Jack Wagner (politician)

For other people of the same name, see Jack Wagner (disambiguation).

Jack Wagner
Wagner at an AFL-CIO event on August 12, 2008
50th Auditor General of Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office January 18, 2005
Preceded by	Bob Casey, Jr.
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 42nd district
In office May 24, 1994 – January 18, 2005
Preceded by	Eugene Scanlon
Succeeded by	Wayne Fontana
President of the Pittsburgh City Council
In office January 1, 1990 – January 3, 1994
Preceded by	Ben Woods (Acting)
Succeeded by	Jim Ferlo
Member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 4th District
In office January 2, 1984 – January 3, 1994
Preceded by	Tom Flaherty
Succeeded by	Joe Cusick
Personal details
Born	January 4, 1948 (1948-01-04) Beechview, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Nancy
Children	2
Residence	Beechview, Pennsylvania
Alma mater	Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature
a.^ Wagner immediately ascended to the office of Acting Council President following Woods' resignation on November 6, 1989, and remained in the position until he was formally elected Council President the following January. b.^ Wagner was originally elected to Flaherty's at-large seat, but won re-election after a voter-approved referendum divided City Council seats into districts.

Jack E. Wagner (born January 4, 1948) is the current auditor general of Pennsylvania. The statewide elected office is charged with serving as the commonwealth’s independent fiscal monitor. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Background

Seal of Jack Wagner as Auditor General

Military Service and Education

Auditor General Wagner is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recipient of the Purple Heart and other military commendations for service in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968. "In the demilitiarized zone between North and South Vietnam, Wagner's squad got caught in an ambush." Wagner was among three wounded, twelve others died. After being discharged from the Marines, he attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) where he graduated in 1974 with a degree in Safety Management. While a student at IUP, Wagner worked as a paramedic with Citizens Ambulance Service serving Indiana County and taught evening emergency responder courses at Admiral Peary Area Vocational Technical School in Ebensburg. Wagner received IUP's Distinguished Alumni Award for service to the community and the university in 1994.

Family

Wagner is married to Nancy. The couple has two children: Luke and Sara. His niece, Chelsea, is the Allegheny County Controller, and a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 22nd District.

Politician

Wagner was running a restaurant in 1980 when his community experienced serious water problems. He organized a community meeting which no public officials attended, promting him to make the decision to seek political office that evening.

City of Pittsburgh

He originally sought a seat on the Pittsburgh City Council in 1981, but was unsuccessful. In 1983, he again ran for City Council, and was this time was successful, winning election to the at-large seat being vacated by Tom Flaherty, who was elected City Controller. Wagner won re-election to the at-large seat in 1987, and again in 1989, in a divisive election triggered by the reorganization of City Council seats into numbered districts. In May of 1988, Mayor Richard Caliguiri died, and Council President Sophie Masloff ascended to the office of Mayor. The Council's President Pro Tempore, Ben Woods declared himself Acting Council President. Woods served as Acting President from the date of Masloff's swearing-in on May 6, 1988, until he resigned on November 6, 1989, after being indicted on charges of racketeering and extortion. Wagner ascended to the office of Acting Council President following Wood's resignation, and remained in the position until he was formally elected Council President the following January.

Pennsylvania State Senate

Wagner did not seek re-election to City Council in 1993, and in May of 1994, he was elected to the Senate of Pennsylvania in a special election triggered by the death of incumbent Democrat Eugene Scanlon. He served in the leadership of the State Senate as Democratic Caucus Chairman and as the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. He also served on the Appropriations; Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness; Rules and Executive Nominations; and Policy committees.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Wagner ran for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2002 Democratic primary on a ticket with then-Auditor General Bob Casey, Jr. Despite Democratic State Committee endorsement, he lost to former State Treasurer Catherine Baker Knoll, who became the running mate of the party's gubernatorial nominee, former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell.

In 2004, Wagner ran to succeed Casey as Auditor General and won in a landslide. He became Pennsylvania's 50th elected Auditor General on January 18, 2005. He is responsible for auditing school districts, executive agencies, and state commissions to ensure fiscal responsibility. The legislature is exempt from the Auditor General’s purview. The Auditor General also serves as an ex officio commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority.

Wagner won re-election by a landslide on November 4, 2008, beating Republican businessman Chet Beiler. Wagner outpolled Beiler 59% to 38%. He earned the most votes of any candidate in Pennsylvania (3.26 million), including Presidential candidate Barack Obama.

On July 20, 2009, Wagner announced his candidacy for Governor, becoming the first Democrat to publicly declare his candidacy for the office. Despite earning the endorsement of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the state's largest newspaper, Wagner finished second in the four person Democratic primary field. Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, who outpolled Wagner by over 200,000 votes, went on to lose the general election to State Attorney General Tom Corbett.

Wagner had been considered a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania in 2010, prior to his gubernatorial announcement.

See also

• Pennsylvania lieutenant governor election, 2002
• Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2010

External links

Media related to Jack Wagner (politician) at Wikimedia Commons

• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General official biography
• Jack Wagner for Governor official gubernatorial campaign website

Political offices
Preceded by Bob Casey, Jr.	Auditor General of Pennsylvania 2005–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Pittsburgh City Council
Preceded by Ben Woods Acting	President1 of the Pittsburgh City Council 1990–1994	Succeeded by Jim Ferlo
Preceded by Tom Flaherty	Member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 4th District2 1984–1994	Succeeded by Joe Cusick
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by Eugene Scanlon	Member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 42nd District 1994–2005	Succeeded by Wayne Fontana
Party political offices
Preceded by Bob Casey, Jr.	Democratic nominee for Auditor General of Pennsylvania 2004 (won), 2008 (won)	Succeeded by Most Recent
Notes and references
1. Acting President from 1989–1990 2. Held at-large seat from 1984–1990