Jeffrey Piccola
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Jeffrey Piccola is member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 15th State Senate District. He is in the Republican Party.
Piccola is a 1970 graduate of Gettysburg College, and a 1973 graduate of George Washington University Law School. From 1973-1974, he served in the United States Air Force.
Piccola was elected to the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1976. He held his seat there until he was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1994. Piccola was made Majority Caucus Administrator of the State Senate in 1999, and, in 2001, he was elected Senate Majority Whip.
In 2005, Senator Piccola announced that he would run for Governor of Pennsylvania, seeking the Republican nomination against incumbent Democratic Governor Ed Rendell. Piccola dropped out of the race for governor in early 2006, after it became clear that former professional football player Lynn Swann had earned the support of most of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. Swann went on to win the Republican nomination, but lost the general election to Governor Rendell, 60-40%.
Following the 2006 elections, Piccola gave up his position as Senate Whip, and instead made a bid to become president pro tempore of the State Senate, after the sitting president pro tempore lost the Republican Primary in his home district.[1] State Senate Republicans ultimately chose Senator Joe Scarnati for the president pro tempore position instead of Piccola. Piccola was replaced as Republican Whip by State Senator Jane Orie.[2]
Piccola considered running for a position on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 2007 but withdrew after he was unable to secure support for the state committee endorsement.[3]
