Meet Jessica

Jessica Benham is the State Representative for Pennsylvania House District 36, covering portions of the City of Pittsburgh and its suburbs. As a state representative, she has focused on increasing public safety, fighting for access to healthcare, a clean and healthy environment, fair funding for education, and LGBTQ and disability rights. 

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Since her election in 2020, Jessica has brought millions of dollars into the district to invest in infrastructure, green spaces, education, violence prevention, and public safety. Her office has expanded services for seniors by hosting senior fairs, health clinics, and ensuring that everyone can access COVID-19 vaccines through their local pharmacies. When the unemployment system failed Pennsylvanians who had lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jessica publicly stood up to the Governor's Department of Labor and Industry, demanding and delivering benefits to workers.

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Prior to her election, Jessica was the Director of Development for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy (PCAA). Jessica is an alum of the University of Pittsburgh, where she was involved in the effort to organize a union of graduate workers. She knows firsthand the importance of organizing and the power that collective bargaining can have.

 

Jessica has BA degrees in Political Science and in Communication Studies from Bethel University, an MA in Communication from Minnesota State University, an MA in Bioethics and Ph.D in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives in the Southside Slopes with her cat, Ravi.