| Biography | | Rep. Tom Houghton is an attorney and previously served seven years as a supervisor of London Grove Township, including five years as chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Houghton served four years on the township’s Planning Commission and was also London Grove's representative on the executive committee to PennDOT's Route 41 Commission. Houghton is also a board member of the White Clay Creek Watershed Association, board member and member of Jennersville YMCA, and he and his wife are both State Grange members.
Houghton is a 1991 graduate of LaSalle University and 1995 graduate of Widener Law School. He married his high school sweetheart, Danelle, and together they have two children, Marley and Benjamin. The couple has also served for many years as foster parents with Chester County Children and Youth Services.
Recently, Houghton was appointed by House Speaker Keith McCall to the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee. The Joint Conservation Committee is a bipartisan committee consisting of 18 members of the state House and Senate that conducts studies, holds hearings and makes recommendations to the General Assembly on air and water pollution laws, mining practices and land reclamation. Recent issues the committee has focused on include land use and growth management, sewer and water infrastructure and Pennsylvania's Heritage Park program.
Occupation/Qualifications: Current occupation, Self-employed Attorney. Current Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, London Grove Township 2.5 years and Vice-Chair for 2 years; Past Board Member on 2 watershed groups and currently a Board Member of the White Clay Creek Watershed Association.
Professional Experience:
Self-Employed Attorney, Thomas D. Houghton, Esquire, 1997-present
Law Clerk, Jonathan M. Levin and Associates, 1988-1996.
Political Experience:
Supervisor/Chair, Board of Supervisors, London Grove Township, 2002-present
Candidate, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, District 13, 2006.
Organizations:
Member, White Clay Watershed Association, 2000-present
Member, Friends of Heinz Wildlife Refuge, 1997-present
Board Member, Darby Creek Valley Association, 1998-2004.
Thomas D. "Tom" Houghton is a Democratic politician and former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represented the 13th district from 2009 through 2010.
Personal life
After working his way through law school, Tom married his high school sweetheart Danelle and went into private practice. As they were just starting their lives together, they had to grapple with the loss of both of their mothers to cancer. In search of a fresh start, they began exploring the winding roads of Southern Chester County. “The sprawling farms and quiet meadows stole our hearts. We knew we were home.” In 1999, the couple settled in London Grove Township and opened up a storefront for his law practice in West Grove. Tom and Danelle have two children, Marley, 10, and Benjamin, 6, and have served for a total of six years as Foster Parents with Chester County’s Children & Youth Services.
Professional career
Houghton is a practicing attorney. He has served as London Grove Township's representative on the executive committee to PennDOT's Route 41 Commission and is a board member of the White Clay Creek Watershed Association.
Political career
Township Supervisor
In 2002, Houghton was elected to the London Grove Township Board of Supervisors. He served as chairman of that body for several years.
State House Campaigns
Houghton first ran for the 13th district seat in 2006. He was defeated by Republican incumbent Art Hershey by 1,800 votes.
On November 4, 2008, he was elected to the State House, succeeding Hershey, who had declined to run for reelection. He defeated his main opponent, John Lawrence, by a margin of 47.5% to 46.4%.
Houghton's original opponent, Curtis Mason, was forced to drop out of the race. In the end, he narrowly defeated his opponent in a count that stretched into the morning following election day.
In the 2010 election, Houghton was defeated by over 2,000 (over 10%) votes by his opponent from two years prior, John Lawrence.
State House Career
Houghton served on the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, as well as the Children and Youth, Environmental Resources and Energy and the Local Government Committees. He was also appointed to the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee by the Speaker of the House.
Political future
Houghton originally announced his intention to challenge Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi in 2012. However, due to redistricting, Houghton's home was drawn out of Pileggi's 9th District seat, and moved into the 19th District, currently represented by Democrat Andy Dinniman. Houghton subsequently announced his intention to challenge Dinniman in the Democratic primary. Houghton is running for Congress in 2014, challenging Republican incumbent Joe Pitts in Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district. He faces stem-cell scientist, Raja Kittappa in the democratic primary.1 |
