on telemedicine; a leader on the environment when it comes to abandoned mineland reclamation…,” Thompson said in an October interview. “The bottom line is I’ve been a leader on meeting the needs of my constituents because I like to listen and then lead.”
