Jack Wagner (politician)

He originally sought a seat on the Pittsburgh City Council in 1981, but was unsuccessful. In 1983, he again ran for city council, and this time he was successful, winning election to the at-large seat being vacated by Tom Flaherty, who was elected City Controller. Wagner was originally elected to Flaherty's at-large seat, but won re-election after a voter-approved referendum divided city council seats into districts.[5][6][7][8] Wagner won re-election to the at-large seat in 1987, and again in 1989, in a divisive election triggered by the reorganization of city council seats into numbered districts.

In May 1988, Mayor Richard Caliguiri died, and Council President Sophie Masloff ascended to the office of mayor. The council's president pro tempore, Ben Woods, declared himself acting council president.[9] Woods served as acting president from the date of Masloff's swearing-in on May 6, 1988, until he resigned on November 6, 1989, after being indicted on charges of racketeering and extortion.[10] Wagner ascended to the office of Acting Council President following Wood's resignation, and remained in the position until he was formally elected council president the following January.

Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff decided not to seek re-election to a second term. Wagner and four other Democrats ran. State Representative Tom Murphy won the Democratic primary with 72% of the vote. Wagner was a distant second place with 28% of the vote.[11]

Wagner did not seek re-election to city council in 1993, and originally sought instead to run for mayor. In 1994, however, he instead decided to run in the special election triggered by the death of Democrat State Senator Eugene Scanlon. In March, Wagner won the state party endorsement by winning 58% of the vote from the State Democratic Committee. Dan Onorato placed second with 40% of the vote.[12] In May, Wagner won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 46% of the vote, beating Onorato by six points.[13] In November, he won the general election unopposed.[14]

In 1998, he won re-election to a second term unopposed.[15] In 2002, he won re-election to a third term with 72% of the vote.[16]

He was chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

• Appropriations
• Banking and Insurance (Chair)
• Policy
• Rules and Executive Nominations
• Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness

2004

In 2004, Wagner ran to succeed Casey as Auditor General. He won the Democratic primary unopposed. In November, he defeated Republican Joe Peters 52–45 percent.[18]

2008

Wagner won re-election by defeating Republican businessman Chet Beiler 59–38 percent.[19][20] Wagner outpolled Beiler 59–38 percent. He earned the most votes of any candidate in Pennsylvania (3.26 million), including Presidential candidate Barack Obama.[21]

He became Pennsylvania's 50th elected auditor general on January 18, 2005. He was responsible for auditing school districts, executive agencies, and state commissions to ensure fiscal responsibility. The legislature is exempt from the auditor general's purview. The auditor general also serves as an ex officio commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority.