G. Robert Watkins
| George Robert Watkins | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 9th district |
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In office January 3, 1967 – August 7, 1970 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Dague |
| Succeeded by | John Ware |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 7th district |
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In office January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967 |
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| Preceded by | William Milliken |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence Williams |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 9th district |
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In office January 4, 1949 – November 30, 1960 |
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| Preceded by | Weldon Heyburn |
| Succeeded by | Clarence Bell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 21, 1902 Hampton, Virginia |
| Died | August 7, 1970 (aged 68) West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Republican |
George Robert Watkins (May 21, 1902 – August 7, 1970), also known as G. Robert Watkins, was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania. He operated a farm in Delaware County and was a breeder of thoroughbred horses.
George Watkins was born on May 21, 1902 in Hampton, Virginia. He attended public schools there and learned the trade of shipfitter, before moving to Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1920. There he organized the Chester Stevedoring Company, which he sold in 1931. With a partner, he then organized the Blue Line Transfer Company, operating a truck fleet in the eastern states. Watkins was elected Sheriff of Delaware County, Pennsylvania in 1945 and served one term, through 1948, before his election to the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he served from 1949 to 1960. He then also served one term as county commissioner for Delaware County, from 1960 to 1964. A longtime member of the Delaware County Board of Republican Supervisors (War Board), he was refused a second county commissioner term in 1963, but was endorsed the following year to represent Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district in Congress, where he served three terms.
With incumbent William H. Milliken bowing out after not being endorsed by the War Board, Watkins faced three other candidates in the 1964 primary: Carl Mau, John W. Wellman and John T. Kenna. When the election was over on April 28, Watkins won by about 55% of the total vote. His closest opponent, Wellman, had only 30% of the vote, but had surprisingly carried Springfield by a few votes. Thirty-nine-year-old Democrat Dr. Leonard Bachman won his primary by a similar margin and was ready to wage a tough campaign for the fall election. As in the presidential elections of 1944 and 1960, the Democrats had a very strong top of the ticket this time. Also, they were helped by a narrowing of the Republican registration lead in the county, a trend that began in the previous decade. Since 1960, the Democrats had gained about 7,700 voters, while the GOP lost about 1,200. By the November election, the new totals were: 227,825 Republicans to 67,247 Democrats.
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