Greenleaf to Retire

Written by Paul Engelkemier, Managing Editor

According to sources, state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Bucks) will announce this afternoon that he is retiring at the end of this year, creating another open seat in the southeast.

Sources close to Greenleaf confirmed to PoliticsPA that he will not seek re-election and will support his son, Montgomery County Controller Stewart Greenleaf Jr. for the seat.

Update: “Serving the people of Pennsylvania – especially the citizens of Montgomery and Bucks Counties – has bee my greatest honor. While I will miss the privilege of being a strong voice for justice for all the people as a legislator, it does not mean I cannot continue to help others in our community in a different way,” Greenleaf said in a statement.

Greenleaf’s long-rumored decision comes amid a slew of retirements in the southeast ahead of the 2018 election. The seat will likely be contested by Democrats as they look to close the veto-proof Senate majority Republicans currently hold.

The decision follows a similar one by Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, who announced last week his intent to retire.

Greenleaf has outperformed other Republicans in the 12th district for several years. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the district 51-45. Governor Tom Wolf won it by 4 points in 2014. President Obama won the 12th by 0.13 percent in 2012.

January 22nd, 2018 | Posted in Front Page Stories, Harrisburg, Top Stories | 21 Comments