Rick Santorum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rick Santorum
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Santorum in 2025
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| Chair of the Senate Republican Conference | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Leader | Trent Lott Bill Frist |
| Preceded by | Connie Mack III |
| Succeeded by | Jon Kyl |
| United States Senator from Pennsylvania |
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| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Harris Wofford |
| Succeeded by | Bob Casey Jr. |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 18th district |
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| In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Doug Walgren |
| Succeeded by | Mike Doyle |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard John Santorum
May 10, 1958 Winchester, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Karen Garver
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 8 |
| Education | Pennsylvania State University (BA) University of Pittsburgh (MBA) Dickinson School of Law (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Richard John Santorum Sr. (born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, lawyer, author, and TV commentator. He represented the state of Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1995 to 2007. During his last six years in the Senate, he was the third-highest-ranking Republican leader.
Santorum also ran for President of the United States in 2012. He finished second in the Republican primaries to Mitt Romney. He ran for president again in 2016 but ended his campaign early.
After leaving the Senate, Santorum worked as a consultant, lawyer, and news commentator. He was a senior political commentator for CNN but left in 2021.
Contents
- What was Rick Santorum's early life and education like?
- How did Rick Santorum start his career?
- What did Rick Santorum do in the U.S. House of Representatives (1991–1995)?
- What was Rick Santorum's time in the U.S. Senate (1995–2007) like?
- What has Rick Santorum done since leaving the Senate?
- What are Rick Santorum's political views?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on social classes?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on the death penalty?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on energy and the environment?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on gun laws?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on immigration?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on minimum wage and family leave?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on poverty?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on Social Security?
- What are Rick Santorum's views on trade policy?
- What is Rick Santorum's personal life like?
- What books has Rick Santorum written?
- Images for kids
- See also
What was Rick Santorum's early life and education like?
Richard John Santorum was born in Winchester, Virginia. He was the second of three children. His father, Aldo Santorum, was a psychologist who came to the U.S. from Italy. His mother, Catherine Santorum, was a nurse with Italian and Irish family roots.
Santorum grew up in Berkeley County, West Virginia, and Butler County, Pennsylvania. He went to Butler Catholic School and then Butler Senior High School. People nicknamed him "Rooster" because of his hair and his strong opinions. He finished high school in 1976 at Carmel High School in Illinois.
He studied at Pennsylvania State University, where he led the university's College Republicans group. He earned a degree in political science in 1980. He then got a business degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981. In 1986, he earned a law degree from Dickinson School of Law.
How did Rick Santorum start his career?
Santorum first got involved in politics in the 1970s. He volunteered for Senator John Heinz from Pennsylvania. While in law school, he worked for a Republican state senator, Doyle Corman. He was an Executive Director for state Senate committees from 1981 to 1984.
After law school, Santorum became a lawyer in Pittsburgh. He worked at a firm called Kirkpatrick & Lockhart. He left his law practice in 1990 when he was elected to the House of Representatives.
What did Rick Santorum do in the U.S. House of Representatives (1991–1995)?
In 1990, at age 32, Santorum was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district. He won against a long-serving Democratic leader, Doug Walgren, in a district that usually voted Democratic.
Even though the district boundaries changed in 1992, Santorum was reelected with a large number of votes. In 1993, he was one of 17 Republicans who supported a law to stop employers from permanently replacing striking workers. He also voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement. Santorum was part of a group called the "Gang of Seven," which helped show problems in Congress, like the House banking scandal.
What was Rick Santorum's time in the U.S. Senate (1995–2007) like?
Santorum served as a United States Senator for Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007. From 2001 to 2007, he was the third-highest-ranking Republican in the Senate.
He was first elected to the Senate in 1994 during a time when many Republicans won elections. He narrowly beat the person already in office, Harris Wofford. Santorum was considered an underdog because his opponent was much older. He was reelected in 2000, beating U.S. Congressman Ron Klink. In 2006, he lost his reelection bid to Democrat Bob Casey, Jr..
After being elected to the Senate, Santorum hired five people for his staff who had been receiving government aid. In 1996, he helped create the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, a law about welfare reform.
The National Taxpayers Union, a group that supports lower taxes, gave Santorum high marks for his votes on money matters. They said he was one of the strongest supporters of responsible tax and spending policies.
What was Rick Santorum's role in party leadership?
Santorum became chairman of the Senate Republican Conference in 2000. This was the third-highest leadership position for Republicans in the Senate. In this role, he helped manage how Senate Republicans shared their messages. He was the youngest person in Senate leadership at that time.
He also served on several important Senate committees. These included the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Senate Finance Committee. He led the subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy.
Why did Rick Santorum lose the 2006 election?
In 2006, Santorum ran for a third term in the Senate. His seat was seen as one that Republicans might lose. President George W. Bush was not very popular in Pennsylvania at the time. Santorum chose to campaign with President Bush, which may have hurt his popularity.
Another issue was his support for Republican Senator Arlen Specter in a primary election in 2004. Many conservative Republicans felt this was a betrayal.
Santorum's opponent was Democrat Bob Casey, Jr., whose father was a popular former governor. Santorum was behind Casey in polls for most of the campaign. In the election on November 7, 2006, Santorum lost to Casey by a large number of votes. This was one of the biggest losses for a sitting senator that year.
What has Rick Santorum done since leaving the Senate?
What is Rick Santorum's career as a lawyer, consultant, and commentator?
In January 2007, Santorum joined the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative research group. He also became a commentator for Fox News Channel, sharing his thoughts on politics. In March 2007, he joined a law firm, Eckert Seamans, where he advised businesses. He also started writing a newspaper column called "The Elephant in the Room" for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In January 2017, Santorum became a senior political commentator for CNN. In April 2021, he made comments about Native American culture that were seen as disrespectful. Because of these comments, CNN ended his contract a few days later.
What were Rick Santorum's presidential campaigns like?
Santorum was often mentioned as a possible presidential candidate before the 2006 election. After he lost his Senate seat, he said he would not run for president. However, he later changed his mind.
He officially announced his run for the Republican presidential nomination on June 6, 2011. At first, he was not doing well in polls. But he gained support as other conservative candidates struggled. In the Iowa caucuses, he won by a very small number of votes. He then won three more states on February 7. Santorum won 11 state primaries and received almost four million votes. He was the runner-up to Mitt Romney.
Santorum stopped his campaign on April 10, 2012, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention, talking about the American dream and his family. He also spoke about his daughter Bella, who has a rare genetic condition.
Santorum ran for president again in 2016. He officially announced his candidacy on May 27, 2015. After not doing well in the Iowa caucuses, he ended his campaign on February 3, 2016. He later supported Donald Trump for president.
What is Patriot Voices?
In June 2012, Santorum started Patriot Voices. This is a nonprofit group that aims to "mobilize conservatives" to support causes and candidates who believe in faith, family, freedom, and opportunity. Patriot Voices has supported various candidates for the U.S. Senate and House.
In August 2021, Santorum became a Senior Advisor for the Convention of States Project. This group works to restore the balance of power in the U.S. government.
What are Rick Santorum's business ventures?
In June 2013, Santorum became the Chairman and CEO of EchoLight Studios. This is a Christian movie company based in Dallas. Santorum has helped produce movies like The Christmas Candle. He is also a part owner of Plasma Technologies LLC.
What are Rick Santorum's political views?
Santorum has always held socially conservative views. He supports "compassionate conservatism." His views on money matters are more mixed. In Congress, he voted for tax cuts and wanted to limit government spending. He played a key role in making welfare cuts.
He has been criticized for supporting expensive government programs in education and transportation. He says he regrets many of these votes now. He also says he regrets his support for the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the No Child Left Behind Act.
In 2003, he was described as having a "confrontational" style in politics. He said, "I stand out in front and I lead to make sure the voices of those who do not have a voice are out in front."
What are Rick Santorum's views on social classes?
Santorum has said that the term "middle class" is like "Marxism talk." He believes that the United States does not have social classes. He thinks that talking about classes divides America. He says there are no fixed classes in America.
What are Rick Santorum's views on the death penalty?
In 2005, Santorum expressed some concerns about the death penalty. This was because some people sentenced to death were later found to be innocent. He agreed with the Pope that the death penalty should be used less often in a civilized world. In 2012, he said that capital punishment should only be used when there is absolute certainty of guilt.
What are Rick Santorum's views on energy and the environment?
Santorum does not agree with the scientific view that global warming is harmful and caused mainly by humans. He has called global warming a "scheme" by the political left. He believes it is an excuse for more government control.
When Pope Francis wrote about man-made climate change in 2015, Santorum said: "The Church has gotten it wrong a few times on science. I think we probably are better off leaving science to the scientists."
He supports a policy of "drill everywhere" for oil. He believes there is enough oil, coal, and natural gas for centuries.
What are Rick Santorum's views on gun laws?
Santorum has consistently supported gun rights. He believes in the right to bear arms. He also defends gun manufacturers.
What are Rick Santorum's views on immigration?
In 2015, Santorum called for more limits on family-based immigration. He warned that a "flood of legal—not illegal—immigrants" was lowering the income of American workers.
In 2006, Santorum opposed a Senate plan for immigration reform. He said the U.S. should just enforce existing laws. He is against giving amnesty to illegal immigrants. He supports building a wall along the U.S.–Mexican border. He also wants more border patrol agents and National Guard troops there.
He believes that illegal immigrants who commit crimes should be deported right away. He also thinks undocumented immigrants should not get government benefits. He wants English to be the national language of the United States. Santorum often mentions his own father's immigration from Italy as an example of how to immigrate "the right way."
He has also said that the number of legal immigrants coming into the U.S. is too high. He claims this affects American workers by taking jobs and lowering wages. He believes that all new jobs created in the U.S. since 2000 have gone to immigrants. He says, "We need an immigration policy that puts American workers first."
What are Rick Santorum's views on minimum wage and family leave?
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Santorum supported increasing the federal minimum wage. He said that Republicans were losing elections because they were not talking enough about workers.
Santorum also supports paid family leave.
What are Rick Santorum's views on poverty?
While in Congress, Santorum supported efforts to fight global HIV/AIDS. He also helped provide aid to children in developing countries. He worked to fight genocide in Sudan and supported debt relief for poor countries. Rock musician Bono praised Santorum in 2006 for defending "the most vulnerable."
In the U.S., Santorum supported tax credits for home ownership. He also supported savings accounts for children and helping low-income families save money. He pushed for funding for autism research and fighting tuberculosis. He also supported housing for people with HIV/AIDS and community health centers.
What are Rick Santorum's views on Social Security?
Santorum supported allowing people to partly privatize Social Security. After President Bush was reelected in 2004, Santorum held meetings across Pennsylvania to discuss this topic.
What are Rick Santorum's views on trade policy?
During his time in the U.S. Senate, Santorum generally supported free trade. He also mostly voted against government subsidies.
What is Rick Santorum's personal life like?
Santorum met his wife, Karen Garver, while she was studying law and he was looking for interns. They married in 1990 and have seven living children.
In 1996, their son Gabriel was born too early and died a few hours later.
Santorum and his wife are members of the Knights of Malta.
Santorum owns several rental properties and two homes. In his free time, he enjoys playing fantasy baseball.
What books has Rick Santorum written?
Santorum has written four books:
- It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good (2005)
- American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom (2012)
- Blue Collar Conservatives: Recommitting to an America That Works (2014)
- Bella's Gift: How One Little Girl Transformed Our Family and Inspired a Nation (2015)
In It Takes a Family, Santorum argues that the traditional family is the base of society. He criticizes both very free-market conservatives and liberals. He says they promote too much focus on individual freedom. The book became a New York Times bestseller.
American Patriots tells the stories of 25 lesser-known Americans from the American Revolution. Santorum writes that most Americans know about the Founding Fathers but less about the everyday battles fought by ordinary Americans.
Blue Collar Conservatives suggests that the Republican Party needs to appeal more to working-class Americans. He says that many working-class voters do not vote. He believes Republicans should support workers, not just big businesses. He also talks about education, saying that the current school system is old. He thinks children should not always be pushed to go to college if a job or vocational training is a better fit.
In Bella's Gift, Santorum and his wife write about their daughter Bella. Bella lives with a rare genetic condition called Trisomy 18. The book shares how Bella has changed their family and inspired others.
Images for kids
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Rick Santorum's signature
See also
In Spanish: Rick Santorum para niños
