Aaron Bernstine Explained

Aaron Bernstine
Office:Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Constituency:10th district (2017-2022)
8th district (2023-present)
Term Start:January 3, 2017[1]
Predecessor:Jaret Gibbons
Birth Name:Aaron Joseph Bernstine
Birth Date:2 July 1984
Birth Place:Pennsylvania, U.S.
Party:Republican
Spouse:Ilia
Children:1
Education:Pennsylvania State University (BS)
University of Pittsburgh (MBA)
Signature:Aaron Bernstine signature.svg

Aaron Joseph Bernstine (born July 2, 1984) is an American politician who serves in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 8th District as a member of the Republican Party. Prior to redistricting he served from the 10th district.

Early life and education

Aaron Joseph Bernstine was born on July 2, 1984.[2] He graduated from Union Area High School in 2003, from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2006, and from the University of Pittsburgh with a master of business administration in 2013.[3] [4] He worked as a part-time adjunct at the University of Pittsburgh.[5]

State legislature

Elections

Bernstine won the Republican nomination for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 10th district against Dawnlyn Valli and Clifford Glovier.[6] He defeated incumbent Democratic Representative Jaret Gibbons in the general election.[7] Bernstine stated that he would only serve four terms in the state house.[8] He won the Democratic nomination in the 2018 election through a write-in candidacy.[9] [10] He defeated Green nominee Darcelle Slappy in the general election.[11] Bernstine defeated Democratic nominee Kolbe Cole and United nominee Johnathan Peffer in the 2020 election.[12] [13]

Following redistricting in 2021, Bernstine was moved from the 10th District to the 8th District.[14] He defeated John Kennedy and Eric Ditullio for the Republican nomination and won without opposition in the 2022 election.[15] [16]

Tenure

During Bernstine's tenure in the state house he has served on the Commerce, Game and Fisheries, Health, and Insurance committees.[17] He is a member of the Pennsylvania State Freedom Caucus.

Bernstine was criticized for a Snapchat video he posted of his five-year old son smoking a cigar and swearing. Speaker Bryan Cutler and Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff stated that they were "disgusted" by the video and called for his resignation.[18] [19] The Republican caucus in the state house also called for his resignation.[20] The Republican Committee of Beaver County revoked its endorsement of him in response to the video.[21]

Political positions

Bernstine is anti-abortion.[22] Bernstine and twenty-five Republican members of the state house signed a letter calling for district attorneys to not prosecute COVID-19 shutdown violations.[23] He voted against legislation to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.[24] Bernstine stated that Donald Trump was not at fault for the attack on the United States Capitol.[25]

In 2020, Bernstine was among 26 Republicans in the state house who called for the reversal of Joe Biden's certification as the winner of Pennsylvania's electoral votes in the 2020 United States presidential election, citing false claims of election irregularities.[26] He proposed legislation to remove Biden from the ballot in Pennsylvania in the 2024 election.[27]

Bernstine voted in favor of legislation to prohibit transgender women from participating in women's sports in public schools.[28] He proposed legislation to prohibit people under eighteen from attending drag shows.[29]

Bernstine has a lifetime rating of 88% from the American Conservative Union.[30] He has a lifetime rating of 4% from the Sierra Club.[31] He received an A+ rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund.[32] He signed onto the U.S. Term Limits pledge.[33]

References

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Session of 2017 201st of the General Assembly No. 1 . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Legislative Journal. . 30 September 2022 . 2 . PDF . January 3, 2017.
  2. Web site: Aaron Bernstine . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527223427/https://archives.house.state.pa.us/people/member-biography?ID=7930 . May 27, 2023.
  3. News: March 29, 2016 . Republican Aaron Bernstine says 10th Legislative District needs a champion . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527222357/https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/local/2016/03/29/republican-aaron-bernstine-says-10th/18543805007/ . May 27, 2023.
  4. Web site: Aaron Bernstine . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527223239/https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=1742 . May 27, 2023.
  5. News: October 13, 2020 . Embattled state Rep. Aaron Bernstine sees county GOP committee yank endorsement . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528111715/https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/2020/10/13/gop-state-rep-bernstine-loses-party-endorsement-after-snapchat-videos/3640256001/ . May 28, 2023.
  6. News: 2016 Pennsylvania House of Representatives primary results . .
  7. News: 2016 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election results . .
  8. News: April 20, 2016 . Vogler endorses Bernstine . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602111006/https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/vogler-endorses-bernstine/article_b610c324-0712-11e6-ae64-a786daeb8d87.html . June 2, 2023.
  9. News: May 30, 2018 . Bernstine to run unopposed in fall . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602110241/https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/bernstine-to-run-unopposed-in-fall/article_82b985aa-7ffa-5845-aca4-127406695873.html . June 2, 2023.
  10. News: 2018 Pennsylvania House of Representatives primary results . .
  11. News: 2018 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election results . .
  12. News: 2020 Pennsylvania House of Representatives primary results . .
  13. News: 2020 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election results . .
  14. News: Ulrich . Steve . PA House Preview: North by Northwest . 17 December 2022 . PoliticsPA . September 19, 2022.
  15. News: 2022 Pennsylvania House of Representatives primary results . .
  16. News: 2022 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election results . .
  17. News: January 11, 2021 . Bernstine named to four House committees . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602104158/https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/bernstine-named-to-four-house-committees/article_62017f2b-1cfa-524a-bfa7-966c1f6f6e38.html . June 2, 2023.
  18. News: October 8, 2020 . House GOP leadership calls on lawmaker to resign over vulgar videos . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527220211/https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2020/10/pa-aaron-bernstine-gop-leaders-resign-vulgar-videos/ . May 27, 2023.
  19. News: October 9, 2020 . Bernstine not resigning: Embattled state legislator vows to work at rebuilding trust . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602105004/https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/bernstine-not-resigning-embattled-state-legislator-vows-to-work-at-rebuilding-trust/article_0a38504e-09e7-11eb-b123-5745ae8b6671.html . June 2, 2023.
  20. News: October 8, 2020 . UPDATE: House GOP calls on Bernstine to resign immediately . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602105020/https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/update-house-gop-calls-on-bernstine-to-resign-immediately/article_3cfe1174-098a-11eb-9ab6-9f334e1e909e.html . June 2, 2023.
  21. News: November 17, 2020 . Pa. Rep. Bernstine posted on Snapchat enticing his son, 5, to smoke cigar. He was re-elected . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527215848/https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/2020/11/17/bernstine-beats-opponents-snapchat-controversy-win-third-term/6332335002/ . May 27, 2023.
  22. News: July 5, 2022 . Western Pa. reacts to Roe v. Wade decision . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527223729/https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/06/25/western-pa-reacts-to-roe-v-wade-decision/65363419007/ . May 27, 2023.
  23. News: May 15, 2020 . Bernstine joins GOP letter asking DAs to ignore COVID-19 shutdown violations . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528185116/https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/05/15/bernstine-joins-gop-letter-asking/1199685007/ . May 28, 2023.
  24. News: November 22, 2019 . Legislature sends bill raising purchasing age for tobacco to 21 to governor’s desk . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528185252/https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/politics/2019/11/22/legislature-sends-bill-raising-purchasing/1865607007/ . May 28, 2023.
  25. News: January 7, 2021 . Bernstine: Insurrection was not Trump's fault . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527221613/https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/2021/01/07/bernstine-says-trump-not-blame-insurrection/6584740002/ . May 27, 2023.
  26. News: Murphy . Jan . Jan Murphy . 26 Pa. House Republicans call for withdrawing certification of presidential electors . . 27 November 2020 . en.
  27. News: December 22, 2023 . GOP state lawmakers work to remove Biden from ballot: 'We must fight back' . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240325181845/https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/gop-state-lawmakers-work-to-remove-biden-from-ballot-we-must-fight-back-pennsylvania-state-rep-aaron-bernstine-r-lawrence-georgia-state-rep-charlice-byrd-r-woodstock-and-arizona-state-rep-cory-mcgarr-r-pima-co-donald-trump-2024 . March 25, 2024.
  28. News: April 18, 2022 . Eye on the Capitol: How county legislators voted in Harrisburg last week . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602102621/https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/eye-on-the-capitol-how-county-legislators-voted-in-harrisburg-last-week/article_e9872e30-bcee-11ec-9f91-079d4f841348.html . June 2, 2023.
  29. News: April 7, 2023 . Pa. representative to propose bill regulating drag shows as adult entertainment . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230527215622/https://www.cnhinews.com/cnhi/article_a5252956-d564-11ed-8c77-a36835fd67b8.html . May 27, 2023.
  30. Web site: American Conservative Union Ratings of Pennsylvania 2021 . . 18 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230530150921/https://acu-ratings-pdfs.s3.amazonaws.com/ACU_Ratings_PA-2021.pdf . May 30, 2023.
  31. Web site: Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard 2021-2022 . . 18 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230530151245/https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/2022-09/20220902_ConservationVoters_Scorecard_Vertical_Digital_0.pdf . May 30, 2023.
  32. Web site: November 5, 2022 . NRA-PVF Grades Pennsylvania . NRA-PVF . 18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221105082825/https://www.nrapvf.org/grades/Pennsylvania/ . November 5, 2022 . usurped.
  33. News: October 26, 2023 . Rep. Aaron Bernstine Receives Plaque for Signing U.S. Term Limits Pledge . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240204200100/https://www.termlimits.com/rep-aaron-bernstine-receives-plaque-for-signing-u-s-term-limits-pledge/ . February 4, 2024.

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