Mike Long (lobbyist)
Encyclopedia
Mike Long is a prominent lobbyist, political strategist, and former legislative aide in Pennsylvania.
He was chief of staff for President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate Robert Jubelirer
. He is also the brother-in-law of former majority leader, David (Chip) Brightbill. He also was the "chief political strategist" for the Senate Republican Caucus. He is generally credited for keeping the Republican caucus in the majority, which held a 30-20 advantage at its peak. The political newspaper The Insider
called him the "Jubelirer-Brightbill Political Brain" and praised his ability to identify Democratic senate seats that could be flipped for the GOP.
He left the Senate after 27 years when Robert Jubelirer
lost to John Eichelberger
in the 2006 Republican primary
. He then became a lobbyist, representing, among others, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
.
The political website PoliticsPA
named him the top political operative in Pennsylvania, saying that his masterminding of Joseph B. Scarnati's independent
campaign against Bill Slocum
"was one for the books." He was also named the PoliticsPA
"Republican Dream Team" of campaign operatives. The Pennsylvania Report
named him to the 2003 "The Pennsylvania Report Power 75" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics, calling him "Pennsylvania’s best “in-house” political operative by a mile." He was named to the PoliticsPA
list of "Sy Snyder's Power 50" in 2002 and 2003. In 2009, the Pennsylvania Report
named him to the "The Pennsylvania Report 100" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics, noting that he "remains a force in PA politics due to inside connections to Senate leaders and his institutional knowledge of legislative procedures" and that he remains close with current President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate Joe Scarnati
. He was named to the PoliticsPA
list of "Pennsylvania's Smartest Staffers and Operatives."
He was chief of staff for President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate Robert Jubelirer
Robert Jubelirer
Robert C. Jubelirer is a Republican Pennsylvania political leader. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1975 to 2006, and simultaneously served as the President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania between 2001 and...
. He is also the brother-in-law of former majority leader, David (Chip) Brightbill. He also was the "chief political strategist" for the Senate Republican Caucus. He is generally credited for keeping the Republican caucus in the majority, which held a 30-20 advantage at its peak. The political newspaper The Insider
The Insider (newspaper)
The Insider is a prominent subscription-based newsletter reporting on Pennsylvania politics.-Reach:It is the "state’s most widely read newsletter devoted to state politics and government." With an audience of both the "hard-core state political junkie and the casual political observer," The Insider...
called him the "Jubelirer-Brightbill Political Brain" and praised his ability to identify Democratic senate seats that could be flipped for the GOP.
He left the Senate after 27 years when Robert Jubelirer
Robert Jubelirer
Robert C. Jubelirer is a Republican Pennsylvania political leader. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1975 to 2006, and simultaneously served as the President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania between 2001 and...
lost to John Eichelberger
John Eichelberger
John Eichelberger of Blair Township, Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania State Senator. He is a member of the Republican Party. He represents the 30th district of the Pennsylvania State Senate....
in the 2006 Republican primary
Pennsylvania Senate elections, 2006
The 2006 Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 7, 2006, with even-numbered districts being contested. Necessary primary elections were held on May 16, 2006. State Senators are elected for four-year terms, with half of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years...
. He then became a lobbyist, representing, among others, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was created in 1937 to construct, finance, operate and maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The commission consists of five members. Four members are appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania. The fifth member is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation.In...
.
The political website PoliticsPA
PoliticsPA
- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...
named him the top political operative in Pennsylvania, saying that his masterminding of Joseph B. Scarnati's independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
campaign against Bill Slocum
Bill Slocum
William L. "Bill" Slocum is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Slocum pleaded guilty and spent a month in federal prison for filing false reports to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and discharging raw sewage into Brokenstraw Creek while he was a...
"was one for the books." He was also named the PoliticsPA
PoliticsPA
- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...
"Republican Dream Team" of campaign operatives. The Pennsylvania Report
Pennsylvania Report
The Pennsylvania Report is an independent bi-weekly subscription-based political newspaper published in Pennsylvania. It is "widely read by the state's political junkies." It was founded in 1985 by David Buffington, a former public relations worker for the Pennsylvania Government.It provides...
named him to the 2003 "The Pennsylvania Report Power 75" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics, calling him "Pennsylvania’s best “in-house” political operative by a mile." He was named to the PoliticsPA
PoliticsPA
- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...
list of "Sy Snyder's Power 50" in 2002 and 2003. In 2009, the Pennsylvania Report
Pennsylvania Report
The Pennsylvania Report is an independent bi-weekly subscription-based political newspaper published in Pennsylvania. It is "widely read by the state's political junkies." It was founded in 1985 by David Buffington, a former public relations worker for the Pennsylvania Government.It provides...
named him to the "The Pennsylvania Report 100" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics, noting that he "remains a force in PA politics due to inside connections to Senate leaders and his institutional knowledge of legislative procedures" and that he remains close with current President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate Joe Scarnati
Joe Scarnati
Joseph B. Scarnati is an American politician from the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Republican Party and is currently the President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate...
. He was named to the PoliticsPA
PoliticsPA
- Content :The website focuses on news aggregation, linking to major political news making headlines across the state. The editors write occasional features, like the weekly "Up & Down" scorecard and one-off lists like "Harrisburg's Smartest Staffer" and "Best Dressed Lobbyist" lists...
list of "Pennsylvania's Smartest Staffers and Operatives."