Rob Mercuri

Rob Mercuri (born c. 1982) is an American politician. He has served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2021, representing District 28.

Rob Mercuri
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 28th district
Assumed office
January 5, 2021
Preceded byMike Turzai
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
EducationUnited States Military Academy (BS)
University of Massachusetts, Amherst (MBA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
RankCaptain

Early life and career

Mercuri was raised in West Deer Township, and attended Deer Lake High School, graduating in 2000. He subsequently graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq. Upon completing his military service, Mercuri enrolled in night classes offered by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and worked for two accounting firms in New York City. He returned to Pennsylvania when hired by PNC Financial Services. With his wife Kelsey, Mercuri owns a small business located in Wexford.[1][2]

Political career

After incumbent representative Mike Turzai of House District 28 announced that he was not running for reelection in 2020, Mercuri won a Republican Party primary against Michael Heckmann and Libby Blackburn, with Turzai's endorsement.[1][3] Mercuri defeated Emily Skopov in the 2020 general election.[4] He won reelection in 2022, against Alison Duncan.[5][6]

Committee assignments

  • Commerce, Secretary[7]
  • Education[7]
  • Finance[7]
  • Urban Affairs[7]

On August 15, 2023, Mercuri declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district, currently held by Democrat Chris Deluzio.[8]

Political Positions

As a state representative, Mercuri voted in favor of a constitutional amendment declaring that abortion is not a protected right under the state constitution. He also released a public statement praising the Supreme Court's decision to overturn of Roe v. Wade.[9] Mercuri was criticized for wiping anti-abortion messages from his campaign website, including that he's a "proud pro-life and pro-family leader" with a compassionate desire to "defend the sanctity of life" through "all its phases." [10]

References

  1. Moore, Daniel (31 May 2020). "Political upstarts compete in Republican primary for Turzai seat, long held by Harrisburg heavyweight". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  2. LaRussa, Tony (6 October 2020). "2 political newcomers squaring off to fill vacant state House 28th District seat". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  3. Panizzi, Tawnya (3 June 2020). "Rob Mercuri in line for GOP nod to seek House Speaker Mike Turzai's seat". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  4. Smeltz, Adam (4 November 2020). "Pa. GOP on course to bolster state House majority, AP tracking shows". Pittsburgn Post-Gazette. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  5. "Meet the candidates for Pa. House District 28: Alison Duncan vs. Rob Mercuri". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 24, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  6. Schneider, Sarah (October 3, 2022). "Pennsylvania State House 28th District: A guide to the 2022 general election and candidates". WESA. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  7. "Representative Robert W. Mercuri". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  8. Deto, Ryan (2023-08-15). "State Rep. Rob Mercuri announces run for Congress in 17th District". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  9. https://www.politicspa.com/mercuri-scrubs-website-to-remove-anti-abortion-stance/124539/
  10. https://www.newsweek.com/republican-scrubs-anti-abortion-comments-campaign-website-1820377
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