Maria Collett | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 12th district | |
Assumed office January 1, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Stewart Greenleaf |
Constituency | Parts of Montgomery and Bucks Counties |
Personal details | |
Born | Athens,Greece | July 21,1974
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Len Collett |
Residence | Lower Gwynedd,Pennsylvania |
Alma mater | University of Maryland (B.A.) Rutgers Law School (J.D.) Drexel University (BSN) |
Profession | Nurse,Attorney |
Website | |
Maria Collett (born July 21,1974) is a Greek-born American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who represents the 12th District. Her district includes portions of eastern Montgomery County and southern Bucks County. Collett is the first Greek American woman to serve in the Pennsylvania State Senate.
In 2018,Collett ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the election to succeed retiring state senator Stewart Greenleaf,who had represented the 12th District since 1979. [1] Collett defeated Stewart Greenleaf Jr.,Greenleaf's son and a former controller for Montgomery County,in the November 6 general election. [2] Her victory was part of the "blue wave" that increased Democratic and female representation in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Congressional delegation.
For the 2021-2022 Session Collett sits on the following committees in the Senate: [3]
Collett is a member of the following caucuses:
Collett serves on the following councils,committees,and task forces:
As a state senator,Collett has focused on the issues of PFAS contamination throughout her district, [10] [11] [12] nurse staffing ratios, [13] [14] the statute of limitations for sexual crimes, [15] gender equity, [16] and firearm regulation. [17] [18]
Collett began her career as an attorney representing the interests of children victimized by abuse and neglect as a deputy attorney general in Camden County,New Jersey. She then transitioned to a career in nursing,where she worked at the bedside as a Level I trauma nurse,in pediatric home health and in long-term care working with aging adults. Most recently,she worked as a nurse educator,helping other nurses understand how to administer Medicaid programs.
During the 2021-2022 Legislative Session,Collett was elected by her colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus to the position of caucus secretary. [19]
Collett attended the University of Maryland,College Park where she earned a BA in English Literature,going on to earn a JD at Rutgers Law School and then a BSN at Drexel University.
Melissa Murphy Weber is an American attorney and Pennsylvania politician.
John T. Galloway is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,representing the 140th state legislative district from 2007 to 2023. His district included parts of Bucks County.
Pennsylvania State Senate District 12 includes part of Montgomery County. It is currently represented by Democrat Maria Collett.
Joshua David Shapiro is an American lawyer and politician who is the 48th governor of Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party,he was the attorney general of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2023 and was on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2012 to 2017.
Vincent J. Hughes is an American politician who is serving as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate,representing the 7th District since 1994. Hughes previously served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 190th District from 1987 to 1994.
Sean Michael Ramaley was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 16th District from 2004 to 2008.
Stewart John Greenleaf Sr. was an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1979 to 2019. Greenleaf represented the 12th District,which includes portions of eastern Montgomery County and southern Bucks County.
Robert Mensch is an American politician. A Republican,served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the 24th district from 2009 to 2022. He previously served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,where he represented the 147th legislative district.
Steven J. Santarsiero is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Democratic Party,he has represented the 10th District in the Pennsylvania State Senate since 2019. Santarsiero previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,representing the 31st District between 2009 and 2016.
Mark Lucio Rozzi is an American politician who served as the 140th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from January to February 2023. A member of the Democratic Party he represented the 126th district from 2013 to 2024.
Leslie Richards is the former general manager of SEPTA,the public transportation agency serving the Philadelphia area. She previously served as a member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation,from 2015 to 2019 under Governor Tom Wolf.
Dawn Wetzel Keefer is an American politician who is currently a Pennsylvania State Senator from the 31st district since 2025. A member of the Republican Party,she represented the 92nd district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2017 to 2024.
Austin Davis is an American politician who is the 35th lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania,since 2023. Prior to that,he served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,representing the 35th district from 2018 to 2022. He is both the first African American lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and the youngest person to be elected lieutenant governor in the United States.
Katie J. Muth is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate,representing the 44th District. Her district includes portions of northeastern Chester and southwestern Montgomery and southeastern Berks Counties.
Steven R. "Steve" Malagari is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 53rd district. He has held the position since January 1,2019.
The 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 8,2022,to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. Democratic state attorney general Josh Shapiro defeated Republican state senator Doug Mastriano to win his first term in office. Shapiro succeeded Democratic incumbent Tom Wolf,who was term limited.
The Pennsylvania Auditor General election of 2020 took place on November 3,2020. Primary elections were originally due to take place on April 28,2020. However,following concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic the primaries were delayed until June 2,2020. Under the Pennsylvania Constitution incumbent Democratic Auditor General Eugene DePasquale was ineligible to seek a third consecutive term.
The 2022 elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 8,with 25 of 50 districts being contested. The term of office for those elected in 2022 would begin when the Senate convenes in January 2023. Pennsylvania State Senators are elected for four-year terms,with half of the seats up for election every two years. The election coincided with the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania,United States House of Representatives elections,and the election of the entirety of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
The 2021 Pennsylvania elections were held on November 2,2021,to fill judicial positions on the Supreme Court,Superior Court,and Commonwealth Court,to allow judicial retention votes,and to fill numerous county,local and municipal offices.
Benjamin R. Waxman is an American journalist,progressive activist and politician. He is the Representative for District 182 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Waxman previously served as an editorial writer for The Philadelphia Daily News and a reporter for WHYY-FM and as a political aide to State Senator Vincent Hughes and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.