Meet Gretchen Wisehart, Candidate For State Rep., 154th District

Gretchen Wisehart

Age (as of Election Day)

49

Position Sought

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives 154

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Primary opponents

Adrienne Redd, Ray Sosa, Jay Conners, Jennifer Lugar, Napoleon Nelson

Family

Spouse: Tom; Children: Becky (32) (Dan), Rachael (30) (Josh), Lauren (19), Morgan (17); Grandchildren: Declan (2), Ahava (9 months)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

University of Pennsylvania, BA Philosophy, Political Science and Economics, cum laude
Villanova University School of Law, JD

Occupation

Attorney, 20 years experience in public finance with state and local government, school districts, hospitals and universities. Have also served as Chief Counsel to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and am presently Special Counsel to SEPTA.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Cheltenham Township Economic Development Task Force, Board Member
Cheltenham Township Human Relations Commission, Board Member
The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Hearing Officer
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Chief Counsel
Office of the General Counsel, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Deputy General Counsel
Board of Finance and Revenue, Governor's Designee
Board of Property, Governor's Designee
Judge of Elections, Cheltenham 6-1

Campaign website

www.wisehartforpa.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

To be the effective leader our community deserves. With four daughters and two grandchildren, I want to make sure we have a thriving community where we can raise and educate our families, earn a living and afford to retire. In order to address the serious issues in our community such as inequitable school funding, crumbling infrastructure, devastating effects of climate change, gun violence, and access to affordable healthcare, we need not only a strong voice in the legislature, but an advocate that knows how to get results.
The single most pressing issue facing our state/nation is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

It is almost impossible to choose just one and a good leader knows how to handle several issues at the same time, but there are only certain ones that you can impact at the state level. At the top of my list of priorities is education: we are failing our children with public schools that are underfunded, unsafe and inadequate. Equitable school funding and charter school reform would allow our community to invest in its most precious resource, our children. Specifically, reforming the outdated Sterling Act and charter school reform would bring millions back to our district and reduce the tax burden on our residents, including our seniors, who should be able to live out their lives in the community where they have raised their families. Those funds would allow us to expand educational opportunity for every child at every level, freeze property taxes for our senior citizens and to address climate change impacts by investing in electric buses and green building technology.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have 20 years experience with state and local government, school districts, hospitals and universities, including work in Harrisburg as the Chief Counsel for the Department of Revenue and Deputy General Counsel. I have drafted, negotiated and passed legislation and budgets in the legislature, I'm prepared to be effective from my first day in office. Anyone can make empty promises, I know my past work in Harrisburg would allow me to deliver.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

In addition to fair educational funding for our schools, I will fight to pass common-sense gun laws, find and fund alternative energy solutions and infrastructure improvements to address climate change, and transportation funding to fix our crumbling roads and bridges and increase access to public transportation. I have long worked for positive change in my community and this includes criminal justice reform, advocating for the protection of a woman's right to choose, access to affordable healthcare and LGBTQ+ rights.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Representing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in developing and implementing a complex and innovative plan to restructure $345 Million in debt from a bungled waste-to-energy municipal incinerator, helping the City of Harrisburg avoid Chapter 9. Helping the Governor and Secretary of Revenue draft and pass budgets and legislation on tax reform. aWorking on the healthcare reform project for the Massachusetts Medical Association, the plan that became Romneycare and was the basis for Obamacare. Legal clerkships in the United States District Court, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and on the United State Judiciary Committee for Senator Patrick Leahy. Working on the Cheltenham Township Economic Development Task Force to support small businesses and bring family-sustaining jobs to our community.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

Learn something new every day. You are never to old to ask questions or know to much to learn something new.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

At heart I am a mom who is fighting for a future for my children and grandchildren. I was raised by a single mother on a small family-owned farm. Economic insecurity was always knocking at my door and I want to work to make sure no one in our community faces the tough choices we made. I was given an opportunity to be lifted out of poverty by a good public school education and will fight to make sure that same opportunity is available for all of our children. I am a pragmatic progressive with the experience and skills to understand the critical issues impacting our community and craft solutions that make a real, positive difference.