Mary Isaacson
Democrat
What is one life experience you have that voters should know about?
I am a mother of two incredible kids - now adults - and I know how hard it is for working families across the state from rising costs of childcare to the lack of paid leave to balancing your job and taking care of little ones. Because of this, I was extremely proud to have helped increase the child tax credit in Pennsylvania this past year. I am also dedicated to implementing policies and changes that would benefit families and parents such as flexible scheduling, remote work, paid leave, competitive and fair pay, and many others. Further, many of my bills as well as those that I have sponsored are focused on constitutional equality, closing the gender gap, and addressing disparities. Priorities of mine include making much-needed improvements and investment in the childcare sector and repairing our school buildings and the toxic hazards.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
I am currently running for a fourth term in the PA House of Representatives as a proud and passionate fighter for the 175th legislative district. Prior to serving as state representative, I worked as a staffer in the PA House Democratic Caucus for 12 years, working on a range of issues from constituent services to drafting bills to bringing home resources. In year past, I was honored to be ranked the Least Conservative Member in the House and also was ranked first in the entire state for bringing home state funding to my district. As a person who believes that policy can push social change, I have introduced over 40 bills this session, taking on issues from charter school reform to an economic bill of rights to pay range disclosures to environmental initiatives to local regulations on gun control. I serve on the Environmental Resources, Education, Consumer Protections, Ethics and Liquor Control Committees in Harrisburg and am also Vice Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee, a member of the Basic Education Funding Commission, newly appointed to serve on PHEAA, and Democratic Chair of the Community College Caucus.
How do you plan to work across ideological lines to achieve shared goals?
I am willing to build and foster relationships with elected officials, no matter if they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent. I understand that there are differences in values on every level of government, but I pride myself on finding common ground with elected members and I am also willing to compromise if it means at the end of the day that a policy is moving forward, even if only an inch, rather than disappear in a committee. Compromising on a bill is not compromising my values. I do not believe in holding up progress for Pennsylvanians due to party differences.
What would be your top three policy priorities in office?
Education funding, raising the minimum wage, and transitioning Pennsylvania to a green economy have been legislative priorities of mine since I was elected in 2018. I am also dedicated to protecting our waterways, commonsense gun legislation, fighting for LGBTQ and women's rights including protecting Roe, affordable healthcare for all and a government that is transparent and accountable to citizens, particularly in election reforms.
The Committee of Seventy has partnered with the Carter Center to promote the Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections (www.principledcandidates.org) to improve the voting process, encourage honest leadership, and promote civic engagement. Do you support the Candidate Principles?
Yes.
