La Salle grad elected PA Speaker of House

By Sam Fran Scavuzzo
Collegian Editor
January 24, 2007

While you were enjoying your winter holiday, an Explorer grad was busy getting elected as the Speaker of the House. No, Nancy Pelosi (D) is not an alumna of La Salle, but new Pennsylvania speaker Dennis M. O’Brien (R-Philadelphia) is.

In an exciting political firestorm, state House members elected O’Brien to his new position as Speaker of the House Jan. 3. This selection was a surprise to many, since Democrats currently hold the majority in House, 102-101.

Unlike the United States House of Representatives, which saw Pelosi painlessly assume power from Republicans, state Democrats struggled to unite their new majority coalition and find a leader.

Originally, Democratic majority leader H. William DeWeese was ready to take power but was unable to gain a majority of votes because of a few angry Democrats.

Outgoing speaker and Northeast Philadelphia resident John Perzel (R) was prepared to challenge DeWeese for power of the chamber. Democrat Tom Caltagirone planned to vote for Perzel after it was learned DeWeese had snubbed him from appointment as a committee chair. It was feared the Democratic House would have been led by an unwanted candidate.

Moderate Republican O’Brien became the compromise candidate for speaker, according to Post-Gazette.com. Democrats rallied around the surprise candidate and eventual speaker.

“I am pretty overwhelmed. This was not something I had thought about as far back as 24 hours ago,” O’Brien said to the Post-Gazette.com.

“It has always been an honor to serve my district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and I am humbled to have been chosen to serve the entire Commonwealth as Speaker,” O’Brien said in a press release. “This is an unprecedented opportunity to unify members of both parties and the administration to bring about solid reforms that the people of Pennsylvania so clearly need and deserve.”

The 54-year-old speaker represents the 169th Legislative District. He was originally installed in 1977 and served until 1980. He was reelected in 1982 and has served ever since. O’Brien’s district, like his rival Perzel’s, is in Northeast Philadelphia. In addition to being a House member, O’Brien is also the Republican leader of the 57th ward.

A leading advocate for autism awareness, O’Brien founded and chairs the Autism Caucus in the House.

O’Brien graduated from La Salle in 1982 with a B.S. in labor relations, according to Pennsylvania House of Representatives Web site. He is married and has three children.

“My first priority has always been to take care of my family. As Speaker, my goal is to make it easier for all citizens to care for and provide for their families,” O’Brien said on his Web site, repobrien.com.

scavuzzos1@lasalle.edu