Phil English (Born June 20, 1956) is a Congressman from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, since 1995 representing the state's 3rd Congressional district (map) in the U.S. House. English was born in Erie, Pennsylvania and he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. While in college, he served as Chairman of the Pennsylvania College Republicans. U.S. Senator Rick Santorum has said before that while he was attending Penn State University, English knocked on his dorm room door early one morning and told him he was going to start a College Republicans organization there. At age 20 he still holds a record (which was later tied in 2000) for being the youngest Pennsylvania Alternate Delegate to a Republican National Convention, set in 1976.
English served as Erie, PA City Controller from 1985-1989. In 1988 he was the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania Treasurer but was defeated by Democrat Catherine Baker Knoll. He stayed in politics and served as Chief of Staff for then State Senator Melissa Hart.
English was elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1994 to the 21st District House seat that Tom Ridge had vacated in his successful run for Governor. (Redistricting put him in the 3rd District from the 2002 election onward.)
As a freshman member being elected from a marginal district, English was at first considered vulnerable. English sits on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. English was re-elected in a close race in 1996 but he hasn't had serious competition in his last three re-election races.
Now serving in his sixth term, English quietly has been moving up the seniority ladder in the House and on the Ways and Means Committee. Being only age 49 in 2005, English shows a lot of potential for moving up in the House Leadership.
