Don Sherwood



Donald L. Sherwood was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 10th Congressional District of Pennsylvania (map) from 1999 to 2007. He was defeated in the 2006 congressional elections by Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.).

Background
Sherwood was born March 5, 1941 in Nicholson, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1963, and spent the next two years in the U.S. Army. He opened a car dealership in Tunkhannock, which is still owned by his family, and also served on the borough's school board from 1975 to 1998.

Sherwood and his wife, Carol (Evans) Sherwood, have three daughters: Jesse, Dana and Maria.

Congressional Career
In 1998, Sherwood was nominated by the GOP to replace Representative Joseph McDade, who was retiring after serving 36 years in Congress. In 1998, he was elected to the House of Representatives, narrowly defeating Democratic candidate Patrick Casey by only 515 votes. His campaign television commercials and mass mailings were produced by a Republican media and strategy firm, Campbell & Pusateri. His mass mailings emphasized personal values and "common sense" conservatism. He received support from The New Conservative Leadership Fund. Sherwood defeated Casey again in 2000. Redistricting (reapportionment) made Sherwood's district safer, and he won with 93% of the vote over a candidate of the Green Party.

After redistricting cut heavily-Democratic Scranton from the 10th District that year, Sherwood successfully ran for re-election in 2002 and 2004, without any major opposition. He plans to seek a fifth term in 2006. Sherwood's only challenger, as of February 2006, is Democrat Chris Carney, a former Defense Department consultant and Naval Reserve lieutenant commander.

Iraq War
Sherwood voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

2006 elections
In 2006, Democrats nominated Chris Carney to face Sherwood in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)  Carney defeated Sherwood 53%-47% to take possession of the seat. 

Cynthia Ore Affair and Lawsuit
On September 15, 2004, the police in Washington, D.C. were called to Sherwood's apartment when a woman named Cynthia Ore called 911 on her mobile phone and said that Sherwood was choking her. When the police arrived, however, she said that nothing had happened. Sherwood said that he had been giving the 29-year-old woman a back rub. The incident report prepared by the police stated, "Both parties have left out significant information or are not willing to discuss in detail what actually happened." . Sherwood said that the woman was "an acquaintance", but he refused to specify the nature of their relationship. Ore said, "The wine and roses – that got me. I'm not someone to sleep around. With Don, it was exclusive." 

The details of that incident went unnoticed until 2005, when Veronica Hannevig, who ran against Sherwood on the Constitution Party ticket in 2004, leaked a copy of the police report to several newspapers and television stations. Sherwood eventually admitted he had a five-year affair with Ore, but denied abusing her.

Ore later filed a $5.5 million lawsuit against Sherwood, accusing him of abusing her during their relationship. An out-of-court settlement between the two was reached on November 8, 2005, the terms of which were not released.

Sherwood is a member of the Christian Right, with high ratings from the Christian Coalition, the American Conservative Union, and the American Family Association. Ore said Sherwood originally told her that he was getting a divorce, but later said that he had to stay married for him to get re-elected. 

Earmarks
In July 2006, CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) argued that Sherwood secured $750,000 in both 2003 and 2004 for a Wyoming County, PA conservation group, and then received a kickback when the group used some of the funding to purchase a truck from a dealership owned by Sherwood. Despite a request by CREW to return the money, Sherwood said he had no knowledge of the transaction until after it occurred and refused. He called the allegations, "pretty far-fetched." 

In September of 2006, Sherwood voiced his opposition to a House resolution that would require the identification of earmarks' sponsors in tax, authorization, and appropriations bills, believing it to unfairly target members of the Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member. 

Committees in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Export Financing and Related Programs]]
 * Subcommittee on Interior and Environment and Related Agencies]]
 * Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services Education and Related Agencies

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * GOP Cyber-Security Team
 * National Republican Congressional Committee
 * Silk Road Caucus

Resources

 * Official website
 * "Sherwood for Congress", a Don Sherwood parody site.
 * "Sherwood Watch", a non-partisan watchdog site founded by former Capitol Hill reporter Steve Peacock.
 * Archive of news stories and documents on the Cynthia Ore scandal and lawsuit from The Times-Tribune of Scranton.
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database.

Articles

 * Joe Sudbay, "PA GOP voters re-nominate adulterer/alleged abuser to run for Congress," AMERICAblog, May 17, 2006.
 * Kevin Amerman, "Critics: Sherwood wrong on truck sale," The Times-Leader, July 10, 2006.
 * Elana Schor and Patrick O'Connor, "Lewis balks at earmark reform," The Hill, September 14, 2006.
 * "CREW releases second annual most corrupt members of Congress report," Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, September 20, 2006.
 * "Cheney Understands ... Sometimes You Just Need To Strangle the Bitch," Wonkette!, October 4, 2006.
 * John Aravosis, "Tom Reynolds (R-NY) chose to keep Don Sherwood (R-PA) in key GOP leadership job after Sherwood allegedly beat and tried to strangle his mistress," AMERICAblog, October 9, 2006. re Tom Reynolds
 * Kimberly Hefling, "Republican leaders drop out of fundraisers for Pa. congressman," Associated Press (PennLive.com), October 10, 2006.
 * Barbara Burns, "GOP Scandal Impacts Reynolds," WBEN.com (Buffalo, NY), October 10, 2006.
 * Joe Sudbay, "Hastert, Reynolds cancel on Don 'The Choker' Sherwood -- will Bush show on Oct. 19?" AMERICAblog, October 10, 2006.
 * John Aravosis, "Who do you have to sleep with to not get a top rating from the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family?" AMERICAblog, October 24, 2006.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Gort 42
 * The All-Spin Zone

Contact
DC Office: 1131 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-3731 Fax: 202-225-9594 Web Email Website

District Office - Clarks Summit: Abington Shopping Center 1146 Northern Boulevard Route 6/11 Clarks Summit, PA 18411 Phone: 570-585-8190 TollFree: 1-888-366-7210 Fax: 570-586-8538

District Office - Sunbury: 106 Arch Street Sunbury, PA 17801 Phone: 570-286-1723

District Office - Williamsport: 330 Pine Street, Suite 202 Williamsport, PA 17701 Phone: 570-327-8161 Fax: 570-327-9359