→Tenure: +insult to Trump | |||
| Line 86: | Line 86: | ||
In 2017, Leach made headlines in response to [[President Trump]]'s threat to "destroy the career" of a [[Texas Senate|Texas state senator]] who proposed legislation requiring a conviction before [[civil asset forfeiture]], by goading the President to try to destroy Leach's career in a social media post.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyvoice.com/pennsylvania-senator-trump-come-after-me-you-s-gibbon/|title=Pennsylvania senator to Trump: Come after me, you 's***-gibbon'|date=February 8, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=February 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |user= daylinleach|number= 829041688186335232|date= February 7, 2017|title= Hey @realDonaldTrump I oppose civil asset forfeiture too! Why don't you try to destroy my career you fascist, loofa-faced, shit-gibbon!}}</ref> | In 2017, Leach made headlines in response to [[President Trump]]'s threat to "destroy the career" of a [[Texas Senate|Texas state senator]] who proposed legislation requiring a conviction before [[civil asset forfeiture]], by goading the President to try to destroy Leach's career in a social media post.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyvoice.com/pennsylvania-senator-trump-come-after-me-you-s-gibbon/|title=Pennsylvania senator to Trump: Come after me, you 's***-gibbon'|date=February 8, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=February 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |user= daylinleach|number= 829041688186335232|date= February 7, 2017|title= Hey @realDonaldTrump I oppose civil asset forfeiture too! Why don't you try to destroy my career you fascist, loofa-faced, shit-gibbon!}}</ref> | ||
During early 2017, the nickname '''Shitgibbon''' for [[Donald Trump]] gained usage after Leach tweeted it after its invention by Twitter user @MetalOllie,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/02/13/the_origin_of_the_trump_insult_shitgibbon_revealed.html|title=A New Breakthrough in the History of the “S---gibbon”: The Insult’s Originator Steps Forward|first=Ben|last=Zimmer|date=13 February 2017|publisher=|via=Slate}}</ref> who received over 14,000 likes and retweets on his post.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/02/09/how_daylin_leach_s_trump_insult_shitgibbon_rose_to_prominence.html|title=The Surprising Rise of the “S---gibbon”|first=Ben|last=Zimmer|date=9 February 2017|publisher=|via=Slate}}</ref> | |||
===Committee assignments=== | ===Committee assignments=== | ||
Daylin Leach | |
|---|---|
 Leach in November 2012 | |
| Member of thePennsylvania Senate from the17th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Connie Williams |
| Constituency | Parts ofDelaware andMontgomery Counties |
| Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives from the149th district | |
| In office January 7, 2003[1] – November 30, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Wallis Brooks |
| Succeeded by | Tim Briggs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1961-06-23)June 23, 1961 (age 64) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jennifer Anne Mirak |
| Children | Brennan Alice, Justin Robert |
| Residence | Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Temple University University of Houston Law Center |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Signature |  |
Daylin Leach (born June 23, 1961) is an American politician fromPennsylvania. A member of theDemocratic Party, Leach has served in thePennsylvania State Senate, representing the17th senatorial district, since 2009. He was previously a member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the149th district from 2003 to 2009. He ran in the 2014 election for theU.S. House of Representatives forPennsylvania's 13th congressional district.
Leach was born inPhiladelphia and graduated fromParkland High School in 1979 inAllentown, PA. He received a B.A. in political science fromTemple University in 1983 and a J.D. from theUniversity of Houston Law Center in 1986.[citation needed]
He practiced law for 16 years, focusing on family and education law. He taught constitutional law, legal ethics and First Amendment law as an adjunct professor atCedar Crest College andMuhlenberg College. Leach served as president of the PennsylvaniaYoung Democrats in the early 1990s and on theAllentown Zoning Board from 1990 to 1994. He previously[when?] co-hosted a weekly political TV debate program entitled Lehigh Valley Firing Line.[citation needed]. In 2016, Senator Leach joined Philadelphia law firmSacks Weston Diamond LLC in an of-counsel position.
Leach first ran for the149th legislative district in a special election on February 12, 2002 following the resignation of DemocratConnie Williams. Leach was the Democratic nominee and lost to RepublicanWallis Brooks 48%-44%, a difference of 273 votes.[2][3]
In the November 2002 rematch of their February special election, the Brooks campaign sent dozens of direct mail advertisements, including one accusing Leach of defending child molesters as an attorney.[4] On the Saturday before the election, one was sent to voters accusing Leach of being anti-Semitic.[4] The mailer carried a headline of"Anti-Semitism, Neo-Nazism, Holocaust Denial. They are not 'a big joke.'"[4] The charges stemmed from Leach's 1999 defense of anin absentia client fromTexas who was sued inAllentown, Pennsylvania for alleged comments in an Internet chat room.[4][5] Following the dismissal, the plaintiff posted on the Internet, denouncing Leach and the Texas man as anti-Semites. The posts were unearthed by a Brooks researcher and used in the mailer.[4] "She had to know I was Jewish, because it had come up in a debate. But since I have a non-Jewish surname, she apparently thought she could get away with this," Leach said.[4] The campaign immediately convinced a local Jewish newspaper to denounce the mailer and reproduced the article on a flyer with a profile of Leach, emphasizing his Jewish roots and activism, on the reverse.[4] By election day, 70 volunteers had hand-delivered the literature to most district households.[4] On November 5, 2002, Leach defeated Brooks 53%-47%, a difference of 1,170 votes.[6]
Leach won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican Brad Murphy 62%-38%.[7]
Leach won re-election to a third term, defeating RepublicanMonica Treichel 67%-33%.[8]
In 2003, the political websitePoliticsPA named him to "The Best of the Freshman Class" list, saying that he "has all the ingredients of a rising star" and that he "makes the job look fun."[9]
In August 2005, Leach published anop-ed article in thePhiladelphia Inquirer criticizing the paper's coverage of the2005 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise controversy.[10] In what thePhiladelphia City Paper called "the paper's first round against Leach," Inquirer columnistJohn Grogan responded by accusing Leach of "funny math."[11] In response, Leach "struck back" against the Inquirer with a satirical email to associates under the pseudonym "Dutch Larooo" criticizing Inquirer reporterMario F. Cattabiani.[12][13]
On September 1, 2005,Mario F. Cattabiani published a front page article in thePhiladelphia Inquirer that "exposed" Leach's long-standing and satirical blog "leachvent.com."[13][14] ThePhiladelphia City Paper criticized the Inquirer for allowing Cattabiani to "answer his attacker" through a news article, noting that "thousands of insiders have laughed at Leach's satire for years," but the Inquirer acted as though it had been "recently discovered."[13] ThePhiladelphia City Paper wrote that Cattabiani's article incorrectly characterized Leach's website as a "blog" rather than satire and had focused on Leach's pseudonym's "impure thoughts," while ignoring the "satirical attack" on his Cattabiani's reporting.[13] The next day, Leach removed his website.[13][15][16]John Grogan wrote that Leach had "dug his own political grave."[13][17] ThePhiladelphia City Paper criticized these negative articles about Leach by stating that "hidden behind the newspaper's florid obsession with Leach's naughty bits, is the state rep's pointed satire of their mediocre coverage — a criticism that the newspaper never addresses...The Inquirer savaged this young legislator because his satire was hitting its mark: Them."[13]
Notable work in the House includes proposed bills that would allow hybrid cars into the state fleet,[18] that give state funding for breast and ovarian cancer screening for low-income women, that would addressredistricting reform, that would eliminate state'slethal use ofparalytic drugs,[19] and that would require hospitals to offeremergency contraception tosexual assault victims.[20]
WhenConnie Williams of Pennsylvania's 17th senate district decided to retire, Leach decided to enter the election. He was the Democratic nominee and defeated Republican Lance Rogers, a Montgomery County Commissioner, 62%-38%.[22]
Leach won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Charles Gehret 63%-37%.[23]
Leach won re-election to a third term, defeating Republican nominee Brian Gondek 64%-36%.[24]
Leach was awarded the 2008 Humane Legislator Award by theHumane Society, the 2011 Legislative Leadership Award by GVF Transportation, and the 2011 Friend of Education Award by theLower Merion Education Association.[20]
In January 2013, he proposed legislation that wouldlegalize recreational use of marijuana in Pennsylvania for people 21 years or older, called the "Regulate Marijuana Act."[25][26] In defending it, Leach argued “We would never, in a rational society, starting from scratch, have the policy we have now.”[27]
In 2016, a bill sponsored by Leach, legalizing some marijuana products for medical use, became law.[28]
In 2017, Leach made headlines in response toPresident Trump's threat to "destroy the career" of aTexas state senator who proposed legislation requiring a conviction beforecivil asset forfeiture, by goading the President to try to destroy Leach's career in a social media post.[29][30]
During early 2017, the nicknameShitgibbon forDonald Trump gained usage after Leach tweeted it after its invention by Twitter user @MetalOllie,[31] who received over 14,000 likes and retweets on his post.[32]
On April 1, 2013,Main Line Times reported that Leach would run forPennsylvania's 13th congressional district, which was open as incumbent DemocratAllyson Schwartz ran forGovernor of Pennsylvania in2014. However, while the majority ofUpper Merion Township is within the boundaries of the 13th Congressional district, Leach's home in Wayne, Upper Merion Township is within the state's 7th Congressional district.[34] Leach lost in the Democratic primary, winning 16.6% of the vote.[35]
On July 3, 2017, Leach announced his candidacy for the Congressional seat held byPat Meehan inPennsylvania's 7th congressional district. He is expected to have several Democratic primary opponents.[36]
{{cite web}}:Unknown parameter|deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help){{cite news}}:|access-date= requires|url= (help){{cite news}}:Unknown parameter|deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help){{cite news}}:|access-date= requires|url= (help){{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title= (help){{cite news}}:Unknown parameter|deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help){{cite news}}:Unknown parameter|dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)| Pennsylvania State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of thePennsylvania Senate for the17th District 2009 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives for the149th District 2003 – 2009 | Succeeded by |
Members of thePennsylvania State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
|  | |