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Mike Kelly (Pennsylvania politician)

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Mike Kelly (Pennsylvania politician), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 202538 sources
Mike Kelly
Born
George Joseph Kelly Jr.

(1948-05-10) May 10, 1948 (age 78)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation(s)Businessman, politician
Years active2011–present (U.S. House of Representatives)
Known forMember of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania; pro-life advocacy; litigation seeking to invalidate mail-in ballots in 2020 election


This article is about Pennsylvania politician. For other individuals named Mike Kelly, see Michael Kelly.

Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates

George Joseph "Mike" Kelly Jr. (born May 10, 1948) is an American businessman and politician serving as a member of the United States House of Representatives since 2011. He currently represents Pennsylvania's Template:Ushr congressional district.[1] From 2011 until 2019, his district was designated as the 3rd district, encompassing Erie and extending from the state's northwest corner to the northern outskirts of Pittsburgh.

Affiliated with the Republican Party, Kelly is recognized for his alignment with former President Donald Trump, his advocacy for pro-life policies,[2] and for initiating litigation in Pennsylvania state court seeking to invalidate all mail-in ballots during the 2020 United States presidential election.

On October 22, 2021, reports emerged that a congressional ethics committee recommended issuing a subpoena to Kelly regarding an ethics inquiry. This followed disclosures that his spouse acquired shares in an Ohio-based steel firm in April 2020 shortly after Kelly received nonpublic information about the company.[3] In June 2022, Senator Ron Johnson alleged that Kelly was involved in submitting a group of fraudulent electors intended to overturn Pennsylvania’s electoral outcome in the 2020 presidential race. Kelly’s office has refuted any participation in this matter.[4]

Education and early career

Born on May 10, 1948, in Pittsburgh, Kelly has predominantly lived in the northern suburb of Butler, Pennsylvania. He pursued higher education at the University of Notre Dame.

Automotive business

Following his graduation, Kelly joined his father's Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership. By 1995, he assumed ownership of the enterprise and expanded its inventory to include Hyundai and KIA vehicles.

In March 2019, a regional television station reported that 17 cars on Kelly's Uniontown and Butler dealership lots were subject to recall notices yet remained unrepaired. Attempts to obtain comments from both the dealerships and Kelly's office were unsuccessful. One month later, the same reporter identified three vehicles still listed for sale with active recalls. In November 2015, Kelly addressed Congress advocating for legislation that would permit dealers to lend or rent vehicles despite outstanding National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety recalls. He stated, "No one in our industry would knowingly place an owner in a defective or recalled vehicle. However, such situations could occur." The proposed legislation ultimately did not pass.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly's car dealerships secured Paycheck Protection Program loans ranging between $450,000 and $1.05 million to maintain payroll obligations. The total amount was later estimated at approximately $974,100. These loans aimed to safeguard employee wages amid the pandemic and were subsequently forgiven. Kelly faced scrutiny for accepting this financial assistance while serving as a Congressman but maintained that no misconduct occurred.

Committees and caucuses

Since 2013, Kelly has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives' Ways & Means Committee. He currently serves as the chair of the Subcommittee on Tax and is also part of the Subcommittee on Health. Previously, he held the position of the leading Republican on the Subcommittee on Oversight within the same committee.

Kelly is affiliated with over 20 caucuses in the House. Among these, he leads or co-leads several significant caucuses, including:

  • Congressional Cancer Caucus
  • Congressional Caucus on Korea
  • Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus
  • Friends of Ireland Caucus
  • House Automotive Caucus
  • House Small Brewers Caucus
  • Northern Border Security Caucus
  • United States–China Working Group

2010

Main article: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 3

In 2010, Kelly ran against incumbent Representative Kathy Dahlkemper. He secured victory with 55.7% of the vote compared to Dahlkemper’s 44.3%, largely by gaining substantial support outside the predominantly Democratic areas of Erie.

2012

Main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 3

Kelly won reelection against Democrat Missa Eaton, achieving 54.8% to Eaton’s 41.0%. Following redistricting, his district became somewhat more favorable to Republicans, shifting slightly south to include rural and Republican-leaning areas east of Pittsburgh. Concurrently, eastern Erie County was incorporated into the strongly Republican 5th district. The dividing line between these two districts closely matched the eastern boundary of Erie city.

2014

Main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 3

In the 2014 election, Kelly defeated Democrat Dan LaVallee from Cranberry Township with a margin of 60.6% to 39.4%.

2016

Kelly faced no opposition and secured 100% of the votes cast.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]

2018

Following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's invalidation of the state's original congressional boundaries in February 2018, Kelly's district was redesignated as the 16th and became somewhat more geographically condensed. It regained the eastern segment of Erie County, which had previously been assigned to the 5th district. To accommodate population changes, the southern boundary shifted westward, placing Kelly's hometown of Butler just within the new district limits.[5]

According to PoliticsPA, the reconfigured 16th district presented a significantly less secure position for Kelly compared to his former 3rd district. This was based on a Public Policy Polling survey indicating Kelly led Democratic challenger Ron DiNicola by a margin of 48% to 43%, which fell below the threshold typically considered safe for an incumbent seeking a fourth term.[6] In addition, while Donald Trump had won the old 3rd district with 61% of the vote,[7] he would have carried the newly drawn 16th district with approximately 58%.[8] Nate Cohn from The New York Times noted that Kelly might have faced greater challenges if the 16th district had incorporated more Democratic-leaning areas northwest of Pittsburgh; however, much of that territory was included in the revised 17th district (previously numbered as the 12th).[5]

In a notably competitive race—the closest since his initial election—Kelly defeated DiNicola with a margin of 51.5% to 47.3%.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]

2020

Kelly improved upon his previous election results by defeating Democrat Kristy Gnibus from Erie with a vote share of 59.3% to her 40.7%. He garnered a total of 210,088 votes compared to Gnibus's 143,962.[9]

2022

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 16

Kelly secured victory over Democrat Dan Pastore from Erie with a margin of 59.4% to 40.6%. Kelly garnered 190,564 votes, while Pastore obtained 130,443.[10]

2024

Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 16

In the 2024 election, Kelly defeated Democrat Preston Nouri by a 63.7% to 36.3% split. Kelly received a total of 256,923 votes compared to Nouri's 146,709.[11]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Tenure

Kelly during the 112th Congress, 2011

Conservative Political Action Conference attendance

In February 2021, Kelly along with approximately twelve other Republican representatives missed votes by utilizing proxy voting due to the stated concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, during this period, they were attending the Conservative Political Action Conference held simultaneously.[14] Following this revelation, the ethics watchdog group Campaign for Accountability submitted a formal complaint to the House Committee on Ethics requesting an inquiry into Kelly and the other involved legislators.[15]

Debt forgiveness

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly's automotive dealerships obtained loans exceeding $970,000 from U.S. taxpayers through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); these loans were subsequently forgiven. U.S. Representative Katie Porter later proposed legislation aimed at mandating transparency by requiring public disclosure of all PPP loan recipients. Despite this, Kelly voted against the TRUTH Act (H.R. 6782), which sought to make public the identities of companies benefiting from bailout funds. As of August 2022, Kelly has expressed opposition to President Joe Biden's plan to cancel $10,000 in student debt for individuals earning up to $125,000 annually. In 2018, Kelly's net worth was approximated at $12.4 million.

The "Deep State" Conspiracy Allegations

During a 2017 appearance at a Mercer County Republican Party gathering, Kelly promoted the conspiracy notion that former President Barack Obama was orchestrating a "shadow government" intended to weaken President Trump.[16][17][18] When questioned about these statements, Kelly indicated they were meant to remain confidential.[16][19] Following the widespread attention the comments received, Kelly’s spokesperson clarified that Kelly did not truly believe Obama was "personally running a shadow government".[16][17][18]

Donald Trump

Kelly alongside President Trump during the signing of the Taxpayer First Act

Kelly has voiced opposition to the House Ways and Means Committee's efforts to obtain Trump’s tax documents.[20]

In December 2019, Kelly drew a parallel between Trump's first impeachment and the Pearl Harbor attack.[21] He described the impeachment date as "another date that will live in infamy," echoing President Roosevelt’s historic phrase.[21]

During the 2020 election ballot tallying, Kelly initiated legal action seeking to prevent Pennsylvania from permitting voters to "cure" or correct their ballots.[22] After Joe Biden was declared the winner in Pennsylvania, Kelly filed a lawsuit demanding that all mail-in ballots in the state—exceeding 2.5 million—be invalidated, which would have shifted Pennsylvania’s electoral votes to Trump,[23] or alternatively that the state legislature select the presidential electors.[24] This legal challenge would have nullified millions of votes if successful.[24] On November 28, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Kelly's lawsuit with prejudice.[25]

In December 2020, Kelly was among 126 Republican House members who signed an amicus brief backing Texas v. Pennsylvania, a Supreme Court case challenging the outcome of the 2020 United States presidential election, in which Biden prevailed over Trump.[26] The Supreme Court declined to consider the case on grounds that Texas lacked legal standing under Article III to contest another state’s election results.[27][28][29]

Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in July 2024 within Kelly's hometown, he initially posted a statement asserting "We will not tolerate this attack from the left," despite no public information being available about the assailant’s motives or background at that time. This post was later removed.[30] Subsequently, Kelly proposed a resolution calling for a bipartisan House task force to investigate this incident.[31] He was later appointed as chair of this investigative task force.[32]

In September 2024, shortly before the 2024 United States presidential election, Kelly joined fellow Pennsylvania Republican congressional members in filing litigation aimed at imposing additional voter identification requirements for military personnel and other Pennsylvanians casting ballots from abroad. A federal judge dismissed this lawsuit on grounds that it was submitted too close to Election Day and addressed concerns deemed merely speculative.[33]

Economy

In March 2021, Kelly, along with every House Republican, opposed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package aimed at addressing the coronavirus pandemic.

Healthcare

Kelly advocates for the implementation of a Universal Patient Identifier (UPI), which facilitates seamless interoperability between electronic health records (EHR) and Health Information Exchanges (HIEs). The adoption of UPI has the potential to enhance the efficiency of the U.S. healthcare system and lower administrative expenses, ultimately contributing to more cost-effective healthcare.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]

On August 1, 2012, Kelly condemned the HHS mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which obligates employers to offer health insurance options to employees. He characterized this mandate—which requires coverage of contraceptives—as an infringement on constitutionally guaranteed religious freedoms, declaring that date as "the day that religious freedom died."

LGBT rights

In 2015, Kelly joined as a cosponsor of a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage in the United States. In 2022, he was among 157 Republicans who voted against legislation designed to safeguard both same-sex and interracial marriages.

Financial disclosures

A September 2021 report by Business Insider revealed that Kelly allegedly breached the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a law ensuring transparency and preventing conflicts of interest. The violation involved his failure to accurately disclose his wife's stock purchase in Beauty Health Company, valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

Town halls

Since 2011, Kelly has not conducted any in-person town hall meetings with an open-floor format.[34]

Awards and honors

During his tenure in Congress, Kelly has successfully sponsored three bills that have been enacted into law independently: these include the renaming of a post office and two Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, all situated in Butler, Pennsylvania.[35]

For three consecutive congressional sessions, Kelly ranked within the top one-third of the most bipartisan legislators, as reported by The Lugar Center and Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy.[1]

Between 2018 and 2020, Kelly and his team were recognized as finalists for the Congressional Management Foundation's Constituent Service Award.[2]

Personal life

Kelly resides in Butler, Pennsylvania with his wife Victoria. Together, they have four children and ten grandchildren.[36] He is related by marriage to retired Congressman Phil Roe from Tennessee's 1st congressional district. Kelly practices Roman Catholicism.[37]

In 2019, he stated that he identifies as a person of color despite his Irish and Anglo-Saxon heritage—a term generally associated with individuals from nonwhite backgrounds.[38]

References

  1. ↑ Hildebrand, Nick. "Clock starts to tick for Kelly to get specific about his agenda". The Herald. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Issues | Congressman Mike Kelly". kelly.house.gov. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  3. ↑ Slodysko, Brian (October 22, 2021). "Pa. Rep. Kelly faces ethics scrutiny over stocks purchase". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Feds search home of former Trump DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, subpoena GOP leaders". WTAE. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cohn, Nate (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania Congressional Map, District by District". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  6. ↑ Kelly Cernetich Brown (June 4, 2018). "PPP Poll: Mike Kelly under 50 percent threshold for re-election". PoliticsPA.
  7. ↑ "Daily Kos Elections 2008, 2012 & 2016 presidential election results for congressional districts used in 2016 elections". Google Docs. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012". Daily Kos. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Pennsylvania Elections - Office Results".
  10. ↑ "Pennsylvania Elections".
  11. ↑ "Tuesday, November 5, 2024 2024 Presidential Election (Official Returns) Statewide". electionresults.pa.gov. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Northeast-Midwest Institute » The Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition". www.nemw.org. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  14. ↑ Bash, Dana; Raju, Manu; Diaz, Daniella; Fox, Lauren; Warren, Michael (February 26, 2021). "More than a dozen Republicans tell House they can't attend votes due to 'public health emergency.' They're slated to be at CPAC". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  15. ↑ Grayer, Annie; Diaz, Daniella (March 10, 2021). "First on CNN: Watchdog group requests investigation into 13 GOP lawmakers for misusing proxy voting". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :1
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :2
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :3
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :0
  20. ↑ "GOP Warns That Releasing Trump's Taxes Could Lead to More Transparency". Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :4
  22. ↑ Ngu, Justin Elliott,Jessica Huseman,Isaac Arnsdorf,Dara Lind,Lydia DePillis,Sally Beauvais,Ash (November 4, 2020). "Whether the GOP Can Stop Voters From Legally Fixing Rejected Mail-In Ballots Could Decide the Election". ProPublica. Retrieved November 5, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ Palattella, Ed. "Pa. Supreme Court dismisses Mike Kelly-led lawsuit that sought to invalidate mail-in votes". GoErie.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named inquirer
  25. ↑ Pa. Supreme Court dismisses Mike Kelly-led lawsuit that sought to invalidate mail-in votes Ed Palattella. Erie Times-News. November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020
  26. ↑ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  27. ↑ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  28. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SupremeCourt
  29. ↑ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Playbook: Can America turn the temperature down?". Politico. July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Rep. Mike Kelly introduces resolution to form bipartisan House task force to investigate attempted assassination of former President Trump". July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  32. ↑ "House leaders announce members of bipartisan task force investigating Trump assassination attempt". CBS News. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  33. ↑ WTAE (October 29, 2024). "Judge tosses GOP congressmen's lawsuit over Pennsylvania's overseas and military votes". WTAE.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  34. ↑ Rao, A. J. (2025). "Rep. Mike Kelly hasn't held an in-person town hall in Erie in years. Citizens seek answers". Erie Times-News.
  35. ↑ "Representative Mike Kelly". Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Mike's Story | Mike Kelly for Congress". Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  37. ↑ "RollCall.com - Member Profile - Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa". media.cq.com.
  38. ↑ Cole, Devan (July 17, 2019). "White GOP congressman says he isn't offended by racist Trump tweets because 'I'm a person of color'". www.cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved July 17, 2019.

External links

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