Rick Saccone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rick Saccone
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| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 39th district |
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| In office January 4, 2011 – November 30, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | David Levdansky |
| Succeeded by | Mike Puskaric |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Saccone
February 14, 1958 Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Yong Saccone |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Weber State College (BS) University of Oklahoma (MPA) Naval Postgraduate School (MA) University of Pittsburgh (PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Unit | Office of Special Investigations |
Richard Saccone, born on February 14, 1958, is an American educator and politician. He served as a state representative for Pennsylvania's 39th district from 2011 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party.
In March 2018, Saccone was the Republican candidate for a special election to fill a vacant U.S. House seat. He lost this election to Democratic candidate Conor Lamb by a very small difference of 0.3%.
In January 2021, Saccone was present at a large gathering near the United States Capitol building. Following an investigation into his actions there, he resigned from his teaching job at Saint Vincent College. In August 2021, Saccone announced he would run for Lieutenant Governor in the 2022 election. He finished second in the primary election.
Education and Early Career
Rick Saccone has a strong educational background. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and criminal justice from Weber State College in 1981. He then received two master's degrees: one in public administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1984, and another in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1987. He completed his education with a Ph.D. in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh in 2002.
After his studies, Saccone taught at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He also served as an officer in the United States Air Force. There, he worked in the Office of Special Investigations, which focuses on counter intelligence.
After leaving the Air Force, Saccone worked as a civilian for the U.S. Army during the Iraq War from 2004 to 2005. He was an advisor on questioning techniques at Abu Ghraib prison.
Saccone also spent 12 years living in South Korea. While there, he worked as a news anchor for an English-language TV station and for different businesses. He met his wife, Yong Saccone, in South Korea.
His official biography mentions that he worked in North Korea on an agreement to prevent the development of nuclear weapons. He was part of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, which worked on a project to create civilian nuclear energy for North Korea without allowing them to make weapons. Saccone also wrote two books about his experiences dealing with North Korea.
Political Journey
Serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In 2010, Rick Saccone ran for the 39th District seat. He challenged the sitting Democratic representative, David Levdansky. Saccone won by a very small margin of 151 votes.
Levdansky ran against Saccone again in 2012, but Saccone won once more, again by a close vote. Saccone was re-elected in 2014 with 60% of the votes and in 2016 with 70% of the votes. The 39th district covers parts of Allegheny County and Washington County.
Running for U.S. Senate in 2018
In February 2017, Saccone announced his plan to run for the United States Senate in the 2018 election. He aimed to challenge the current senator, Bob Casey Jr.. Saccone is a supporter of Donald Trump and said he would be a strong ally to Trump if elected.
However, in October 2017, he stopped his Senate campaign. Instead, he decided to seek the Republican nomination for a special election in the 18th Congressional District.
The 2018 Special Congressional Election
On November 11, 2017, Saccone became the Republican candidate for the 18th congressional district special election. This election, held on March 13, 2018, gained a lot of national attention. Republicans spent over $8 million on TV ads to support Saccone. Many well-known Republican figures, including Donald Trump himself, came to Pennsylvania to campaign for him.
The election was very close. On March 14, Saccone's opponent, Conor Lamb, was ahead by only 647 votes. Lamb won the part of the district in Allegheny County, while Saccone won the rest. Because the results were so close (only 0.2% difference), a recount was expected. However, Saccone called Lamb on March 21 to concede, meaning he accepted that he had lost. In the final count, Saccone lost by 0.3%.
Running for the 14th Congressional District
After the special election, the congressional map for Pennsylvania was changed by the state's Supreme Court. Most of the old 18th District became the new 14th district. This new district was considered even more Republican-leaning.
On March 15, Saccone announced that he would run in the regular election for this new 14th district. However, in the primary election on May 15, Saccone lost to Guy Reschenthaler, who won with 55% of the votes.
Involvement in the 2021 Capitol Event
On January 6, 2021, Rick Saccone was present during the events at the United States Capitol building. He posted a video on social media, which he later deleted. The next day, on January 7, Saccone resigned from his position as an adjunct professor at St. Vincent College.
Political Views
Support for Donald Trump
During his brief run for the Senate in 2018, Saccone promised to be a strong supporter of Donald Trump. In January 2018, Trump endorsed Saccone after he won the Republican nomination for the special congressional election. Saccone often said he was "Trump before Trump was Trump," showing how much he identified with the former president.
Many political experts saw the 2018 special election as a test of how popular the Republican Party and Trump's policies were. Saccone himself called the special election a "referendum on the Presidency of Donald Trump" (meaning a direct vote on Trump's leadership).
Church and Government
Saccone's beliefs are influenced by Christian reconstructionist ideas. In 2013, he proposed a bill called the National Motto Display Act. This bill would have required public schools in Pennsylvania to display "In God We Trust" (the national motto of the U.S.) in every school building.
This 2013 bill did not pass. However, in 2016, Saccone supported similar legislation that would encourage, but not require, schools to post the motto. This bill passed with a large majority. Groups that support the separation of church and state, like the Freedom from Religion Foundation, criticized this law. In 2013, Saccone also sponsored a resolution to make April 30 a "National Fast Day."
In January 2012, Saccone introduced a resolution to declare 2012 the "Year of the Bible" in Pennsylvania. This resolution passed unanimously but was criticized by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The Freedom from Religion Foundation even filed a lawsuit, arguing it violated the Establishment Clause (which prevents the government from establishing a religion). A judge dismissed the lawsuit but criticized the legislature for using state resources for such a resolution.
In a 2017 interview, Saccone stated his belief that God wants those who have "fear of God in them" to "rule over us."
Money Matters: Budget and Taxes
Saccone supported the federal Republican tax law passed in 2017. He wished he had been in Congress to vote for it. During his 2018 special election campaign, ads promoting his support for tax cuts were initially common but later became less frequent.
In 2017, Saccone was part of a group of Republican lawmakers who wanted to fix a $2.3 billion state budget problem only by cutting spending. Saccone suggested using money from unused special funds or making cuts across the board.
Education Funding
While in office, Saccone often called for cuts in government spending. This included reducing funding for early childhood programs, K-12 education, public libraries, and child welfare services.
Gun Rights
Saccone is well-known for strongly supporting gun rights. In 2017, he sponsored at least four bills to expand the rights of gun owners. One bill aimed to prevent discrimination against people who carry guns. A memo for this bill criticized places like Chuck E. Cheese's for not allowing customers to bring firearms inside.
Labor Unions
Saccone supports "right-to-work legislation." This type of law makes it illegal for workers in unionized workplaces to be forced to join a union. According to NBC News, Saccone's conservative record has led many labor unions to oppose him. However, Saccone believes that union members often vote for him, even if their leaders do not.
In 2017, Saccone tried to limit a practice where some teachers work full-time for teachers' unions. These teachers were called "teachers on special assignment," and their wages were paid back by the union to the school district. Saccone called these employees "ghost teachers" and proposed a law that would limit teachers to no more than 15 days of union activity per year.
Lobbying Rules
Saccone introduced a bill that would stop public officials from accepting gifts like "transportation, lodging or hospitality or anything of economic value" from lobbyists. Lobbyists are people who try to influence politicians. Saccone said that many lobbyist groups meet with him in his office without offering gifts, and he believes that is how it should be. However, it was later reported that Saccone did accept meals paid for by lobbyists. He explained that he did so because other lawmakers did, and he did not want to be isolated from them.
Personal Life
Rick Saccone is a Baptist. He was married to Yong Saccone, who passed away on July 8, 2023. They met in South Korea. The couple had two sons, Nick and Matthew.
Images for kids
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Rick Saccone
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Rick Saccone and his wife greeting U.S. President Donald Trump
