PA women continue to make political herstory

This week, the Pennsylvania House welcomed two new members: Rep. Jen Mazzocco from Allegheny County and Rep. Ana Tiburcio from Lehigh County. Every time a new member joins the state House, it is a reason to celebrate, because new members mean fresh ideas and energy. But with these two new lawmakers, we also made history.

Not only are Reps. Tiburcio and Mazzocco “firsts” in their own districts, but now, with their addition, the state House has reached a new milestone for female representation, with 65 women lawmakers. This is more than ever before in the legislative body’s nearly 350 years.

While this occasion marks a new high, women have been serving in the state House for over 100 years. In 1922, just two years after women were granted the right to vote, Pennsylvania elected eight women – dubbed the Keystone 8 – to the state House. Then, in 1938, Crystal Bird Fauset, a renowned civil rights activist and social worker, became the first African American woman elected to the Pennsylvania House – or, for that matter, to any state legislature in the U.S.

Women have been contributing to Pennsylvania’s legislative debate ever since.

When I was first elected in 2015, there were only 41 women in the state House – out of 203 seats! Since then, we’ve experienced a 50% increase. This means more women in leadership positions, serving as committee chairs and leading delegations.

In 2026, Pennsylvania is full of history-making women leaders like Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, whose paths can be traced back to the achievements of some of our pioneers.

Between the state House and Senate, there are 84 women serving, which makes up about 34% of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. While this is a new record for the commonwealth, Pennsylvania still lags behind other states in women’s representation. In fact, in 2025, the Colorado and New Mexico legislatures became majority-woman for the first time.

But why does it matter? It matters because the state legislature should reflect the people it serves.

In Pennsylvania, our women lawmakers are lawyers, health care professionals, teachers, military officers, small business owners, journalists, caregivers, mothers, sisters, daughters and aunts. We each draw on our experience to champion policies that benefit everyone.

Take healthcare: Since 2023, when women were elected to lead the state House and the Senate, Pennsylvania has enacted more than a half-dozen laws to improve or protect women’s access to care. These measures include policies to expand access to lifesaving preventative care – like breast cancer screenings – and to collect data on Black maternal mortality to drive policy solutions. We’ve also provided more resources for new and expecting moms, like coverage for doula services and information about postpartum depression. We’ve prohibited pelvic exams without informed consent and have made menstrual products available in our schools.

Each of these legislative victories was led by a woman.

That’s not all. Women have also led the charge to make life more affordable for working families in the commonwealth by introducing initiatives like the Child and Dependent Care and Working Pennsylvanian tax credits.

Women have fought for justice reform, including an overhaul of Pennsylvania’s probation system to ensure it is grounded in fairness while reducing strain on taxpayer resources.

Finally, we mobilized stakeholders statewide to end hair discrimination, and the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair bill – known as the CROWN Act – was signed into law in November 2025.

All these measures earned wide bipartisan support, because public service doesn’t have to be partisan.

I’m proud to report that the state House is projected to swear in two new women members from Adams and Blair Counties next month, setting a record. I’m excited to see how all our new members will use their experience to improve Pennsylvania, because there is still a lot to do.