Ron Klink
Ron Klink | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 4th district | |
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001 | |
Preceded by | Joseph Kolter |
Succeeded by | Melissa Hart |
Personal details | |
Born |
Canton, Ohio | September 23, 1951
Political party | Democratic |
Ronald "Ron" Klink (born September 23, 1951) is a Democratic politician and former United States Representative from Pennsylvania.
Biography
Klink was born in Canton, Ohio, and graduated from Meyersdale High School in Pennsylvania in 1969. Klink originally worked behind the scenes at WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He later became a recognizable figure in the Pittsburgh area as a television news weatherman and reporter on KDKA-TV from 1977 to 1991.
In 1992, Klink sought the Democratic nomination for the 4th District and defeated five-term incumbent Joe Kolter in the primary. He was easily reelected in November and served four terms in the House. Klink was popular within his district as a moderate Democrat with strong labor ties.
In 2000, he left his House seat to run unsuccessfully for the Senate against incumbent Rick Santorum. Klink lost the race by five points. Klink was virtually unknown on the eastern side of Pennsylvania (including the important Philadelphia area). Other contributing factors included his conservative stances on social issues and the fact that he had to spend a large amount of money in the crowded Democratic primary.
He had been mentioned as a possible candidate for his own congressional seat against the person who succeeded him, Republican Melissa Hart. However, in December 2005, Klink announced he would not run.
According to then-Congressman Curt Weldon in his book Countdown to Terror, in 2003, Klink offered Weldon the identity of an intelligence source with information on Iraqi uranium purchases. The agent was thought to be Iranian arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar. The intelligence reportedly later proved to be fabricated.
Electoral history
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | Ron Klink | 186,684 | 78% | Gordon R. Johnston | 48,484 | 20% | Drew Ley | None of Above | 2,754 | 1% | ||||
1994 | Ron Klink | 119,115 | 64% | Ed Peglow | 66,509 | 36% | * | |||||||
1996 | Ron Klink | 142,621 | 64% | Paul T. Adametz | 79,448 | 36% | * | |||||||
1998 | Ron Klink | 103,183 | 64% | Mike Turzai | 58,485 | 36% | * |
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1994, write-ins received 6 votes. In 1996, write-ins received 98 votes. In 1998, write-ins received 17 votes.
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Ron Klink | 2,154,908 | 46% | Rick Santorum | 2,481,962 | 52% | John J. Featherman | Libertarian | 45,775 | 1% | Lester Searer | Constitution | 28,382 | 1% | Robert Domske | Reform | 24,089 | 1% |
See also
References
- Weldon, Curt (2005). Countdown to Terror: The Top-secret Information That Could Prevent the Next Terrorist Attack on America—and How the CIA Has Ignored It. Washington, D.C.: Regnery. ISBN 0-89526-005-0.
- The Front, The American Prospect, April 4, 2005
- "Biography of Representative Klink". Archived from the original on 2000-12-25.
- Ron Klink at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- 1 2 "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
External links
Media related to Ron Klink at Wikimedia Commons
- Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
- Congressman Ron Klink's Webpage at the Wayback Machine
United States House of Representatives | ||
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Preceded by Joseph Kolter |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district 1993–2001 |
Succeeded by Melissa Hart |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by Harris Wofford |
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (Class 1) 2000 |
Succeeded by Bob Casey |