Pennsylvania Leadership Conference is an annual two day conference organized by the Pennsylvania Leadership Council of Pennsylvania conservative activists in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Leadership Conference was founded in 1989 by a group of conservative activists, including Charlie Gerow

Charlie Gerow

Charles R. Gerow is a prominent political consultant, commentator, and lawyer in Pennsylvania.Gerow holds a law degree from Villanova University School of Law and has been an attorney for over 25 years. He worked as a member of the field staff for the 1980 Reagan campaign. He has performed advance...

, Susan Staub, Jim Panyard, and Don Eberly

Don Eberly

Don E. Eberly is an American author and researcher in the study of civil society.He earned masters degrees from George Washington University and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has also performed doctoral work in public affairs at Penn State University...

, seeking to strengthen the conservative "grassroots lobby" in Pennsylvania. The first conference attracted 300 attendees and featured speakers including Congressmen Robert Smith Walker

Robert Smith Walker

Robert Smith Walker, popularly known as Bob Walker, is a former American politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1977 to 1997. He was known for his fiery rhetoric and knowledge of parliamentary procedure.Born in Bradford,...

 and Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....

 and State Representatives Joseph R. Pitts

Joseph R. Pitts

Joseph R. "Joe" Pitts is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Lancaster and includes much of Amish country...

 and Howard L. Fargo. The Philadelphia Inquirer described it as an "anti-left nirvana." The conference was scheduled during the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania

Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania is based in Harrisburg in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is affiliated with the Republican Party of the United States.-Founding:...

 meeting in Erie

Erie

Erie is a city in Pennsylvania, United States.Erie may also refer to:*Erie , a tribe of Native Americans-Places:*Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes of North America*Erie Canal, a canal running from the Hudson River to Lake Erie...

, leading commentators to speculate that it was intended to drain support from eventual Republican nominee for Pennsylvania Governor Barbara Hafer

Barbara Hafer

Barbara Hafer is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.-Early political career:...

 because of her pro-choice

Pro-choice

Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....

 stance. However, conference organizers denied such an ulterior motive.

Following the first meeting, the Pennsylvania Leadership Council was founded to coordinate the conference's annual organization, with Lowman S. Henry serving as president. Later presidents included Sean Duffy and Gorden Blain. Speakers at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference have included M. Stanton Evans, Bill Bennett

Bill Bennett

William Richards Bennett, PC, OBC , commonly known as Bill Bennett, was the 27th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He is a son of the former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, of R.B...

, Robert Novak

Robert Novak

Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak was an American syndicated columnist, journalist, television personality, author, and conservative political commentator. After working for two newspapers before serving for the U.S. Army in the Korean War, he became a reporter for the Associated Press and then for...

, Alan Keyes

Alan Keyes

Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...

, Lynn Cheney, Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams is an African American political commentator, author of a conservative newspaper column, and host of a daily radio show and a nationally syndicated TV program, called The Right Side with Armstrong Williams. From 2004 to 2007, he co-hosted a daily radio program with Sam...

, Walter Williams

Walter E. Williams

Walter E. Williams, is an American economist, commentator, and academic. He is the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University, as well as a syndicated columnist and author known for his libertarian views.- Early life and education :Williams family during childhood...

, and David Horowitz

David Horowitz

David Joel Horowitz is an American conservative writer and policy advocate. Horowitz was raised by parents who were both members of the American Communist Party. Between 1956 and 1975, Horowitz was an outspoken adherent of the New Left before rejecting Marxism completely...

.

External links

• Pennsylvania Leadership Conference homepage