Phil Garthwaite

State Representative Phil Garthwaite was first elected to represent District 49 in the State Assembly in 2006, defeating a three-term incumbent. Phil was the first Democrat to hold the seat since 1913. He was the fifth generation to be raised on the family farm, and prior to his election he was a farm radio director and broadcaster for local radio stations. In 2006, we worked closely with Phil on his message development, fundraising and campaign strategy. During his first term in office Phil fought for the rights of workers over big corporations and authored legislation to ensure that employees could collect unpaid wages when their company goes bankrupt before banks and credit companies can collect money owed to them.