Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum is an American politician, attorney, author, and former CNN political commentator, known for his long career in public service, including representing Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. After securing an unexpected victory in 1990 to represent Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district in the U.S.

House of Representatives, Rick Santorum quickly established a prominent public service career. He was reelected to the U.S. House in 1992 before successfully challenging incumbent Democrat Harris Wofford for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1994.

Santorum was reelected to the Senate in 2000, serving until 2007, and became a leading voice for conservative values. During his tenure, he held the influential position of Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference from 2001 to 2007, marking him as the Senate’s third-ranking Republican. Prior to his impactful Senate career, Santorum earned a B.A. in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University in 1980, an M.B.A.

from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981, and a J.D. from Dickinson School of Law in 1986. He leveraged this background as an administrative assistant for Pennsylvania state senator J. Doyle Corman from 1981 to 1986 and then as an attorney at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart in Pittsburgh until 1990.

Santorum announced his second presidential campaign for the 2016 Republican nomination in 2015, suspending it in 2016. He then transitioned into a prominent role as a Senior Political Commentator for CNN, contributing analysis and commentary from 2017 to 2021. Most recently, in 2021, Santorum joined the Convention of States Project of Citizens for Self-Governance as a Senior Advisor, continuing his dedication to public policy and civic engagement.