Eric Weaknecht
Eric Weaknecht | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 5th district | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Barry Jozwiak |
| Sheriff of Berks County | |
| In office January 7, 2008[1] – December 2, 2024[2] | |
| Preceded by | Barry Jozwiak[3] |
| Succeeded by | Mandy Miller (acting)[4] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1965 |
| Party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Kutztown Area High School[6] |
Eric J. Weaknecht[6] (born c. 1965)[3] is an American politician and former law enforcement officer who is the current representative for the 5th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A Republican, he assumed office in 2025. Weaknecht was previously the sheriff of Berks County, Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2024.
Law enforcement career
[edit | edit source]Weaknecht began working as a deputy sheriff with the Sheriff's Office of Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1984.[7] In 1996, Weaknecht was promoted to assistant chief deputy in charge of the court division. Three years later, Weaknecht became chief deputy sheriff.[1] He was elected sheriff in 2007 and was reelected four times.[7] In June 2012, Governor Tom Corbett appointed Weaknecht to the Deputy Sheriffs' Education and Training Board.[1] Governor Tom Wolf would reappoint Weaknecht to an addition two terms.[3] A month after his original appointment to the board, Weaknecht was elected secretary-treasurer of the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association.[1]
Weaknecht was one of 70 American sheriffs who joined Protect America Now, a group founded by Mark Lamb, the sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, to push for "election integrity" following President Donald Trump's false claims of massive voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Concerns about election integrity led Weaknecht to station armed officers at ballot drop boxes during the 2020 and 2022 elections.[8]
Political career
[edit | edit source]After Pennsylvania State Representative Barry Jozwiak retired in 2024, Weaknecht was elected to represent the 5th district after defeating Democratic candidate Heather Hanna in the general election.[7]
Political positions
[edit | edit source]Weaknecht opposes sanctuary city policies and red flag laws.[9] He believes Pennsylvania has enough gun laws and should focus on enforcement rather than making new laws.[10]
Electoral history
[edit | edit source]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Weaknecht | 33,948 | 51.07 | |
| Democratic | Mike Garipoli | 32,512 | 48.91 | |
| Write-in | 16 | 0.02 | ||
| Total votes | 66,476 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Weaknecht (incumbent) | 34,233 | 65.42 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Billings | 18,077 | 34.55 | |
| Write-in | 15 | 0.03 | ||
| Total votes | 52,325 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Weaknecht (incumbent) | 37,167 | 65.05 | |
| Democratic | Lester Klock | 19,954 | 34.93 | |
| Write-in | 12 | 0.02 | ||
| Total votes | 57,133 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Weaknecht (incumbent) | 45,515 | 60.24 | |
| Democratic | Bart Ganster | 30,004 | 39.71 | |
| Write-in | 39 | 0.05 | ||
| Total votes | 75,558 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic/Republican | Eric Weaknecht (incumbent) | 72,918 | 99.23 | |
| Write-in | 564 | 0.77 | ||
| Total votes | 73,482 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Weaknecht | 23,664 | 66.66 | |
| Democratic | Heather Hanna | 11,801 | 33.24 | |
| Write-in | 36 | 0.10 | ||
| Total votes | 35,501 | 100.00 | ||
References
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