Jennifer O'Mara Seeking To Keep 165th District Seat

Jennifer O'Mara

Age (as of Election Day)

30

Position Sought

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives State House District 165

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

My husband Brad Bitting, is a combat veteran and two-time Purple Heart recipient. We’re also proud parents to Ladybug, a rescue dog from PSPCA.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

By working three jobs, I was able to support myself through college and earn a dual degree from West Chester University. I became a certified teacher and later went on to receive a Masters Degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania.

Occupation

Legislator, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Legislator, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Campaign website

www.voteomara.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

As a legislator, I have fought for workers’ rights, protections for veterans, benefits for first responders, increased funding for public education, and increased access to mental health resources. My engagement in politics, and my governing since my election, is deeply tied to my personal story. When I was 13, I lost my father, a union firefighter, to gun suicide. My family moved to Delaware County, where my mother found work as a union bus driver. I was the first in my family to graduate from college -- I still have student loan debt. My husband is a two-time Purple Heart recipient, and early in our relationship, I served as his advocate with the VA. After graduation, I earned my teaching certificate. I was planning to go back into the classroom, but after the 2016 election, I knew we needed new, progressive champions in Harrisburg. Time and again, government has failed to work for the people. I’m in Harrisburg fighting for the things that matter, the things that affect real people’s lives, the things that have affected my life. I’m ready to keep serving the people.

The single most pressing issue facing our state/nation is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I think the single most pressing issue facing our state/nation is mental health. Mental health affects so many facets of our lives; right now, suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people ages 10-24, and it’s on the rise for adults in both urban and rural communities. We lose 20 veterans a day to suicide, and we lose more first responders to suicide than we do in the line of duty. Individuals are struggling to make ends meet, to find good jobs, to find dignity for their family. These struggles create feelings of despair -- those suffering most often know where to turn, or can’t access the resources they need to get help. I hear constantly from my high school interns that stress at school is on the rise and they don’t know how to handle it. Teachers tell stories of struggling to meet mental health needs in their classrooms with their limited budgets. Mental health does not discriminate. Even so, there is a stigma around it in our society that exacerbates the problem. If we want people to succeed here in Pennsylvania and in the United States, we need to invest in all parts of their health and well-being. I’m honored to be a member of the mental health caucus and I also serve on the statewide Suicide prevention task force. I will continue fighting in Harrisburg for real change around this essential issue.

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

I believe in hard work, honesty, and integrity. I want to represent all people in my district and I don’t want a return to politics as normal. My opponent is someone who hails from the old boys club in county politics. He is focused on winning just to win, and not winning to bring meaningful change to the people of my district. He’s also made it clear he’s only interested in talking to members of his party, whereas I am focused on reaching across the aisle to build coalitions and to work for all the residents in my district regardless of partisan politics.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the incumbent failed the district?

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I campaigned on bringing the government back to the people. That means fighting for good jobs at all skill levels, for working families, for quality public education and public service, for access to quality healthcare, for common-sense gun legislation. As a legislator, I have worked hard to bring real, meaningful change -- changes around the kitchen-table issues that actually affect voters lives -- to the people of my district and to Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth.

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

Since my election last November, I have been working hard for the people of Delaware County. I have taken on the Harrisburg establishment and brought back nearly four million dollars in grant money to support our schools, firefighters, and parks. I have been fighting for veterans, sponsoring and passing legislation that allows direct contributions from Pennsylvanians’ state tax refunds into the Veterans’ Trust Fund, a statewide grant program that as of now is severely underfunded. I have reached across the isle and created the bipartisan Student Debt Caucus with my fellow co-chair, Rep. Meghan Schroeder (R-Bucks), to enact meaningful reform for college students and graduates saddled with student loan debt. I’ve also had the privilege to serve as the first vice chair of the Southeast Delegation and co-chair of the Fire & Emergency Services Caucus, and this year, I was named one of the country’s eleven most accessible legislators.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

...to work hard, be nice, and always be proud of the work you do. I try to remember those simple words whenever I interact with my constituents or my colleagues. I know that in politics, we’re never going to agree 100% of the time, but if you can find a way to respect one another and work on the issues where you find common ground, you can accomplish meaningful things together and actually bring about change for your community.

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

I’m not a typical politician. I wasn’t groomed to run for politics or recruited. I came to this job because I believe in public service. I’m not personally wealthy; I don’t have a high worth network. When I ran for office, I was a 28-year-old woman who saw the government in Harrisburg and knew it wasn’t working for people like me, my family, and my neighbors. I went to Harrisburg to start building that change, and while we’ve come a long way, there is so much more work to be done. And now that I’m in office, I work hard to be an independent voice and to represent my district, not my political party.