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Lloyd Smucker

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Lloyd Smucker
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byJoe Pitts
Constituency16th district (2017–2019)
11th district (2019–present)
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 13th district
In office
January 6, 2009 – November 30, 2016
Preceded byGib Armstrong
Succeeded byScott Martin
Personal details
Born
Lloyd Kenneth Smucker

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCindy
Children3
EducationLebanon Valley College
Franklin and Marshall College
Signature
WebsiteHouse website

Lloyd Kenneth Smucker[1] (born January 23, 1964)[citation needed] is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district, which includes Lancaster County and most of southern York County. He is a member of the Republican Party and represented the 16th district until the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew it in 2018 due to gerrymandering. He was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 13th district from 2009 to 2016.

Biography

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Smucker was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Daniel and Arie Smucker.[2] At the time of his birth, the family belonged to the Old Order Amish, but they left the community when he was five years old.[3] After graduating from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 1981, he attended Lebanon Valley College and Franklin & Marshall College, where he earned credits in liberal arts but did not complete a degree.[3] For 25 years, he served as president of the Smucker Company, a family-owned commercial construction firm in Smoketown[4] that received $4.83 million in PPP loans in 2020[5] and 2021[6] that were subsequently forgiven. Smucker is a Lutheran and has three children with his wife, Cindy.[7][3]

Pennsylvania Senate

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Smucker was a member of the West Lampeter Township Planning Commission for four years before serving two terms as a township supervisor.[4] In 2008, after 23-year incumbent Gib Armstrong decided to retire, Smucker entered the four-way Republican primary to succeed him, receiving 47% of the vote.[8] In the general election, he defeated the Democratic nominee, Lancaster City Council member José E. Urdaneta, 57%-43%.[9]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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See also: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 16

On November 8, 2016, Smucker defeated Christina Hartman with 53% of the vote in the race to replace the retiring Joe Pitts in Congress.[10] He was sworn in to represent Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district on January 3, 2017.[11]

A new congressional map imposed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court renumbered Smucker's district as the 11th district. It picked up the sliver of Lancaster County that had previously been in the 7th district, while losing its shares of Chester and Berks counties. To make up for the loss in population, it was shifted to the west, absorbing most of the more rural eastern portion of York County.[12] The old 16th had been one of Pennsylvania's most Republican districts, but the Democratic trend in areas of the district closer to Philadelphia had resulted in close races at the presidential level since the turn of the millennium. John McCain only carried the old 16th with 51% of the vote in 2008,[13] while Mitt Romney won it with 52% in 2012[14] and Donald Trump won it with 51% in 2016.[15] According to Nate Cohn of The New York Times, these trends theoretically left Smucker vulnerable in a Democratic wave.[12]

In contrast, the new 11th is significantly more rural and Republican than its predecessor. Had it existed in 2016, Trump would have won it with over 60% of the vote, which would have been his fifth-best showing in the state.[16] According to Cohn, the Republican-controlled state legislature had placed the more Democratic areas of Chester and Berks counties into the 16th in order to protect Republican incumbents in neighboring districts. As Cohn put it, the loss of those areas and the addition of part of York County had the effect of making what was already a "naturally Republican" district even more so.[12]

As expected, Smucker won a second term handily, defeating Democratic nominee Jess King with 59% of the vote.[17]

Tenure

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During the presidency of Donald Trump, Smucker voted in line with Trump's stated position 94% of the time.[18] As of September 2021, Smucker had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 14.3% of the time.[19]

Smucker supported the American Health Care Act, the GOP's legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).[20]

On September 24, 2014, Smucker voted against Pennsylvania senate bill SB1182, which would legalize medical cannabis in Pennsylvania.[21] He voted to repeal provisions in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.[22] He has voted for increases in military spending.[22] He supported legislation to punish sanctuary cities.[22] In 2017, Smucker voted for a budget that proposed cutting Medicare by $537 billion and giving seniors the opportunity to enroll in private plans in competition with Medicare.[23]

On January 6, 2021, Smucker voted to overturn the Electoral College results that would make Biden president. Pennsylvania cast its electoral ballots for Biden in the 2020 presidential election.[24]

Political positions

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Abortion

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Smucker opposes abortion.[25] He supports including fetuses among those given civil rights protections per the 14th amendment and introduced a bill to protect "infant survivors of abortion".[26]

Birth control

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Smucker is against codifying the right to birth control. He voted against the Right to Contraception Act in 2022.[27]

Racial and LGBT rights

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Smucker opposes gay marriage and voted against federally protecting gay and interracial marriages.[28] He voted against allowing private lawsuits against schools who racially discriminate.[26]

Taxes and federal spending

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Smucker opposes an income tax increase, opposes federal spending, and supports lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth.[29]

Education

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Smucker opposes requiring states to adopt federal education standards. He supports leaving education standards to the state.[29]

Environment

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Smucker opposes federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and assisting rural renewable energy. He voted to loosen restrictions on predator control in Alaska.[26]

Gun control

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Smucker opposes gun-control legislation and voted twice against expanding background checks.[26] In 2024, he is endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund.[30]

Healthcare

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Smucker supports repealing the Affordable Care Act and supports leaving healthcare to the states.[26]

Immigration

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Smucker supports requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship and supports bans on immigration for "non-cooperating" countries.[26]

Foreign policy

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Smucker supports increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support.

Smucker is pro-Israel and supports keeping a United States embassy in Jerusalem. In 2024, he is endorsed by AIPAC.[31]

He supported Donald Trump's strike on Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani.[26]

Social security

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Smucker supports allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts.[32]

Donald Trump

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Smucker voted twice against impeaching Trump and against forming the January 6th committee.[26] Trump endorsed Smucker's 2022 reelection bid.[33]

Death penalty

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Smucker supports capital punishment and voted to expand the federal death penalty for killings of police officers.[34]

Net neutrality

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Smucker opposes net neutrality.[26]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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Electoral history

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2018

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See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 11
Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district, 2018[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lloyd Smucker (incumbent) 163,708 59.0
Democratic Jess King 113,876 41.0
Total votes 277,584 100.0
Republican hold

2020

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See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 11
Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district, 2020[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lloyd Smucker (incumbent) 241,915 63.1
Democratic Sarah Hammond 141,325 36.9
Total votes 383,240 100.0
Republican hold

2022

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See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 11
Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district, 2022[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lloyd Smucker (incumbent) 194,991 61.5
Democratic Bob Hollister 121,835 38.5
Total votes 316,826 100.0
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ Member Post-Travel Disclosure Form, Committee on Ethics
  2. ^ "Pennsylvania State Senate – Lloyd K Smucker Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Janesch, Sam (October 21, 2018). "Meet Lloyd Smucker: Amish-born congressman seeking a second term on tax cuts and conservative record". LancasterOnline. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Lloyd K. Smucker". State Senator Lloyd Smucker. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  5. ^ Willis, Moiz Syed,Derek (July 7, 2020). "Smucker Company – Tracking PPP". ProPublica. Retrieved August 31, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Willis, Moiz Syed,Derek (July 7, 2020). "Smucker Company LLC – Tracking PPP". ProPublica. Retrieved August 31, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Lutherans in the 118th Congress". LivingLutheran. February 1, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  8. ^ "2008 Generalĺ Primary". Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008.
  9. ^ "2008 General Election". Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012.
  10. ^ Stuhldreher, Tim. "Lloyd Smucker beats Christina Hartman, Shawn House in 16th Congressional District race". LancasterOnline. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  11. ^ "Smucker announces committee assignments for 115th Congress" (Press release). Washington D.C.: Congressman Lloyd Smucker. January 13, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c Cohn, Nate; Bloch, Matthew; Quealy, Kevin (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania House Districts Are In. We Review the Mapmakers' Choices". The Upshot. The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  13. ^ Database of 2008 presidential election results from Swing State Project
  14. ^ Database of presidential election results under 2012 lines from Daily Kos
  15. ^ Database of 2016 presidential election results from Daily Kos
  16. ^ Daily Kos Elections presents presidential election results for Pennsylvania's new congressional map
  17. ^ "Pennsylvania | Full House results". CNN. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022.
  18. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Lloyd Smucker In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  19. ^ Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  20. ^ The New York Times (March 20, 2017). "How House Republicans Planned to Vote on the Obamacare Replacement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  21. ^ Murphy, Jan (September 25, 2014). "Medical marijuana: How our southcentral Pa. senators voted". www.pennlive.com. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  22. ^ a b c Writer, SAM JANESCH | Staff. "Breaking down US Rep. Lloyd Smucker's record after 8 months in Congress". LancasterOnline. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  23. ^ Writer, SAM JANESCH | Staff. "Fact-checking the U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, Jess King debate". LancasterOnline. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  24. ^ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted To Overturn Election Results". New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  25. ^ Hullinger, Logan (January 2, 2020). "Smucker, Perry join call for Supreme Court to 'reconsider' Roe v. Wade". York Dispatch. Retrieved January 30, 2023. Smucker ... and Perry ... have consistently opposed abortion throughout their political careers.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Lloyd Smucker on the Issues". www.ontheissues.org. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  27. ^ "Roll Call 385 - Bill Number: H. R. 8373".
  28. ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (July 19, 2022). "Roll Call 373 Roll Call 373, Bill Number: H. R. 8404, 117th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved August 24, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ a b "Values". Congressman Lloyd Smucker. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  30. ^ NRA-PVF. "NRA-PVF | Grades | Pennsylvania". NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  31. ^ "AIPAC Political Portal". candidates.aipacpac.org. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  32. ^ "Lloyd Smucker's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)". Vote Smart. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  33. ^ "Endorsement of Congressman Lloyd Smucker". www.donaldjtrump.com. May 10, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  34. ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (May 18, 2017). "Roll Call 265 Roll Call 265, Bill Number: H. R. 115, 115th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved August 24, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ "Ways and Means (117th Congress)". Ways and Means Committee. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  36. ^ "Oversight (117th Congress)". Ways and Means Committee. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  37. ^ "Worker & Family Support (117th Congress)". Ways and Means Committee. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  38. ^ "Members". Republican Mains Street Partnership. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  39. ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  40. ^ "2018 General Election: Representative in Congress". Pennsylvania Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  41. ^ "2020 Presidential Election – Representative in Congress". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  42. ^ "2022 General Election Official Returns - Representative in Congress". Pennsylvania Department of State.
[edit]
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by Member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
from the 13th district
2009–2016 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district
2019–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
211th 		Succeeded by
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