As he prepares to be sworn in tomorrow, Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro has continued to fill out his cabinet with several Republican nominees in an effort to make good on his pledge to try to build bridges between the contentious political factions in Harrisburg.

Democrat Shapiro named Pat Browne, 59, of Allentown, a 28-year veteran of the General Assembly, as his choice to be Secretary of Revenue. Browne’s nomination will be taken up by the Senate where he served for 17 years, the last eight as chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

In what some have called possibly the most shocking upset in Lehigh Valley political history, Browne lost the Republican nomination in 2022 to newcomer Jarrett Coleman, who was sworn in earlier this month to the 16th Senatorial District seat which includes parts of Lehigh and Bucks counties. Coleman won the 2022 Republican primary by a mere 24 votes, then went on to handily defeat Democratic Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley in the Nov. 8 General Election.

Many politicians of both parties lamented Browne’s defeat because of his seniority and high leadership position which were responsible for funneling precious state development dollars into the Lehigh Valley.

It was Browne who was largely responsible for engineering the wildly successful but sometimes controversial Neighborhood Improvement Zone, which has led to a major revitalization of downtown Allentown, including the PPL Center, home to many big name attractions and minor hockey league’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The NIZ, as it is known, is a unique taxing district developed to encourage economic development in the city. While the zone has been credited with attracting major improvements to the downtown area with an eye to expanding into other parts of the city, it also has its critics who say that it has failed to benefit the city’s lower-income citizens.

In the GOP primary, Coleman branded Browne as part of the “old guard,” which he said has been largely responsible for actions that have not benefited Pennsylvanians for decades.

Other critics have noted that Browne at times prefers to work secretively and is less than transparent. They pointed to his efforts to keep some information concerning the NIZ away from the prying eyes of the public and the news media.

Browne also has had some personal issues which also may have contributed to his defeat. He was charged on three occasions with driving while under the influence of alcohol and was involved in two serious motorcycle crashes in recent years.

While almost all of the senators representing our five-county region hailed Browne’s nomination as a positive step by tapping into his experience and expertise, a notable exception was Coleman who thought Shapiro should have made a different choice. Coleman said the selection smacks of a politics as usual approach which voters have been rejecting of late. Coleman has also criticized Browne’s secrecy. “As your newly elected state senator, I believe strongly in open government and transparency,” Coleman told his constituents in his first newsletter to them.

A former attorney and CPA, Browne said he has been a “steward of our Commonwealth’s fiscal health” and pledged to “work to ensure our (Revenue) department runs programs fairly and efficiently.”

In nominating Browne for his cabinet, Shapiro cited the former senator’s experience as chair of the Appropriations Committee, which reviews all legislation for its fiscal impact and, as such, has a vital role in development of the annual state budgets.

The state Senate is expected to handily approve the nomination of its former colleague once it is voted out of committee and comes to the Senate floor for action.

By Bruce Frassinelli?|?tneditor@tnonline.com