David J. Brightbill Explained

David Brightbill
State:Pennsylvania
State Senate:Pennsylvania
District:48th
Term Start:January 6, 1981
Term End:November 30, 2006
Predecessor:Clarence Manbeck
Successor:Mike Folmer
Office2:Republican Leader
of the Pennsylvania Senate
Term Start2:January 2, 2001
Term End2:November 30, 2006
Predecessor2:Joseph Loeper
Successor2:Dominic Pileggi
Office3:Republican Whip
of the Pennsylvania Senate
Term Start3:January 7, 1997
Term End3:November 30, 2000
Predecessor3:Michael Fisher
Successor3:Jeff Piccola
Term Start4:January 2, 1989[1]
Term End4:November 30, 1990
Predecessor4:Joseph Loeper
Successor4:Michael Fisher
Party:Republican
Birth Date:3 November 1942[2]
Birth Place:Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Alma Mater:Pennsylvania State University (BS)
Duquesne University School of Law (JD)
Occupation:Politician, attorney
Spouse:Donna Brightbill[3]
Children:3[4]

David J. "Chip" Brightbill (born November 3, 1943) is a former Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Formative years

Born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania on November 3, 1943, David J. Brightbill is a son of Jonathan and Verda (McGill) Brightbill. He attended the Pennsylvania Military College for two years before graduating from Pennsylvania State University in 1964. He then went on to obtain a law degree at Duquesne University School of Law in 1970.

Legal and public service career

Brightbill served as the Lebanon County District Attorney from 1977 to 1981. Elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in 1982, he was then elected Majority Whip in 1989 and 1997 by the Republican caucus and became the Majority Leader in 2001 after Senator Joseph Loeper resigned in December 2000.[5]

Brightbill served the 48th district, including all of Lebanon County, portions of Berks, Dauphin, and Lancaster Counties, and the Chester County borough of Elverson.

He was named runner up for the 2003 Politician of the Year by the political website PoliticsPA, who noted his growing influence in the 2003 budget negotiations.[6]

Brightbill was defeated in the May 2006 Republican primary election by tire salesman Mike Folmer, receiving 36.8% of the vote.[7] Brightbill's defeat was largely attributed to anger generated over a legislative pay raise vote in July 2005.[8]

At the end of his term, Brightbill joined the Reading law firm of Stevens & Lee in their government affairs practice. Prior to joining Stevens & Lee, Brightbill was a partner of Siegrist, Koller, Brightbill & Long for 30 years.[9]

On May 19, 2007, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Elizabethtown College.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Philadelphia Inquirer: Search Results . nl.newsbank.com. 2015-04-13.
  2. Book: The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, Inc. Martindale-Hubbell, Inc. Martindale-Hubbell (Firm). 1991. v. 1; v. 6-9; v. 11; v. 13; v. 15-16. Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, Incorporated. 9781561600021. 0191-0221. 2015-04-13.
  3. Web site: Pennsylvania Senate - Brightbill . www.pasen.gov . 14 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/19970102023034/http://www.pasen.gov/members/sd48.html . 2 January 1997 . dead.
  4. Web site: Pennsylvania Senate - Brightbill . www.pasen.gov . 14 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/19970102023034/http://www.pasen.gov/members/sd48.html . 2 January 1997 . dead.
  5. [Pennsylvania Manual]
  6. Web site: Politician of the Year . . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20031220015911/http://politicspa.com/FEATURES/pol_of_the_year03.htm . December 20, 2003 . unfit .
  7. Web site: Election Returns, Pennsylvania Department of State . electionreturns.state.pa.us. 2015-04-13.
  8. Web site: Republican leaders fall | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . May 17, 2006 . post-gazette.com. 2015-04-13.
  9. News: David J. Brightbill - Stevens & Lee. Stevens & Lee. 2018-09-17. en-US.