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George Gekas

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George Gekas
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 17th district
In office
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 2003
Preceded byAllen E. Ertel
Succeeded byTim Holden
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 15th district
In office
January 3, 1977 – December 31, 1982
Preceded byWilliam Lentz
Succeeded byJohn Shumaker
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 103rd district
In office
January 7, 1969 – November 30, 1974
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byStephen R. Reed
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the Dauphin County district
In office
January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1968
Preceded by???
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born
George William Gekas

(1930-04-14)April 14, 1930
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 16, 2021(2021-12-16) (aged 91)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationDickinson College (BA)
Dickinson Law School (JD)
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1953–1955

George William Gekas (April 14, 1930 – December 16, 2021) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district from 1983 to 2003.

Early life and education

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George Gekas was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the son of Mary (Touloumes) and William Gekas.[1] He graduated from William Penn High School in 1948. He received a B.A. degree from Dickinson College in 1952 and a J.D. degree from Dickinson School of Law in 1958. He was a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955.

Career

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He worked in a private law practice for two years and then served as assistant district attorney for Dauphin County from 1960 to 1966.[2]

Pennsylvania Legislature

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In 1966, Gekas was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 103rd district.[3] He served there until 1974, when he was upset by future Harrisburg mayor Steven Reed in the anti-Watergate Democratic landslide. Gekas served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 15th district from 1977 to 1982.[4]

United States House of Representatives

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After the 1980 census, Pennsylvania lost two congressional districts. The Republican-controlled legislature drew a new Harrisburg-based district that Gekas won in 1982, becoming the second Greek-American (after Gus Yatron of the neighboring 6th district) elected to Congress from Pennsylvania. Gekas was reelected nine more times.

He was the only member of the House to vote against the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990.

Gekas was one of the House managers in the impeachment trials of Alcee Hastings and President Bill Clinton.[5]

2002 House Campaign

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In a 2002 PoliticsPA feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named "Missing in Action."[6] Pennsylvania lost two districts after the 2000 census and resulting redistricting. One of the districts that was eliminated was the Reading-based 6th District, represented by five-term moderate-to-conservative Democrat Tim Holden. The legislature split the 6th among three other districts, with the largest slice, including Holden's home in St. Clair, going to Gekas' 17th District.

Holden ran in the 17th, even though it was 65% new to him (a small portion of the even more Republican 9th District had been shifted to the 17th). On election night, Holden defeated Gekas by almost 6,000 votes. Gekas was the only Republican incumbent placed in a district with a Democratic incumbent to be defeated for re-election in 2002.[7]

Later life and death

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After his electoral defeat in 2002, Gekas returned to Harrisburg, where he established a law practice.[8] He continued to reside in Harrisburg until his death on December 16, 2021, at the age of 91.[9]

References

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  • "Congressman George W. Gekas Biography". U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on December 25, 2002.
  1. ^ "Pennsylvania State Manual". 1976.
  2. ^ "Pennsylvania State Senate - George W Gekas Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  3. ^ "Pennsylvania House of Representatives - GEORGE W. GEKAS Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  4. ^ Cox, Harold (2004). "Pennsylvania Senate - 1981-1982" (PDF). Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
  5. ^ "List of Individuals Impeached by the House of Representatives | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. United States House of Representatives Office of the Historian, Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  6. ^ "Keystone State Yearbook Committee". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2001. Archived from the original on August 3, 2002.
  7. ^ Treadway, Jack M. (2005). Elections in Pennsylvania: A Century of Partisan Conflict in the Keystone State. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 212. ISBN 0-271-02703-7. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  8. ^ George Gekas' obituary
  9. ^ Ershadi, Julie, May 6, 2013, "George Gekas: Life After Congress", Roll Call.
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Media related to George Gekas at Wikimedia Commons

Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Preceded by
???
 Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the Dauphin County district
1967–1968 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 103rd district
1969–1974 		Succeeded by
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 15th district
1977–1982 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district
1983–2003 		Succeeded by
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