Rob Wonderling
Encyclopedia
Robert C. Wonderling was a Republican
member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
who represented the 24th District
from 2003 to 2009. The district he represented includes portions of Montgomery
, Berks
, Lehigh
and Northampton
Counties and includes the population centers of Easton, Lansdale, and Emmaus. He resigned his seat on July 28, 2009 to become President and CEO of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
and received his Masters Degree in Government Administration from the Fels Institute of Government
at the University of Pennsylvania
in 1990. Before serving in government, he worked for Air Products & Chemicals
.
under Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge
. After leaving the Ridge Administration, he served as Vice-president of Bentley Systems
.
In 2002, Wonderling received the GOP nomination to run for the Senate to replace the retiring Senator Ed Holl. Behind the scenes, his nomination caused a split in the Republican establishment. Former Reagan
Secretary of Transportation
Drew Lewis
had pushed his son Andy for the seat and the 24th district was shifted northward into the Lehigh Valley in the 2001 redistricting. Andy Lewis decided not to run despite having returned to the Lansdale area the previous year in order to run and, after Wonderling won the nomination, Drew formed a group called "Republicans for Maza" to support the Democratic
nominee Jim Maza. Wonderling went on to defeat Maza in the general election with 55% of the vote.
Wonderling successfully defended his seat in 2006 with 56% of the vote over Democrat Dave Wilsey, a Quakertown borough councilman.
He is also rumored to be interested in running for Lieutenant Governor in 2010.
Senator Wonderling was Chairman of the Senate Communications & Technology Committee and Vice Chairman of the Game & Fisheries Committee. He also served on the Aging & Youth, Public Health & Welfare and Rules & Executive Nominations Committees.
Wonderling hosted an annual charity event in Montgomery County called "Wonder Wing" which includes a contest for the best wing recipe in the area. Proceeds from his event support Meals on Wheels
.
Wonderling resigned from his Senate seat on August 1, 2009 to become President of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He was succeeded by fellow Republican Bob Mensch
.
In 2010, Politics Magazine named him one of the most influential Republicans in Pennsylvania.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
who represented the 24th District
Pennsylvania Senate, District 24
Pennsylvania's 24th Senatorial District includes parts of Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton Counties:Bucks County* Durham Township* East Rockhill Township* Milford Township* Nockamixon Township* Quakertown* Richland Township* Richlandtown...
from 2003 to 2009. The district he represented includes portions of Montgomery
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, Berks
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, Lehigh
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
and Northampton
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
Counties and includes the population centers of Easton, Lansdale, and Emmaus. He resigned his seat on July 28, 2009 to become President and CEO of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
Biography
Wonderling is a 1984 graduate of Allegheny CollegeAllegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the town of Meadville. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.-Early history:...
and received his Masters Degree in Government Administration from the Fels Institute of Government
Fels Institute of Government
The Fels Institute of Government is the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate program in public policy and public management. Its practical approach to public management education, its Ivy League pedigree and its relatively small size make it one of the nation's leading boutique programs in public...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1990. Before serving in government, he worked for Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an international corporation whose principal business is selling gases and chemicals for industrial uses. Air Products' headquarters is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Air Products is the Lehigh...
.
Career
In the 1990s, Wonderling served as Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of TransportationPennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
under Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge
Tom Ridge
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Ridge is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives , the 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania , Assistant to the President for Homeland Security , and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security...
. After leaving the Ridge Administration, he served as Vice-president of Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems, Incorporated is a software company that produces solutions for the design, construction and operation of infrastructure. The company’s software serves the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets in the areas of architecture, engineering, construction and operations...
.
In 2002, Wonderling received the GOP nomination to run for the Senate to replace the retiring Senator Ed Holl. Behind the scenes, his nomination caused a split in the Republican establishment. Former Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Secretary of Transportation
United States Secretary of Transportation
The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
Drew Lewis
Andrew L. Lewis, Jr.
Andrew Lindsay Lewis, Jr. is a businessman who was Secretary of Transportation for part of the administration of United States President Ronald Reagan. He is widely known as Drew Lewis....
had pushed his son Andy for the seat and the 24th district was shifted northward into the Lehigh Valley in the 2001 redistricting. Andy Lewis decided not to run despite having returned to the Lansdale area the previous year in order to run and, after Wonderling won the nomination, Drew formed a group called "Republicans for Maza" to support the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee Jim Maza. Wonderling went on to defeat Maza in the general election with 55% of the vote.
Wonderling successfully defended his seat in 2006 with 56% of the vote over Democrat Dave Wilsey, a Quakertown borough councilman.
He is also rumored to be interested in running for Lieutenant Governor in 2010.
Senator Wonderling was Chairman of the Senate Communications & Technology Committee and Vice Chairman of the Game & Fisheries Committee. He also served on the Aging & Youth, Public Health & Welfare and Rules & Executive Nominations Committees.
Wonderling hosted an annual charity event in Montgomery County called "Wonder Wing" which includes a contest for the best wing recipe in the area. Proceeds from his event support Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
.
Wonderling resigned from his Senate seat on August 1, 2009 to become President of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He was succeeded by fellow Republican Bob Mensch
Bob Mensch
Robert "Bob" Mensch is a Republican politician. He is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he represented the 147th legislative district. He was first elected in 2006 to succeed the retiring Raymond Bunt, Jr..Mensch attended Valley Forge Military Academy and College...
.
In 2010, Politics Magazine named him one of the most influential Republicans in Pennsylvania.
External links
- Pennsylvania State Senate - Robert C. Wonderling official PA Senate profile (archived)
- Senator Rob Wonderling - Pennsylvania Senate, 24th District - official party website (archived)
- Rob Wonderling's Home Page - official campaign site (archived)
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...