University of Pennsylvania Law School
Where was Matt Cartwright educated in Jul 1983?
Matt Cartwright Matthew Alton Cartwright ( born May 1 , 1961 ) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S . Representative for Pennsylvanias 8th congressional district since 2013 . The district , numbered as the 17th district from 2013 through 2019 , includes a large swath of northeastern Pennsylvania , anchored by Scranton , Wilkes-Barre and the Poconos . A member of the Democratic Party , Cartwright defeated 10-term incumbent Blue Dog Tim Holden , the dean of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation , in the Democratic primary on April 24 , 2012 , by a 57%–43% margin . Cartwright went on to defeat Republican Laureen Cummings in the general election on November 6 , 2012 , by a 61%–39% margin . As an attorney , Cartwright previously worked at the law firm of Munley , Munley , and Cartwright . Early life and education . Cartwright was born on May 1 , 1961 , in Erie , Pennsylvania , the son of Alton S . Cartwright and Adelaide ( Igoe ) Cartwright . Matt Cartwright attended Upper Canada College ( Toronto ) , graduating in 1979 , before going on to earn a magna cum laude Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Hamilton College in 1983 , where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa . Cartwright studied law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School . He served two years as an Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1986 . In 1981 , Cartwright attended the London School of Economics where he met his future wife , Marion Munley . After graduating from law school , both Munley and Cartwright joined the Munley familys law firm in the Scranton area . Law career . For twenty-five years , Cartwright worked as an attorney and partner at Munley , Munley and Cartwright , a Scranton firm specializing in representation of consumers and small businesses in personal and business litigation . He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1986 and in 2005 was further admitted to the Bar of New York . In 2008 , Cartwright was inducted into the International Society of Barristers . Cartwright served from 2009 to 2012 as a member of the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice . Between 2005 and 2011 , Cartwright was the on-air legal analyst for The Law & You . In the segment , aired nightly as part of NBC affiliate WBRE-TVs evening newscast , he fielded viewer questions on legal matters . In 2011 , Cartwright co-authored the legal treatise Litigating Commercial and Business Tort Cases published by Thomson Reuters . During the 1992 presidential election , Cartwright was an Elected Delegate for candidate Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention , representing Pennsylvanias 10th congressional district . In 2001–2002 , he served as District Governor for Rotary International District 7410 , covering northeastern Pennsylvania . On November 5 , 2010 , the Boy Scouts of Americas Northeastern Pennsylvania Council presented Cartwright with its Silver Beaver Award for volunteer service to that organization . U.S . House of Representatives . Elections . - 2012 Pennsylvania Republicans , who controlled the redistricting process after the 2010 United States Census , significantly altered Holdens 17th district . The old 17th had been based in Harrisburg , but the new 17th had been pushed well to the north and east . In the process , it absorbed heavily Democratic Scranton and Wilkes-Barre , previously in the 11th district . The remap significantly altered the 17ths demographics . The old 17th had been anchored in traditionally Republican territory in central Pennsylvania ; in much of the district , Holden was the only elected Democrat above the county level . John McCain carried it with 51 percent of the vote . In contrast , the new 17th was anchored in northeastern Pennsylvania , which had long been the most Democratic region of the state outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh . Had the district existed in 2008 , Barack Obama would have carried it with 56 percent of the vote . An internal poll from Cartwright showed him up seven points against Holden , the incumbent . The new district was significantly bluer than its predecessor and was located in territory where constituents were unfamiliar with Holden . The only portion of the district that had been in the old 17th was Holdens home in Schuylkill County , with the majority of Democratic primary voters located in counties considered more favorable to Cartwrights candidacy . During the primary , Cartwright described himself as being from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party — a line often employed by Howard Dean and Paul Wellstone . He was supported by MoveOn.org , the League of Conservation Voters , and the Campaign for Primary Accountability . Cartwright ran as a self-professed FDR Democrat , and as an ally of President Obama on taxes and health care reform , and pledged to work with U.S . Senator Robert P . Casey Jr. , also of Scranton , on regulations for safety in fracking . Cartwright also benefited in the race from endorsements from popular local public figures like State Representative Phyllis Mundy and former Scranton mayor Jimmy Connors . Holdens opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and his support of energy legislation that included the Halliburton loophole are believed to have contributed to his defeat . On April 24 , 2012 , Cartwright defeated Holden by 57%-43% in the primary . In the November general election , Cartwright faced Republican nurse Laureen Cummings , a leader of the Scranton Tea Party . On November 6 , Cartwright defeated Cummings , 61%–39% to become the districts next congressman . On January 4 , 2013 , Cartwright was selected by his peers to serve as a class president of the 49 new Democratic members of the 113th Congress . - 2014 On November 4 , 2014 , Cartwright won a second term , defeating Republican challenger David Moylan , M.D. , the elected Coroner of Schuylkill County , by 13.6 points . - 2016 On November 8 , 2016 , Cartwright won a third term , defeating Republican challenger Matthew Connolly , a businessman from Northampton County , by seven points . - 2018 In the 2016 general election , President Donald Trump won the 17th district by over 10% in the concurrent presidential election . Facing an underfunded opponent , Cartwright did not run television advertisements . That year , Cartwright won re-election by only seven points , representing his lowest margin of victory . As a result , the National Republican Congressional Committee began to see Cartwright as potentially vulnerable , and listed him as a top target . In response , the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included him on its frontline list . Despite this , the district was rated as Likely D , meaning it was expected that Cartwright would win re-election . After the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania threw out Pennsylvanias previous congressional map , Cartwrights district was renumbered as the 8th district . It was pushed to the north and now covers the northeast corner of the state , but it also sweeps west to grab Scranton and Wilkes-Barre . In the process , it absorbed the remainder of Lackawanna County previously in the 10th district , as well as almost all of Luzerne County . In the election , Cartwright faced a self-funding opponent who spent $1.7 million of his familys money in the race , in total outspending Cartwright by nearly $300,000 , including direct expenditures of $625,778 by the NRCC . Cartwright won his fourth term by 9.3% with 54.65% of the vote without financial assistance from the DCCC . Following the general election , Cartwright was elected to House Democratic leadership , to serve as Co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee for the 116th Congress in the House Democratic Caucus elections . - 2020 On November 3 , 2020 , Cartwright won a fifth term , defeating Republican challenger Jim Bognet , the former senior vice president for communications of the Export–Import Bank of the United States , by nearly three points , representing his lowest margin of victory to date . In contrast , Trump won the district against Democratic challenger and Scranton native Joe Biden by five points during the concurrent presidential election . As a result , Cartwright became one of only seven incumbent Democratic Representatives to win their seats despite Trump prevailing over Biden in them . Political positions . Healthcare . Ed OKeefe of the Washington Post wrote on November 3 , 2013 , that Cartwright was elected largely based on the Affordable Care Act because the veteran moderate Democrat he challenged in a primary voted against it . According to OKeefe , Cartwright spent his first year in office preparing constituents for the ACA . In May 2017 , Cartwright voted against the Republican-sponsored American Health Care Act . Cartwright said in January 2018 that he continued to support the Affordable Care Act . Cartwright also supports Medicare for All . Immigration . In July 2015 , Cartwright voted against a bill that would have withdrawn funding from municipalities that declined to detain undocumented persons for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service . In June 2017 , Cartwright was one of three Democrats who joined the 228-195 majority voting to cut off some particular federal grants from cities not agreeing to detentions . He voted for Kates Law , to increase criminal punishment for undocumented recidivist violent criminals . He co-sponsored legislation to protect the Dreamers , people who entered the country illegally as children . When President Trump ordered a temporary limit on immigration from certain countries , Cartwright criticized the order . Technology . On April 12 , 2016 , Cartwright introduced H.R . 4904 , the MEGABYTE Act , to reduce duplication of computer software procurement by the federal government . The bill passed in the U.S . House on June 7 , 2016 , and passed the U.S . Senate on July 14 , 2016 . It was signed by President Obama on July 29 , 2016 . Cartwright supports net neutrality . Veterans . On June 29 , 2017 , Cartwright introduced H.R . 3122 , the Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2017 , to crack down on scams targeting veterans applying for the Aid and Attendance benefits . The bill passed in the U.S . House on November 6 , 2017 , and passed the Senate on February 15 , 2018 . It was signed by President Trump on March 9 , 2018 . Economic issues . Cartwright supports increasing the income tax on the highest incomes . He also believes the current tax system in place gives too many breaks to Americans in the highest tax brackets . He describes the middle class as being under assault and seeks to alter the tax system to allow the middle-class to carry less of a burden . Cartwright has criticized the Trump tax cut , saying that it gave taxpayers little relief while adding huge sums to the national debt . Cartwright has stated that promoting family-sustaining jobs is his No . 1 message . He introduced H.R . 2296 , the Job Creation through Energy Efficiency Manufacturing Act , and H.R . 5812 , the Innovate America Act . He supports stricter enforcement of prohibitions against gender-based discrimination in wages . He has described education as the only method of truly alleviating poverty . Cartwright supports reducing defense spending in some areas . Environment . To combat global warming , Cartwright supports implementing cap-and-trade emission standards for companies to encourage lowering emissions . On February 26 , 2014 , Cartwright introduced the Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 ( H.R . 4092 ; 113th Congress ) , a bill that would require the United States Department of Energy to establish a centralized clearinghouse to disseminate information on federal programs , incentives , and mechanisms for financing energy-efficient retrofits and upgrades at schools . Cartwright argued that the bill is a strategic and cost-saving investment to relieve the fiscal pressure felt by schools across the country while bringing us closer to energy security . Cartwrights bill passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on April 30 , 2014 . It passed the full House of Representatives on June 23 , 2014 . Gun policy . Cartwright is in favor of more gun control . During his first month in office he co-sponsored four bills involving gun control . He opposes gun-makers legal immunity after a crime has occurred , and he opposes assault rifle sales . LGBT rights . He supports same-sex marriages and stated theres no reason to discriminate against gay people . He does not believe religious leaders should be mandated to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies . The Human Rights Campaign scorecard has given Cartwright a 100% score for his tenure in Congress . Abortion . Cartwright describes himself as personally pro-life but has consistently voted for abortion rights . Student loans . In October 2018 , Cartwright co-authored a Washington Post article proposing a pilot program to examine the effectiveness of non-transferable financial incentives such as certain student loan forgiveness being given to increase organ donation . Committee assignments . - Committee on Appropriations - Subcommittee on Commerce , Justice and Science ( Chair ) - Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government ( Vice Chair ) - Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs - Committee on Natural Resources - Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States - House Democratic Committee on Steering and Policy Caucuses . - Congressional Progressive Caucus - House Military Depot and Industrial Facilities Caucus - the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Caucus - United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus - Veterinary Medicine Caucus - Climate Solutions Caucus - Blue Collar Caucus Personal life . Cartwright married Marion K . Munley on August 10 , 1985 , in Archbald , Pennsylvania . They live in Moosic , Pennsylvania , with their two sons . External links . - Congressman Matt Cartwright official U.S . House website - Matt Cartwright for Congress