Meet Kerry Benninghoff

State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff was first elected to the General Assembly in 1996. He represents the 171st state House district, which consists of the following municipalities: in Centre County, the townships of Gregg, Haines, Miles, Penn, Potter, Spring and Walker and the boroughs Bellefonte, Centre Hall and Millheim; and in Mifflin County, the townships of Armagh, Bratton, Brown, Granville, Menno, Oliver, Union and Wayne and the boroughs of Juniata Terrace, Kistler, Lewistown, McVeytown and Newton Hamilton.

For the 2025-26 legislative session, Kerry is serving as Republican chairman of the House Transportation Committee. He is also a member of the Gaming Oversight and Rules committees. His resume in the House of Representatives includes service as Majority Leader, Majority Whip, Majority Policy Committee chairman, and Majority Chairman of both the Finance and State Government committees. He also founded and serves as chairman of the bipartisan Cancer Caucus.

Kerry believes government should improve the lives of those it serves, recognizing that every dollar government spends was taken from someone who worked hard to earn it. He is passionate about cancer research and other healthcare initiatives, ensuring an educational system that gives our children a clear path to good-paying careers, being a voice for victims of crime, as well as standing up for seniors while building a better future for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Kerry believes taxes should be low and works hard to ensure your dollars are spent wisely. He is a watchdog for government waste, a longtime advocate for greater transparency and supporter of government reform.

Prior to being elected to represent the 171st, Kerry worked in construction, cared for patients as a hospital orderly and served Centre County for two terms as county coroner.

Kerry is a charter member of Leadership Centre County and formerly served on the board of directors of Easter Seals of Central Pennsylvania and the Bellefonte YMCA. He is a member of the Bellefonte Kiwanis Club, the Fraternal Order of Police, Bald Eagle Lodge No. 51, as well as an active member of Faith United Methodist Church in Bellefonte. He serves on the board of directors of Centre Home Care Inc. and also formerly served as co-chairman of the bicameral Penn State Forum on Higher Education.

Kerry is a graduate of State College Area High School and attended Pennsylvania State University. He is a graduate of the Certified Coroners Training Program conducted in Hershey by the state of Pennsylvania.

Kerry resides in Bellefonte and is the father of five children – Michael, Heather, Amy, Kelley and Ryleigh. At the end of 2010, Ryleigh succumbed to cancer.