Jan 12, 2016 By Suzanne Elliott 4 min read

Guy Reschenthaler , the new state Senator representing the 37th District, is used to people getting tongue tied when they attempt to pronounce his last name.

“Just call me Guy,” he smiled. “My name gets butchered a lot.”

The 32-year-old Jefferson Hills resident was elected in November to the seat that became vacant when Matt Smith resigned in June. He will serve the final year of Smith’s term.

Even though he is new to Harrisburg, Reschenthaler brings a wealth of experience and passion to the job. He was an attorney and then a district judge. And prior to serving in those two positions, Reschenthaler, a Duquesne University law school graduate, was a military prosecutor in Iraq who helped convict terrorists and successfully defend a Navy SEAL who was accused of abusing prisoners.

Reschenthaler said he had wanted to be an attorney since he played Pee Wee football – he was in fifth grade at the time – and he felt he owed it to the country to serve in the military.

“My football coach used to cut interesting articles out about cases and bring them to me and I would read them,” he said. “And as a kid, I knew I wanted to be a military officer.”

Reschenthaler said when he was in seventh grade he met a military officer who was with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, the military’s legal branch.

“He told me I could do both,” he said.

So following graduation from law school, Reschenthaler enlisted in the U.S. Navy and requested to serve in Iraq.

“I support the global war on terrorism,” he said.

While in Iraq, Reschenthaler worked in the Central Criminal Court and prosecuted what he called “some really bad guys,” including 15 terrorists for the brutal murder of a fellow POW. The man was literally beaten to death with shoes – which is considered an insult in the Muslim world. The man’s crime? Smoking a cigarette.

When he left the Navy and returned back to Pittsburgh, Reschenthaler went into private practice, but found working as an attorney was not a good fit for him. He wanted to better people’s lives and ran for district judge in 2013 – and won.

“Both of my parents were former teachers,” said Reschenthaler, explaining his career path. “They were focused on service.”

Then Smith resigned from the state Senate to become president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. Reschenthaler was selected by the Republican Party to run in a special election to fill the post. And because state legislators need to always be within a six-hour drive of Harrisburg, Reschenthaler said he missed his own swearing-in reception because of work – but that doesn’t surprise the people who know him.

“He is a hard worker and diligent,” said District Judge Ron Arnoni. “He cares about people and the community.”

Reschenthaler said his goal in Harrisburg is to fix problems by finding the cause and making the change. He said there are too many politicians at the capital who like to play games. “We need to do a better job getting people help,” he said. “It is better for the offender and the taxpayer. There are way too many people with substance abuse issues.”

Reschenthaler said he is working on a bill that will make parents more accountable when their children skip school. As a district judge, he said he often had habitually truant children in his courtroom.

“I would bring them all in (parents too) and get to the bottom,” said Reschenthaler, who would like to make truancy a misdemeanor, rather than a summary offense. “I am working on that legislation right now.”

Reschenthaler, who is single, said a typical day for him, when he is not in Harrisburg, is to get up early, have coffee and answer his emails. He then goes for a run and lifts weights. He is in the office before 9 a.m., if there is not a breakfast or event to attend. Later in the day, Reschenthaler might find himself giving an award to an Eagle Scout, meeting with a senior citizen group or just talking to his constituents.

“I am a people person,” he said. “I like to talk with them and give them the benefit of the doubt.”

And that is true, said Michael Cmar, Reschenthaler’s district director. Cmar, a childhood friend, remembers when his family moved to the neighborhood in 1993. The first person to knock on the door and introduce himself was his future boss.

“He is a mentor to me, almost like a big brother,” Cmar said.