Lois Herr

American politician

Lois Kathryn Herr (born December 23, 1941) is a progressive activist living in Pennsylvania. While working at AT&T she was leader fighting for equal rights for women in the workplace. A Democrat, she ran for U. S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district in 2004, 2006 and 2010. In 2013, she was elected to the Borough Council of Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, and took office in 2014.

Herr was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, received a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Fordham University. She also served as a Presidential Interexchange Executive, working under President Gerald Ford in the White House Office of Management and Budget. Herr has been scholar in residence at Elizabethtown College, taught in their Business Department and Center for Continuing Education and also served as Director of Marketing and Public Affairs. It was reprinted by URLink in 2020. Her second book, Dear Coach: Letters Home from World War II, was published in 2009, based on over 200 letters sent to her father, Coach Ira Herr, from men and women serving in the war. A third book, Dear Woman of My Dreams, was published by XLIBRIS in 2016.

Herr previously served as the Executive Director of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee and was both a local and a state committeeperson in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. She served also as Chair of the Lebanon County Democratic Committee and a member of the National Organization for Women.

Herr ran for the US Congressional seat held by Republican Joseph R. Pitts in 2004, 2006 and 2010. She was defeated in each election by the incumbent.

+ : Results 2004, 2006, 2010YearDemocratVotesPctRepublicanVotesPctThird PartyVotesPct2004Lois Herr98,41034.5%Joe Pitts183,62064.4%William Hagen3,2691.252006Lois Herr80,91539.6%Joe Pitts115,74156.6%John Murphy7,9583.9%2010Lois Herr70,99434.6%Joe Pitts134,11365.4%
In 2013, Herr was elected to the Mount Gretna Borough Council as a nominee of the Democratic Party. Herr received 57 votes, defeating Republican nominee Angela Shea, who had 32 votes. In 2018, Herr was the Democratic nominee for state senator in Pennsylvania's 48th legislative district and lost to incumbent Republican Mike Folmer. + Pennsylvania's 48th legislative district: State Senator resultsYearDemocratVotesPctRepublicanVotesPct2018Lois Herr35,54537.1%Mike Folmer60,35762.9%

Herr is a native of Hershey, Pennsylvania and currently resides in Mount Gretna.