In 2009, Kinkead earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. While attending Bloomsburg, she served as the president of the campus chapter of Democracy Matters and became deeply involved in working on issues related to government ethics reform and campaign finance reform.
Kinkead returned to Pittsburgh in 2013 to pursue her J.D. degree. In summer 2014, she interned at the Legal Aid Centre of Eldoret (LACE) in Eldoret, Kenya, helping to represent HIV positive individuals and victims of gender violence.[3] Kinkead also interned with United States Magistrate Judge Lisa Pup Lenihan.[3] In summer 2015, she interned at Neighborhood Legal Services Association (NLSA), representing low-income tenants facing eviction.[3] In her final year of law school, Kinkead represented immigration clients as a student-attorney in Pitt Law's Immigration Legal Clinic.[3]
Following her graduation from law school, she began clerking for Commonwealth Court Judge Michael H. Wojcik.[2] Kinkead entered private practice in 2018 where she worked in the areas of insurance defense, business law, and criminal law.
Political career
In 2019, Kinkead announced her candidacy for state representative of District 20. Running against incumbent Adam Ravenstahl, she ran on a platform of progressive politics and using her training and experience working on policy, law, and advocacy to provide greater advocacy for the district.[2][4] Despite significant gains for women winning elected office following the 2016 election of Donald Trump, Kinkead was one of a group of progressive women, including incumbent state Rep. Summer Lee, snubbed by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee when it came time to endorse candidates for the 2020 primary.[5]
Nevertheless, Kinkead picked up a significant number of endorsements from progressive politicians and organizations.[6][7] Controversially, Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania's PAC initially announced an endorsement of Ravenstahl who, prior to the 2020 election, had never received an endorsement from the organization and had a record of anti-choice votes.[8] However, following outrage at the spurning of a candidate who had always been openly pro-choice, the organization offered the candidates a co-endorsement.[9]
Regardless of those challenges and the unprecedented complications of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kinkead successfully defeated Ravenstahl in the delayed primary held June 2, 2020.[10][11][12]
Since assuming office, Kinkead has distinguished herself as one of the most vocal advocates for criminal justice reform, pushing for smart on crime policies based on research and science over tough on crime policies based on fear and prejudice.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] She's fought to establish a landslide insurance program that would provide homeowners with insurance to protect themselves, financially, from damage caused by landslides given that Western Pennsylvania is one of the most landslide-prone areas in the nation.[20][21] She's fought to protect the integrity of elections in Pennsylvania and protect the judiciary from partisan attacks.[22][23] Kinkead has led on issues around climate change[24], funding our rape crisis centers[25], holding domestic abusers accountable[26], inclusive development of Pittsburgh's waterfront[27], protecting LGBTQIA+ folks[28], ending gun violence[29][30], reproductive justice[31][32][33][34], among many others.
Kinkead has served as the House Chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Hunger Caucus since 2023.[35] In that capacity, she has worked to address food insecurity at every level.[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] One of Kinkead's signature pieces of legislation would establish universal school meals for all K-12 public school students in Pennsylvania.[44][45]
She is also on the leadership team of the Pennsylvania Progressive Caucus.[46]
In 2019, Kinkead and Emily Marburger, mayor of Bellevue, Pennsylvania, entered the Democratic primary for District 20 against Adam Ravenstahl.[6] In November 2019, Marburger dropped out of the race.[6] Kinkead defeated Ravenstahl in the primary on June 2, 2020.[10][11][12]
She was unopposed in the general election on November 3, 2020, started her term on December 1, 2020, and was officially sworn into office on January 5, 2021.[12]
Following the 2020 United States census, District 20 was redrawn to include less of the city of Pittsburgh and all, rather than part, of Ross Township. In the May 2022 primary, Kinkead drew a challenge from Ross Township resident, Nick Mastros.[47] Despite being the challenger, the Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorsed Mastros over incumbent Kinkead.[48] Nevertheless, Kinkead handily beat Mastros with 65% of the vote.[12][49] Kinkead also faced a write-in challenge from Republican Matt Kruth for the general election on November 8, 2022, defeating him with 61% of the vote.[12]
Kinkead was unopposed in the Democratic primary election in April 2024 and won in the general election on November 5, 2024, once again defeating Republican Matt Kruth with 59% of the vote.[12][50]
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