Chris Gebhard
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher M. Gebhard[1] (born 1974 or 1975) is a Pennsylvania state senator who represents the 48th district, which includes all of Lebanon County and portions of Berks and Lancaster counties. He is a member of the Republican Party and the owner of an insurance and risk management firm.
Chris Gebhard | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 48th district | |
| Assumed office June 9, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Dave Arnold |
| Constituency | Lebanon County and parts of Dauphin and York counties |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 or 1975 (age 50–51) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sarah |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Vanderbilt University (B.A.) |
| Profession | Business owner |
Early life and career
Gebhard was born in 1974/1975 to parents Peter and Lauralee Gebhard.[2] He attended Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon before graduating from The Hill School in Pottstown in 1992. Gebhard earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville,[3][4] after which he returned to Lebanon and began working for his father's insurance agency just after it had merged with a larger company in 1996. Later that year, Gebhard took a job with Cincinnati Insurance Company in Ohio, returning to Hoaster Gebhard in early 2000 but as a "regular employee" per his father.[5] By 2014, Gebhard became the CEO and president of Hoaster Gebhard & Co., an insurance and risk management firm in Lebanon.[2][5]
Pennsylvania Senate
After Dave Arnold died in January 2021 while serving as state senator from Pennsylvania's 48th district, a special election to fill the position was scheduled for May 18, 2021.[6] Gebhard was chosen by the Lebanon County Republican Committee as the Republican candidate,[7] from a list of eight potential names.[8] Running against three other candidates, he won the special election to complete Arnold's term with 62 percent of the vote.[9] Gebhard was sworn in to office on June 9, 2021.[10] In 2022, he ran for re-election against Calvin Clements, who was his closest opponent in 2022, and won with 67% of the vote.[11]
For the 2025–2026 session, Gebhard serves on the following committees in the State Senate:[12]
- Banking & Insurance (Chair)
- Community, Economic & Recreational Development (Vice-Chair)
- Aging & Youth
- Communications & Technology
- Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure
- Institutional Sustainability & Innovation
- Rules & Executive Nominations
Personal life
Gebhard lives in North Cornwall Township with his wife Sarah and two sons.[7]
He has played golf since he was a teenager, and won most of the major local golf tournaments, including several better ball pairs tournaments.[8]