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Mark Critz
Mark Stephen Critz (born January 5, 1962) is an American politician and former U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district, having served from a special election in May 2010 until January 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district during his tenure, which was located in the southwestern portion of the state, stretched from Johnstown to the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh.
Critz was the district director for the 12th's longtime congressman, John Murtha. Following Murtha's death, Critz won the May 2010 special election with 53% of the vote to complete Murtha's term. Critz was sworn in on May 20. Critz won a full term in November 2010 to represent the 12th District in Congress. He was defeated in November 2012 by Republican challenger Keith Rothfus.
Critz won the Democratic nomination for the 2022 U.S. House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district via write-in, but he declined to run.
Critz is the son of Mary Lou (née Rybacki) and William S. Critz. His father was of Slovak descent, and his mother is of half-Polish and half-Italian ancestry. Critz attended Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
"Most of my friends, their folks worked in the mill or were small business owners," Critz told the National Journal about his upbringing. "There were hundreds of thousands of families that relied on steel directly, and when that started to fade the area got hit pretty hard." The National Journal also wrote that, after his college graduation, Critz "struggled to find work in the decimated local economy" and he “left the region for a job managing a Roy Rogers restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware” in 1987. In addition to Roy Rogers, Critz served as a manager for Spherical Concepts and American Eagle Outfitters.
He then took landscaping and construction jobs before becoming a volunteer for Congressman John Murtha in 1994. Four years later, he took a paying job on Murtha's staff, eventually rising to the position of District Director. Critz focused on district issues, serving as Murtha's liaison to the Flight 93 Memorial committee and the Que Creek Mine disaster site.
PoliticsPA reported that "Critz...attended a 2005 meeting with defense contractors and lobbyists and offered the Congressman's [Murtha's] support for an earmark project that ended in the criminal convictions of three men."
Critz was recognized for his service to the military when he was awarded the Patrick Henry Award by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS). It is the highest civilian award issued by the National Guard.
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Mark Critz
Mark Stephen Critz (born January 5, 1962) is an American politician and former U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district, having served from a special election in May 2010 until January 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district during his tenure, which was located in the southwestern portion of the state, stretched from Johnstown to the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh.
Critz was the district director for the 12th's longtime congressman, John Murtha. Following Murtha's death, Critz won the May 2010 special election with 53% of the vote to complete Murtha's term. Critz was sworn in on May 20. Critz won a full term in November 2010 to represent the 12th District in Congress. He was defeated in November 2012 by Republican challenger Keith Rothfus.
Critz won the Democratic nomination for the 2022 U.S. House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district via write-in, but he declined to run.
Critz is the son of Mary Lou (née Rybacki) and William S. Critz. His father was of Slovak descent, and his mother is of half-Polish and half-Italian ancestry. Critz attended Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
"Most of my friends, their folks worked in the mill or were small business owners," Critz told the National Journal about his upbringing. "There were hundreds of thousands of families that relied on steel directly, and when that started to fade the area got hit pretty hard." The National Journal also wrote that, after his college graduation, Critz "struggled to find work in the decimated local economy" and he “left the region for a job managing a Roy Rogers restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware” in 1987. In addition to Roy Rogers, Critz served as a manager for Spherical Concepts and American Eagle Outfitters.
He then took landscaping and construction jobs before becoming a volunteer for Congressman John Murtha in 1994. Four years later, he took a paying job on Murtha's staff, eventually rising to the position of District Director. Critz focused on district issues, serving as Murtha's liaison to the Flight 93 Memorial committee and the Que Creek Mine disaster site.
PoliticsPA reported that "Critz...attended a 2005 meeting with defense contractors and lobbyists and offered the Congressman's [Murtha's] support for an earmark project that ended in the criminal convictions of three men."
Critz was recognized for his service to the military when he was awarded the Patrick Henry Award by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS). It is the highest civilian award issued by the National Guard.