| Joe D'Orsie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 47th district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Keith Gillespie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1986 York County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Adrienne |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Duquesne University (B.A.) |
| Alma mater | Dallastown Area High School |
| Website | www.repjoed.com |
Joseph Frank D'Orsie (born c. 1986) is an American politician who has represented the 47th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Republican since 2023.
Early life
D'Orsie was born in York County, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Dallastown. He graduated from Dallastown Area High School and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from Duquesne University. In 2012, D'Orsie served with Youth with a Mission as a missionary in the Dominican Republic. From 2016 to 2022, he was communications director at Praise Community Church, an affiliate of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee).
Political career
In 2022, D'Orsie defeated incumbent Pennsylvania State Representative Keith Gillespie in a primary challenge and went on to win the general election to represent the 47th District unopposed. D'Orsie's success in the primary was viewed as a backlash from the more ardently rightwing faction of the Republican Party because the incumbent had not been as hard-line on conservative issues.
D'Orsie is a member of the Pennsylvania State Freedom Caucus.
Political positions
Education issues
After the Central York School Board published a banned resources list that included books about Black and Latino representation, D'Orsie wrote an op-ed in the York Daily Record saying, "the concept of banning books should be intolerable to us." However, he claimed what the board drew up was not a book ban, and any talk of a book ban was a deception perpetrated by the media. D'Orsie also said instead of teaching about "heroic Americans like Rosa Parks and Frederick Douglass" the district's amended curriculum included "pornographic " and "hate filled, so called 'anti-racist' selections that condemn 'whiteness' and pit students against each other."
In March 2023, D'Orsie introduced a bill that would prohibit bias reporting systems at state-funded universities, saying that such systems infringe on freedom of speech.
D'Orsie supports school choice. He argues that a school choice program would benefit students looking for better or more specialized education, rather than continuing to fund what he claims is an ineffective public school system. In December 2023, D'Orsie introduced a bill that would alter Pennsylvania's education funding to be distributed on a per student basis rather than sending funds to individual school districts.
In 2024, D'Orsie sponsored legislation that would protect teachers from repercussions if they refuse to use students' preferred pronouns.
COVID-19 pandemic
D'Orsie opposed mitigation mandates related to the COVID-19 pandemic and referred to such mandates as "unconstitutional" and an "abuse of power." He argued it was for individuals themselves to respond how they saw fit.
Taxation
D'Orsie supports abolishing school taxes.
In 2023, D'Orsie drafted a bill that would repeal Pennsylvania's automatic gas tax increase.
Personal life
D'Orsie lives in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Adrienne, and their two children.
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe D'Orsie | 5,178 | 59.61 | |
| Republican | Keith Gillespie (incumbent) | 3,491 | 40.19 | |
| Write-in | 17 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 8,686 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe D'Orsie | 19,537 | 91.38 | |
| Write-in | 1,843 | 8.62 | ||
| Total votes | 21,380 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe D'Orsie (incumbent) | 22,322 | 62.66 | |
| Democratic | Edward Ritter | 13,201 | 37.05 | |
| Write-in | 66 | 0.19 | ||
| Total votes | 35,589 | 100.00 | ||
References
- "2022 General Election Tuesday, November 8, 2022 Official Returns YORK". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Election 2022: Your guide to the 47th state House race". York Daily Record. April 24, 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ "Joe D'Orsie". Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "About". Joe D for PA. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "About". Praise Community Church. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- Enright, Matt (November 9, 2022). "Republicans retain York County legislative seats despite challengers". York Dispatch. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- Leigh, Harri (May 18, 2022). "Two longtime York County Republican legislators ousted by challengers". FOX43. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- "Find Your Local Representatives". State Freedom Caucus Network. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- Panyard, Jack (September 16, 2021). "Central York School Board declines to reverse book ban after series of protests". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- Panyard, Jack (September 10, 2021). "Book ban by Central York school board of racial justice materials spurs student protests". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- D'Orsie, Joe (March 2, 2022). "Central York 'book ban' was a myth perpetuated by the media". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- D'Orsie, Joe (March 29, 2023). "Rep. Joe D'Orsie: Let's open up our colleges for debate". Broad + Liberty. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- D'Orsie, Joe (December 17, 2023). "It's time for educational choice in Pennsylvania | opinion". York Daily Record. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- Ulrich, Steve (December 11, 2023). "D'Orsie Unveils Educational Choice Legislation for PA Students". PoliticsPA. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- Argento, Mike (March 18, 2024). "State Rep. Joe D'Orsie plans bills to protect teachers' refusal to use preferred pronouns". York Daily Record. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- Lehman, Tom (December 26, 2022). "Some Pennsylvania lawmakers want to prevent future automatic gas tax hikes". WGAL News 8 Local. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 76". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- "Representative Joseph D'Orsie". Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (47TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT)(REP)". May 17, 2022 York General Primary. scytl.us. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (47TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT)". York County, PA November 8th, 2022 General Election. scytl.us. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "Representative In The General Assembly (District 47)". York County, PA November 5th, 2024 General Election. November 22, 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
