Ryan Costello
Ryan Costello is a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Pennsylvania. Costello represented Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District.[1]
On March 25, 2018, Costello announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018. Speaking about his decision, he said, "It was a combination of factors. It has been a deeply personal decision and evaluation. But those who love me agree and those who I love agree with it. I will not be running for re-election. ... Whether it’s (President Trump’s rumored affair with porn start) Stormy Daniels, or passing an omnibus spending bill that the president threatens to veto after promising to sign, it’s very difficult to move forward in a constructive way today. Plus I think there is a lot of hate out there, from the left especially, and it’s a very angry environment. It is a sad commentary on the state of our culture and political environment. It’s not me doing it, but I am the one who gets the brunt of it.”[2][3]
Biography
Costello graduated from Ursinus College and the Villanova School of Law. He began practicing law in 2002 with O'Donnell, Weiss & Mattei, P.C.[4] Costello served as chair of the Chester County Board of Commissioners. He was first elected to the board in 2011. He previously served as Chester County recorder of deeds and as chair of the East Vincent Township Board of Supervisors.[4]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Hill's academic, professional, and political career:[5]
- 2015-2019: U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District
- 2011-2015: Chair of the Chester County Board of Commissioners
- 2002: Graduated from Villanova University with a LL.B.
- 1999: Graduated from Ursinus College with a B.A.
Prior to entering politics, Costello was a private practice lawyer.
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2017-2018
At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Costello was assigned to the following committees:[6]
2015-2016
Costello served on the following committees:[7]
Key votes
- See also: Key votes
Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.
Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018
- For detailed information about each vote, click here.
Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress
Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract) |
---|
114th CongressThe first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[46][47] For more information pertaining to Costello's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.[48] Economic and fiscalTrade Act of 2015Trade adjustment assistance Defense spending authorizationOn May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Costello voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill.[57] The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.[58] On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.[59][60] Costello voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill.[61] On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.[62] 2016 Budget proposalOn April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Costello voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill.[63][64][65] 2015 budgetOn October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.[66] Costello voted with 78 Republicans and 187 Democrats in favor of the bill.[67] It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015.[68] President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign AffairsIran nuclear deal
On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Costello voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill.[69][70]
Export-Import BankOn October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods.[77] Costello voted with 126 Republicans and 186 Democrats in favor of the bill.[78] DomesticUSA FREEDOM Act of 2015On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Costello voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.[79][80] Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection ActOn May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Costello voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill.[81][82] Cyber securityOn April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies.[83] Costello voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill.[84] On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116.[85] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Costello voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill.[86] ImmigrationOn November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137.[87] The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Costello voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill.[88] |
Issues
Government shutdown
Costello, along with ten other GOP House freshmen, composed a letter to their Republican colleagues in September 2015, urging them to pass a resolution to avert a government shutdown. The letter read:
“ | [W]e are writing today to express our strong support for a funding resolution that will avoid another unnecessary and harmful government shutdown. [W]e were elected by our constituent’s to be principled, pragmatic leaders... The sixteen-day government shutdown in 2013... not only hurt taxpayers with the loss of important government services — it actually cost more taxpayer money to close the federal government than to keep it open.[89][90] | ” |
Elections
2018
On March 25, 2018, Costello announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018. Speaking about his decision, he said, "It was a combination of factors. It has been a deeply personal decision and evaluation. But those who love me agree and those who I love agree with it. I will not be running for re-election. ... Whether it’s (President Trump’s rumored affair with porn start) Stormy Daniels, or passing an omnibus spending bill that the president threatens to veto after promising to sign, it’s very difficult to move forward in a constructive way today. Plus I think there is a lot of hate out there, from the left especially, and it’s a very angry environment. It is a sad commentary on the state of our culture and political environment. It’s not me doing it, but I am the one who gets the brunt of it.”[2][3]
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Ryan Costello (R) defeated Mike Parrish (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent in April.[91][92]
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Ryan Costello Incumbent | 57.2% | 207,469 | |
Democratic | Mike Parrish | 42.8% | 155,000 | |
Total Votes | 362,469 | |||
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State |
Costello was a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program. The program was designed to help protect vulnerable Republican incumbents heading into the 2016 election.[93]
On March 25, 2018, Costello announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018. Speaking about his decision, he said, "It was a combination of factors. It has been a deeply personal decision and evaluation. But those who love me agree and those who I love agree with it. I will not be running for re-election. ... Whether it’s (President Trump’s rumored affair with porn start) Stormy Daniels, or passing an omnibus spending bill that the president threatens to veto after promising to sign, it’s very difficult to move forward in a constructive way today. Plus I think there is a lot of hate out there, from the left especially, and it’s a very angry environment. It is a sad commentary on the state of our culture and political environment. It’s not me doing it, but I am the one who gets the brunt of it.”[2][3]
2014
Costello won election to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 6th District on November 4, 2014. Costello ran unopposed in the Republican primary on May 20, 2014.[94]
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Ryan Costello | 56.3% | 119,643 | |
Democratic | Manan Trivedi | 43.7% | 92,901 | |
Total Votes | 212,544 | |||
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State |
Young gun
Costello was added to the Republican Party’s 2014 "Young Guns" top 10 list of candidates for the House. According to the National Republican Congressional Committee, candidates were added to the list by demonstrating "their ability to build a formidable campaign structure and achieve important goals and benchmarks.”[95]
Polls
General Election | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Ryan Costello | Manan Trivedi | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||||
Lake Research Partners July 15-17 | 35% | 30% | 35% | +/-4.9 | 400 | ||||||||||||||
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Analysis
According to the website GovTrack, Costello missed 6 of 548 roll call votes from January 2015 to September 2015. This amounted to 1.1 percent, which was lower than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.[96]
2016 Republican National Convention
- See also: Republican National Convention, 2016
Ryan Costello | |
Republican National Convention, 2016 | |
Status: | District-level delegate |
Congressional district: | 6 |
State: | Pennsylvania |
Bound to: | Unpledged |
Delegates to the RNC 2016 | |
Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • Delegate rules by state • State election law and delegates • Delegates by state |
Costello was a district-level delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania.[97] All 54 district-level delegates from Pennsylvania were elected directly by voters in the state primary election as unpledged delegates, meaning they were not bound to vote for any specific candidate at the national convention. Pennsylvania’s 14 at-large delegates and its three RNC delegates, however, were bound by the results of the state primary election to support Donald Trump. As of July 13, 2016, Trump had approximately 1,542 delegates. The winner of the Republican nomination needed the support of 1,237 delegates. Trump formally won the nomination on July 19, 2016.
Delegate rules
At-large delegates from Pennsylvania were selected at the summer meeting of the State Committee on May 21, 2016. They were allocated to the statewide winner of the state primary election. Pennsylvania's 54 congressional district delegates were directly elected on the primary ballot as unbound delegates. They were not required to disclose which candidate they supported at the time of their election.
Pennsylvania primary results
Pennsylvania Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
Donald Trump | 56.6% | 902,593 | 17 | |
Ted Cruz | 21.7% | 345,506 | 0 | |
John Kasich | 19.4% | 310,003 | 0 | |
Jeb Bush | 0.6% | 9,577 | 0 | |
Marco Rubio | 0.7% | 11,954 | 0 | |
Ben Carson | 0.9% | 14,842 | 0 | |
Totals | 1,594,475 | 17 | ||
Source: The New York Times and Pennsylvania Secretary of State |
Delegate allocation
Pennsylvania had 71 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 54 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's 18 congressional districts). According to the Republican National Committee, Pennsylvania's district delegates were "elected on the primary ballot as officially unbound," meaning that these delegates were not required to pledge their support to the winner of the state's primary.[98][99]
Of the remaining 17 delegates, 14 served at large. Pennsylvania's at-large delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the plurality winner of the state's primary received all of the state's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention. The RNC delegates were required to pledge their support to the winner of the state's primary.[98][99]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Costello and his wife, Christine, have a son and live in West Chester.[4]
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District elections, 2014
- Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District
- Pennsylvania
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Primary candidate list," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Hill, "Costello won't seek reelection in Pennsylvania," March 25, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Daily Local News, "Citing political environment, Costello says he will not seek re-election in 6th District," March 25, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Campaign website, "Meet Ryan," accessed March 17, 2014
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Ryan Costello," accessed January 28, 2015
- ↑ U.S. House Clerk, "Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States One Hundred Fifteenth Congress," accessed February 2, 2017
- ↑ U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, "Committee Information," accessed February 20, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed December 13, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 284," June 21, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 282," June 21, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed March 12, 2019
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 549," October 3, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 344," June 29, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 342," June 29, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 256," May 4, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 405," September 26, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 399," September 13, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 313," June 28, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 257," June 8, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 216," May 22, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 127," March 22, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 69," February 9, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 60," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 44," January 22, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 33," January 18, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 708," December 21, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 692," December 19, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 670," December 7, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 637," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 589," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 557," October 5, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 528," September 14, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 480," September 8, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 441," September 6, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 299," June 8, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 249," May 3, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 230," May 24, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 49," January 30, 2018
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 631," November 14, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 435," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 413," July 25, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 437," July 28, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 407," July 24, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 378," July 14, 2017
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 136," March 8, 2017
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 113th Congress," accessed April 29, 2015
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 114th Congress," accessed January 5, 2017
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress," April 13, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 361," June 12, 2015
- ↑ Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30 (Updated)," June 15, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 362," June 12, 2015
- ↑ Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30 (Updated)," June 15, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 374," June 18, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Trade turnaround: House backs new power for Obama," June 18, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 388," June 24, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Obama signs trade bills," June 29, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 239," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R. 1735," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Redone defense policy bill sails through House," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S. 1356," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 618," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356)," accessed November 12, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.11," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 183," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 579," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314)," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1191 - Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 226," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 3461," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 493," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 3460," accessed September 10, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 494," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H Res 411," accessed September 10, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 492," accessed September 10, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 597," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 576," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2048," accessed May 26, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 224," accessed May 26, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 36 - the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "HR 36," accessed May 16, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1731," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 173," accessed November 2, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1560 - Protecting Cyber Networks Act," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 170," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 4038 - the American SAFE Act of 2015," accessed November 20, 2015
- ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 643," accessed November 20, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "GOP freshmen urge party to avoid shutdown," September 23, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Unofficial Candidate Listing – Pre Ballot Lottery," accessed February 17, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Pennsylvania Primary Results," April 26, 2016
- ↑ NRCC, "Patriot Program," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ Associated Press, "Pennsylvania - Summary Vote Results," May 20, 2014
- ↑ NewsMax.com, "Republican Party Rolls Out 2014 'Young Guns' List," accessed May 12, 2014
- ↑ GovTrack, "Ryan Costello," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "April 26, 2016 Official Returns," accessed June 2, 2016
- ↑ 98.0 98.1 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
- ↑ 99.0 99.1 CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Jim Gerlach (R) |
U.S. House of Representatives - Pennsylvania District 6 2015–2019 |
Succeeded by Chrissy Houlahan (D) |