The official commencement of Pennsylvania’s 2023-24 legislative session begins Tuesday, attracting the most diverse members ever and marking some historic firsts.
Black, Latinx, or South Asian legislators will take the oath of office, and for the first time, women will assume significant leadership roles.
With the death of Allegheny County Democratic Rep. Tony Deluca and the resignation of three members, the legislature began to work four members short.
Former Allegheny County Democratic Rep. Summer Lee and Austin Davis are expected to run as Representative and Lieutenant Governor, respectively. Republican Senator John Gordner of Columbia County vacated his seat to become the next Senate Speaker’s professional attorney for his tempo Akim Ward (R-Westmoreland County).
Those seats will be filled in the next special election, and the winner will join a group of lawyers, business owners, community activists, medical professionals, former professional basketball players and farmers who make up the new Congress.
Who are the new General Assembly members? Here are some quick facts:
Oldest member: seems like a tie. Lycoming County Republican Senator Jean Her Yeo and Bradford County Republican-elected Tina Pickett open the session against the backdrop of her life experience in her 79 years.
youngest member: The state constitution sets a minimum age of 25 for Senators and a minimum age of 21 for Representatives. In the House, the youngest-to-be is Alec Rinkavige, who was elected to the Republican Rep.-Elect of Lucerne County, who first qualified for a House seat when he turned 21 in March. Youngest. he is 28 years old.
Longest tenured member: The Senate Democratic Dean is Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia, who has served in the House since 1994. In the House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Robert Freeman of Northampton County marked his 34-year tenure. Among House Republicans, Center County Rep. Kelly Benninghoff has served for a quarter century.
Novice number: The General Assembly has many new faces, including five new Republicans and one new Democrat in the 50-member Senate, and 23 new Republicans and 26 new Democrats in the 203-member House of Representatives. Including 10 new Democrats.
20th Century Club: Membership in this “club” is limited to those who entered the legislative service before the turn of the 20th century. Currently, in the House of Representatives he has six and in the Senate he has five, but in addition he may be eligible to run for the House before the year 2000.
Female member: A record 79 women took seats in parliament, surpassing the 73 women who took seats during the last session. There are 8 women in the Senate Republican Caucus, 8 women in the Democratic Caucus, 35 women in the House Democratic Caucus, and 28 women in the House Republican Caucus.
Partisan breakdown: The Senate will begin with 27 Republicans and 22 Democrats (1 vacancy), while the House will begin with 101 Republicans and 99 Democrats (3 vacancies).
Among the first: The House elects Rep. Arvind Venkat (D-Allegheny County), the first Indian-American Congressman, and La Tasha Mays (D-Allegheny County), the first lesbian elected to Congress. In the Senate, Senator Kim Ward of R-Westmoreland County will become the first woman to serve as President pro tempore in Pennsylvania. Senator Amanda Cappelletti, who is due to have a baby this spring, is believed to be the first Senator to give birth during her tenure.
other fun facts:
- R Cumberland County Senator Greg Rothman served in the same House where his third cousin, Lancaster County Senator John Galen Homsher, was President pro tempore in 1923-25 and 1935-36. increase.
- R-Lancaster County Senator Scott Martin is related to the famous General Omar Bradley, who commanded all of the U.S. Army from the Normandy Landings to the end of World War II.
- R-Fayette County Senator Pat Stefano has been a member of Connellsville’s Molinaro Marching Band for 39 years. The band he started as St. Rita Italian Marching Band in 1913 and is 110 years old.
- R-Venango County Senator Scott Hutchinson’s maternal grandfather immigrated from Ukraine to work in the Clearfield County coal mines.
- Firefighting is in the blood of R. Bucks County Senator Frank Farley. He is a third generation firefighter from both of his families and has served as a firefighter for over 30 years, including the last 22 years as a fire chief.
- Senator Lisa Baker’s Pennsylvania roots date back to 1682. The Bachman family, ancestral to the Luzern County Republicans, arrived in the colony of Pennsylvania aboard the “Welcome” with William Penn.
- Republican Washington County Sen. Kamera Bartolotta was an actress/extra while attending college in California, appearing on television shows such as ‘Cheers’, ‘Love Boat’, ‘TJ Hooker’ and ‘The A Team’.
- Philadelphia Democratic Senator Vincent Hughes is married to Emmy Award winner Sheryl Lynn Ralph. Ralph garnered as much attention last year for her acceptance speech for her role on the TV show Abbott Elementary as she did for her performance on the hit show.
- Northampton County Republican Rep. Millow Mackenzie and his son Lehigh County Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie were re-elected. They are the only mother-son duo known to serve in Congress.
- There is a doctor in the hospital. Rep. Arvind Venkat of D-Allegheny County is an emergency room physician and professor of medicine at Drexel University.
- Three congressmen have been sworn in with their eyes set on other offices. They are: R-Northumberland County Rep.-elect Linda Schlegel Culver. She is her GOP candidate for the 27th State Senate district seat. Rep. Amen Brown of the Philadelphia Democratic Party announcing her candidacy for mayor of Philadelphia. Allegheny County Rep. Sara Inamorato has announced that she is interested in becoming an Allegheny County executive.
To contact Jan Murphy: jmurphy@pennlive.comFollow @JanMurphy on Twitter.
