Scott Wagner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scott Wagner
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 28th district
In office April 2, 2014 – June 4, 2018
Preceded by	Mike Waugh
Succeeded by	Kristin Phillips-Hill
Personal details
Born	(1955-09-21) September 21, 1955 (age 69) York Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Candy Overlander (divorced) Ellen Beecher (divorced) Silvia Rodriguez ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 2008)​ Tracy Higgs ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	2
Education	Pennsylvania College of Technology (no degree)

Scott R. Wagner (born September 21, 1955) is an American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a state senator for the 28th district in the Pennsylvania State Senate.

In 2018, Wagner was the Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania. He ran against the Democrat at the time, Tom Wolf, but lost the election.

Early Life and Business Career

Scott Wagner grew up on a farm in York County, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Dallastown Area High School in 1973, he attended college for one semester. He then left to start his own businesses.

When he was 19, Wagner bought his first piece of land and sold it two years later for a profit. He went on to run several businesses, including a laundromat and a ski shop.

In 1985, Wagner helped start a waste management company called York Waste Disposal. He sold it in 1997. In 2000, he started another waste company called Penn Waste, which grew to have 400 employees. Wagner sold Penn Waste in 2019. He also owns other companies, including a trucking business.

Political Career

Wagner's political career began when he ran for the Pennsylvania State Senate. He served from 2014 to 2018.

Winning a Seat in the Senate

In 2014, Wagner ran in a special election for the Pennsylvania Senate. At first, the Republican Party in his area chose another candidate. So, Wagner decided to run as a write-in candidate. This means his name was not on the ballot, and voters had to write his name on their voting forms.

Wagner became the first person in history to win an election to the Pennsylvania State Senate as a write-in candidate. He was sworn into office on April 2, 2014.

Work in the State Senate

As a senator, Wagner was known for his fiscally conservative views, meaning he often supported lower government spending and taxes. He helped Republicans gain a supermajority in the Senate in 2016. A supermajority means a political party holds so many seats that it has a very strong influence on passing laws.

He worked with Democratic senator Anthony H. Williams on a "Clean Slate" law. This law automatically seals the records of non-violent crimes for people who stay crime-free for ten years. This helps them find jobs and housing more easily.

Wagner also had strong opinions on other issues.

• Environment: He supported drilling for natural gas on state lands. In 2017, he stated his belief that climate change was caused by the Earth moving closer to the sun and by body heat from the growing human population. This idea is different from the scientific consensus on climate change, which states that human activities, like burning fossil fuels, are the main cause.
• Unions: Wagner was a critic of labor unions, which are organizations that represent workers. He once made a comparison about unions that he later apologized for, calling it an "unfortunate analogy."

Wagner left the Senate in June 2018 to focus on his campaign for governor.

2018 Campaign for Governor

Wagner won the Republican primary election to become the party's nominee for governor of Pennsylvania. He challenged the current governor, Tom Wolf.

During the campaign, Wagner and Wolf had one televised debate. Wagner had wanted more debates to be held. In a campaign video, Wagner made a threat against his opponent using a sports metaphor. He later said he used a "poor choice of words" and should not have said it.

Wagner's campaign platform included:

• Getting rid of property taxes.
• Supporting uniforms for all students in schools.
• Allowing private companies to sell alcohol instead of the state.
• Bringing back the death penalty in Pennsylvania.

In the election on November 6, 2018, Wagner lost to Tom Wolf.

Political Views and Support

Wagner is a lifelong Republican and has donated millions of dollars to Republican campaigns. He is a supporter of former President Donald Trump and has said he is similar to him. Trump endorsed Wagner for governor in 2018.

During his political career, some of Wagner's comments caused controversy. In 2017, he made remarks about political donor George Soros that were criticized as being hurtful. He did not apologize for the comments.

Personal Life

Wagner has been married four times and has two daughters, Katharine and Cristina. He married Tracy Higgs in 2014. His daughter Katharine worked on his Senate campaign.

Election Results