Mary Gay Scanlon

Democrat Representative of Pennsylvania's 5th district

Representative
Pennsylvania, district 7
November 13, 2018 - January 3, 2019
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 5
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 5
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2023
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 5
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 5
January 3, 2025 - January 3, 2027

202-225-2011

@RepMGS

scanlon.house.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

August 30, 1959 (65 years old)

Birthday

American attorney and politician
Served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019
Initially represented Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district for the final two months of 2018 before transitioning to the 5th district
Elected to both the 7th and 5th districts on the same day, November 6, 2018
Born in Syracuse, New York, to a family with a legal and academic background
Earned a B.A. from Colgate University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
Worked as a judicial law clerk and pursued a career in public interest law after representing a sexually abused child
Received the Fidelity Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association for public service
Served as pro bono counsel at Ballard Spahr, coordinating free legal services for low-income individuals
Appointed vice chair of the Tax Commission and served on the board of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, including as its president
Launched her congressional campaign in 2018, motivated by the lack of female representation in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation
Won the 2018 primary and general elections, contributing to breaking the all-male composition of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation
Defeated Republican nominees in both the 2018 and 2020 elections for the 5th district
Introduced the ACCESS Act of 2021 to mandate data portability on major tech platforms
Voted with President Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress
Supported removing American troops from Somalia and Syria
Member of several caucuses, including the Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus, and traveled with President Biden to Ireland in 2023
Holds committee assignments on the Judiciary and Rules Committees
Advocates for fair elections, free speech, access to healthcare and education, human rights, gun control, and environmental protection
Supports universal pre-K, marijuana decriminalization, and a cautious approach to implementing a $15 minimum wage
Lives in Swarthmore with her husband and has three adult children
Victim of a carjacking in December 2021 but was physically unharmed