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U.S. House · PA-05 · Democratic candidate · 2026

Mary Gay Scanlon

Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District

Mary Gay Scanlon is a former legal aid attorney and school board leader focused on children and access to justice.

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Portrait of Mary Gay Scanlon
DistrictPA-05
OfficeCongress
ElectionNov. 3, 2026

Policy priorities

Where Mary stands.

Office policy

Background checks and rifles

  • Supports closing gun-sale loopholes, stronger background checks and banning assault rifles

Office policy

Education and worker bargaining

  • Supports early education, fully funded IDEA and Title I, apprenticeships and collective bargaining rights

Office policy

Climate and clean water

  • Supports lower carbon emissions, renewable energy and stronger Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act protections

Office policy

Coverage and prescription prices

  • Supports ACA protections, generic drug competition and reproductive rights to expand affordable healthcare

Office policy

Dreamers and border resources

  • Supports Dreamer and TPS protections, ending family separation and humane, adequately resourced border enforcement

Office policy

Transportation and community infrastructure

  • Supports bipartisan investments in roads, bridges, ports, schools, waterways and broadband

Record and background

Record & experience.

  1. 2018–present

    Experience

    U.S. representative

    Represents the Fifth District.

  2. From 2017

    Experience

    Voting Rights Task Force co-chair

    Worked against voter suppression.

  3. 2007–2015

    Experience

    Wallingford-Swarthmore school director

    Served the elected board.

  4. 2006

    Experience

    Constitution High mentoring founder

    Created a career mentoring program.

  5. 2000

    Experience

    Mothers’ gun-safety march organizer

    Organized district mothers for the march.

  • Experience

    Constitution subcommittee ranking member

    Leads Judiciary subcommittee Democrats.

  • Experience

    Legal Aid Caucus chair

    Promotes access to justice.

  • Experience

    Youth Mentoring Caucus chair

    Promotes youth mentoring.

  • Experience

    Foster Youth Caucus chair

    Advocates for foster youth.

  • Experience

    Education Law Center attorney

    Represented students and families.

  • Experience

    School board president

    Led her local board.

  • Experience

    LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus vice chair

    Advocates equal rights.

  • Experience

    Child Advocate attorney

    Represented abused and neglected children.

  • Experience

    Children at Risk Commission co-chair

    Led bar association work.

  • Experience

    Children’s Legal Rights co-chair

    Led bar association committee.

  • Experience

    Philadelphia Legal Assistance director

    Founding board member.

  • Experience

    Philadelphia Legal Assistance officer

    Served agency leadership.

  • Experience

    School board vice president

    Served board leadership.

  • Experience

    Ballard Spahr pro bono counsel

    Served fifteen years.

  • Experience

    Ballard pro bono program leader

    Supervised 600 lawyers.

  • Experience

    Pennsylvania Superior Court clerk

    Served a judicial clerkship.

  • Experience

    School funding tax commission leader

    Led the school funding review.

  • Experience

    Wills for Heroes organizer

    Organized free estate-planning clinics.

  • Accomplishment

    Philadelphia shipbuilding contract

    Helped secure a $650 million shipyard contract.

  • Experience

    Rules and Organization ranking member

    Leads House Rules subcommittee Democrats.

  • Experience

    American Sikh Caucus co-chair

    Helps lead the congressional caucus.

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