Biography

11/03/1946 -

Eugene E. "Gene" Porterfield (D39) Indiana (Part) and Westmoreland (Part) Counties 1989-1992 (D39) Westmoreland (Part) County 1993-1996

Early Life:

Eugene E. "Gene" Porterfield, born November 3, 1946, Connellsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania; public school education; Connellsville High School, 1964; 2nd Lieutenant, A Company, 99th Army Reserve Command (ARCOM), 1966-1972; Certified Pennsylvania Evaluator (CPE) license, real estate appraiser; married Cindy Payne, 1988, children, Todd, Lisa, Beth, Camdon; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1989-1996; Gulf War, United States Army Reserves, Kuwait, 1991; lost to Allen Kukovich, primary, 1996; unsuccessful campaign, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1999; unsuccessful campaign, Republican, Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners, 2003; president, Evaluator Services and Technology, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

99th Army Reserve Command (ARCOM), never saw action, Vietnam War. Sergeant, B Company, 1966-1969; enlisted, Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia, returned to 99th ARCOM August, 1969-1972, 2nd Lieutenant, A Company. In the last year of his service, he served with the Brownsville Non-Commissioned Officers Training Company, honorably discharged, commissioned officer, August 1972.

Served during the Gulf War, United States Army Reserves, 14th Quartermaster Detachment, Kuwait; housing base, was struck by an enemy SCUD missile, killing 13 soldiers belonging to the detachment, 1991.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 39th district, Indiana (Part) and Westmoreland (Part) Counties, 1989-1993; reelected, Pennsylvania State Senate, 39th district, Westmoreland (Part) County, 1993-1996; co-sponsored, Pennsylvania Child Passenger Protection Act; responsible for securing key construction grants, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport; lost to Allen Kukovich, primary, 1996.

Unsuccessful campaign, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 39th district, 1999.

Unsuccessful campaign, Republican, Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners, 2003.

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members P". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.