By Sean Coit
PoliticsPA
In light of Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death and the re-ignition of discussion on the famed Kennedy political dynasty, PoliticsPA decided to take a closer look at similar dynasties that exist (or have existed) here in Pennsylvania. Nothing quite like the Kennedys, of course, but Pennsylvania has had its share of powerful political families, too.
The Caseys
The Irish-Catholic, Scranton-based Casey family is probably the most influential of the remaining political dynasties in the Keystone State, and even have a following of voters known as ‘Casey Democrats.’
Robert “Spike” Casey (1932-200) was a lawyer that got started in politics in the Pa. State Senate, where he held office from 1962-66. From 1969-77, he was the state auditor general, and was elected Governor in 1987. Casey died in 2000.
Casey’s two sons, Patrick and Robert Jr. (Bob), have been regular fixtures in the statewide political scene, too. Patrick has run two unsuccessful congressional campaigns in the 10th district, while Bob became state auditor general, state treasurer, and then won a U.S. Senate seat in 2007.
The Ravenstahls
The Ravenstahls have become close to household names in the Pittsburgh area, where they have been involved in politics for decades.
Robert Ravenstahl was a member of the Pa. House of Representatives, and his sons continue to be active in Pa. Robert Ravenstahl is a District judge, and Luke is the mayor of Pittsburgh.
The Greens
William Joseph Green, Jr. was the first politician in the Philadelphia-based Green family of politicians. A longtime Congressman in Philadelphia, Green is best known for fostering unprecedented support for John F. Kennedy’s Presidential campaign in 1960.
William Green III won a special election for his father’s congressional seat upon his death at only 25 years old. After serving in Congress until 1977, Green had an unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign, but was elected mayor of Philadelphia in 1979. His son, William Green IV, is currently an at-large member of the Philadelphia City Council.
The Costas
The late Jay Costa Sr. is the political patriarch of this Western Pa. family. Costa Sr. was the Allegheny County Treasurer, and his two sons are now active members of the Pennsylvania legislature.
Jay Costa Jr. is a state senator in the 43rd Senatorial District, and his brother, Paul, is a member of the state house of representatives.
The Flahertys
Pete Flaherty, the Democratic mayor of Pittsburgh during most of the 70s, had a strong political family of his own. Pete got started as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County, served as a Pittsburgh Councilman, and was a U.S. Deputy Attorney General during the Carter administration. Flaherty never achieved his statewide ambitions, though. He lost Senate races to Richard Schweiker and Arlen Specter, and fell short in a governor’s race against Richard Thornburgh.
Pete’s brother, Jim, was Allegheny County Commissioner before he became a Judge on Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court. Jim’s son, Mark Patrick Flaherty, became Allegheny County Controller in 2004.
The Scrantons
The Scranton family from (guess where) was a force to be reckoned with in Pennsylvania throughout the 1800s. George Whitfield Scranton (1811-1861) was the first politician in the family, serving as a U.S. congressman representing Pennsylvania’s 12th district.
George’s second cousin Joseph Scranton was later a U.S. congressman as well, serving 4 terms in the 12th and 11th districts.
Marion Margery Warren married Worthington Scranton to become Marion Margery Scranton, and was an influential member of the Pennsylvania Republican party. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee serving as vice-chair of Pennsylvania Republican Party, and vice-chair of the Republican national committee from 1936-38.
Marion’s son William Scranton fought in World War II and represented Pennsylvania’s 10th district in Congress. He then went on to serve as Governor of Pennsylvania from 1963-67 and was the U.S. Representative to the United Nations from 1976-77.
Muhlenberg-Heisters
An old, old Pennsylvania dynasty, the Muhlenbergs were originally German immigrants. Henry Muhlenberg was the first to come to the United States from Germany, and is considered the Father of the Lutheran Church in the United States.
Beginning with Henry’s sons, the Muhlenberg family was immensely powerful in Pennsylvania for generations. Peter Muhlenberg was a Continental Army General, Congressman and Senator. His brother Frederick became the first Speaker of the House. Four more Muhlenbergs became U.S. Congressmen, and John Andrew Schulze, who married into the family, was the Governor of Pennsylvania.
The Heister family was related to the Muhlenbergs, and the two dynasties are usually grouped together. Brothers John, Daniel and Gabriel were all U.S. Congressmen in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and their cousin Joseph served as a Congressman and Governor of Pennsylvania. Four more Heisters were eventually elected into Congress throughout the 1800s.
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The Scranton family also includes William W Scranton’s son Bill who served as Lt. Governor among other worhtwhile achievements.
Doesn’t former Lt. Governor Bill Scranton deserve a mention also.
Under the Flaherty family, Pete’s son, Shawn, also deserves mention as the state representative from the 30th district in 2006. And though not related to Pete & Jim Flaherty, you can’t overlook the power of the Flaherty surname in getting John Flaherty elected to the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court and later the PA Supreme Court (though Justice Flaherty was so delusional that he used to assert that no voter mistakenly connected his surname with that of Pete and Jim).
There’s also former state representative; former Pittsburgh city councilman; former Pittsburgh city controller and current Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge Tom Flaherty. Tom is anything but delusional. He built a solid record of achievement over his career, but he is the first to acknowledge that the magic of the Flaherty surame in Pittsburgh helped him early on in his career.