About Chris

Chris Doherty knows families and he knows Pennsylvania.

As one of eleven kids and the proud father of six, Chris wants Pennsylvania to be the best state in the country in which to raise a family.  That begins with creating new jobs, expanding healthcare, and improving our schools.

“Creating new jobs will be my number one priority as state senator,” Doherty says.  And he knows how to do it.  As mayor of Scranton he helped orchestrate a stunning economic turnaround that was built on his belief that you must have the courage to invest in yourself first and others will follow.  In the last eight years, Scranton has created more than 6,000 new jobs and benefitted from over $500 million in new investment.

And people are taking notice.

The Wall Street Journal called it a Scranton “comeback.”  Money magazine ranked Scranton as one of ten fastest-growing real estate markets in the country and Business Week called it one of the best cities in Pennsylvania in which to raise children.

When Doherty took over the mayor’s office in 2001 the city couldn’t secure a bond rating and the city government didn’t even have e-mail.  “We had to roll up our sleeves and knock a few heads to get things moving,” Doherty says.  The Scranton Times called it a “no-nonsense approach” that put the people of the city first, and the old-politics last.

“People first, politics last.  It doesn’t always win you friends, but it’s the best way to get real results for the city,” Doherty adds. 

Northeast Pennsylvanians of all stripes are responding to Doherty’s leadership.  In May, 2009 he was the first mayor in Scranton’s history to win both the Democratic and Republican (as a write-in) primaries.

“Northeast Pennsylvania needs someone who knows how to turn around our cities and towns and create jobs,” says Doherty.  “Good jobs secure families and secure homes.  Those are the things that matter most and they are at the heart of my campaign.”

Chris has been married to his wife Donna for 26 years, and they are the proud parents of Christopher, Michael, Marie, Elizabeth, Donna, and Hugh