Jennifer O'Mara | |
---|---|
Member of the PennsylvaniaHouseofRepresentatives from the 165th district | |
Assumed office January 1, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Alex Charlton |
Personal details | |
Born | Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,U.S. | November 12,1989
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Bradford Bitting (m. 2017) |
Children | 1 |
Residence(s) | Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Alma mater | West Chester University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MLA) |
Occupation | Educator, Nonprofit Administrator |
Website | Official Website Campaign Website |
Jennifer O'Mara (born November 12, 1989) is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 165th Legislative District. The district includes parts of Springfield Township, Marple Township, Radnor Township and the borough of Morton. [1]
The oldest of three children, O'Mara was born in Southwest Philadelphia. She moved to Delaware County with her mother and siblings after her father, a Philadelphia firefighter, died by gun suicide. O'Mara cites the importance of her father's pension and public program such as CHIP in supporting her family while she was a teenager. She graduated from the Interboro High School in 2007 and became the first in her family to attend college. [2]
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a certificate in Secondary Education from West Chester University in 2011. In 2017, She received a Master's degree in liberal studies from the University of Pennsylvania, her master's thesis was centered around creative methods for childhood grief. [3] [4]
On November 19, 2017 , O'Mara launched her campaign for the 165th District. [5] The district had never elected a Democratic representative before, and had previously been represented by one-term Republican Alex Charlton.
O'Mara was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Charlton defeated primary challenger Regina Scheerer with 65.72% of the Republican vote. [6] O'Mara upset Charlton in the 2018 general election, becoming the first Democrat and first woman to represent the district. [7]
O'Mara ran for re-election in 2020. [8] She was unopposed in the Democratic primary and faced Republican Robert Smythe Jr. in the general election. O'Mara retained her seat by defeating Smythe with 51.51% of the vote. [9]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jennifer O'Mara | 16,627 | 50.81% | |
Republican | Alex Charlton (incumbent) | 16,096 | 49.19% | |
Total votes | 32,723 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jennifer O'Mara (incumbent) | 21,529 | 51.51% | |
Republican | Robert Smythe Jr | 20,222 | 48.38% | |
Write-in | 43 | 0.10% | ||
Total votes | 41,794 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jennifer O'Mara (incumbent) | 20,936 | 60.9 | |
Republican | Nichole Missino | 13,027 | 37.9 | |
Independent | William Foster | 402 | 1.2 | |
Total votes | 34,365 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
O'Mara was sworn in on January 1, 2019, and was elected first vice-chair for the Democratic Caucus's Southeast delegation. [12]
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