Mike Folmer

Mike Folmer
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 48th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2, 2007
Preceded by	David Brightbill
Personal details
Born	Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Sheila Folmer
Residence	Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Religion	Presbyterian
Website	Pennsylvania State Senator Michael Folmer

Michael "Mike" Folmer of Lebanon, Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania State Senator who represents the 48th Senate district, which includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Dauphin and York Counties. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Biography

Folmer was born and raised in the city of Lebanon.

After graduating from Lebanon Senior High School in 1974, he attended Grace College (in Indiana) where he majored in History with a minor in Biblical Studies and Philosophy and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. He returned to the Lebanon Valley where he resumed work with family business.

Folmer married his wife, Sheila, and witnessed the birth of his first child while he completed coursework at Grace College.

In 1986, he was elected to Lebanon City Council as the Democrat candidate with the highest plurality of votes in a municipal election.

While on City Council Folmer served as the Director of Public Safety, which included managing and enforcing the municipal codes. He trained with the city’s volunteer firemen (1986 certification) and completed a course of fire service cost efficiency hosted by the state Department of Community Affairs (1987 certification). Fulfilling a term limits pledge, he left public service and held various jobs in the private sector.

Folmer is a member and Sunday school teacher at the Church of the Servant (Presbyterian Church in America).

In 2005, Mike and other local concerned citizens organized the Constitutional Organization Of Lebanon (COOL) to help re-introduce to members and the community at large the fundamental principles which led to the creation of the US Constitution.

In 2013, Folmer became the majority chair for the Pennsylvania Senate committee on education.^[1]

2006 Election

In 2006, Folmer, who was known through his campaign as "Citizen Mike", was one of several challengers whose campaigns were sparked by the 2005 legislative pay raise. Folmer's district was represented by David Brightbill, the Senate majority leader. Brightbill, along with Senate President pro tempore Robert Jubelirer took much of the criticism for the pay raise and were targeted by activists seeking to vote out legislators who supported it.^[2]

His campaign's largest contributor was Bob Guzzardi,^[3] however most of his funding came from small donations of individuals within his district.

On election day, Folmer overcame Brightbill's 20-1 fundraising advantage^[4] of a million dollars to fifty thousand and won with over 63% of the vote.^[5] Folmer went on to defeat Democrat John Liss in the general election with over 63% of the vote.^[6]

2010 Election

In the 2010 election, Mike Folmer was challenged by Democrat Jo Ellen Litz, one of Lebanon County's three County Commissioners. He was re-elected with over 72% of the vote.

References

1. Pennsylvania State Senate, Senate Committee on Education, Date accessed 3/28/13]
2. Tracie Mauriello and Tom Barnes, Republican Leaders Fall, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/17/06
3. Pidgeon, Dave (March 14, 2006). "Brightbill criticizes primary foe's poll". Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, Pennsylvania).
4. Jason DeParle, G.O.P. Conservatives Topple Veteran State Lawmakers in Pennsylvania New York Times, 5/18/06
5. May 2006 Primary Results, Pennsylvania Department of State
6. November 2006 General Election, Pennsylvania Department of State

External links

• State Senator Mike Folmer official PA Senate website
• Mike Folmer - Citizen for State Senate archive of campaign website (lapsed domain)