Candidate for
Lieutenant Governor

A Family Heritage of Public Service

The seeds planted by Mike's grandfather gave root to a rich political and public service family legacy. His father, the late Michael Stack Jr., was an attorney, author, college and law professor, distinguished public servant and long time Democratic ward leader who often found himself at odds with the political power brokers in Philadelphia.

Mike's mother, Judge Felice Rowley Stack, is the descendant of an Irish immigrant "coal crackers" who worked the Schuylkill County anthracite coalfields of eastern Pennsylvania. She started her career as a teacher and subsequently ran a special education program identifying learning disabilities, a skill set that proved important at home helping young Mike overcome dyslexia, first diagnosed at age six. A Villanova School of Law graduate, Felice Stack served as a member of the Philadelphia Board of Education and later was elected Judge of the Municipal Court. She is now retired from the bench and practicing law.

As an Attorney, State Senator and National Guard Officer, Mike Stack Continues the Family Tradition

The family business of public service did not skip a generation with Mike Stack III. After graduating from LaSalle University and Villanova School of Law, Mike joined his father's law firm where his focus was representing injured workers. While working as an attorney in private practice, Mike twice ran unsuccessfully for the State Senate. In 2000, after a tenure working as a staff attorney and Deputy Director in Governor Robert Casey's administration, he scored a convincing win over the entrenched Republican State Senator he had challenged twice before, beginning the first of four terms representing the blue collar Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood where he was raised.

Adding to the legacy of Stack family public service, in 2007 Senator Stack, with the support of his wife Tonya, enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Answering a call to duty at a time when our country was fighting two wars, Captain Stack reported to Fort Benning in Georgia for basic training, setting the pace for men several years his junior. After basic, he was assigned to Pennsylvania's 56th Striker Brigade. He now spends one weekend a month serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) prosecutor in Division Headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

From Acting to Athletics, Mike Stack is Driven to Perform

Mike Stack brings a quick wit and solid communication skills to the debate, fine tuned from his work in stand-up comedy and theater. As a card-carrying union member of the Screen Actors' Guild, Mike's leading man experience in non-equity theater with Footlighters and King of Prussia Players led to seeking professional roles in film. Among other credits, in the 2009 net series Finders Keepers, Mike earned the right to say "I may not be a cop but I played one on screen." Off screen, Senator Stack has a laudable record supporting police and first responders in the General Assembly.

To keep in shape, Mike brings the kind of intensity to exercise that he brings to public service. He is a dedicated marathon runner and triathlete. He has finished six marathons including the Marine Corps Marathon and several CrossFit competitions. However, he believes his greatest athletic accomplishment has nothing to do with marathons and triathlons. For Mike, his best moment in sports happened in 2014, helping to save crew as a collegiate sport at Temple University where he serves on the Board of Trustees.

Senator Michael J. Stack III, is simply Uncle Mike to his 10 nephews and nieces, the next generation of Stacks, courtesy of his three sisters and one brother. Mike and his wife Tonya, a veteran of the hospitality industry, live in the Somerton neighborhood of northeast Philly.