What’s at stake? Democrats have maintained control of this Pittsburgh-area district for more than 50 years. Incumbent Rep. Jessica Benham faces Libertarian Ross Sylvester, but no Republican is running. The 36th District contains the city’s southern neighborhoods of Arlington, Arlington Heights, Beechview, Brookline, Carrick, Overbrook, South Side and St. Clair, as well as the working-class suburb of Brentwood and the borough of Mt. Oliver.
District map:
Jessica Benham
Benham is a two-term incumbent who previously worked as an autism advocate, and she has brought her disability and LGBTQ+ advocacy to the Capitol. She’s taken on the cause of pharmacy reimbursements and toured the state during the past legislative session gathering input to tackle pharmacy benefit managers. She’s the vice chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation. She also organized graduate workers while attending the University of Pittsburgh.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: South Side, Pittsburgh
Education: Master's degree in bioethics and a Ph.D. in communication, University of Pittsburgh
Current occupation: Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Related experience: Two terms as state representative
Supporters/endorsements: State AFL-CIO and several civil-rights and abortion-rights groups
Website/social media URLs: Website | X | Instagram
Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24):
Total raised (2024): $23,043.85 (2023 ending cash balance: $18,127.08)
Total spent (2024): $14,627.85
Further reading: “With 2024 campaign ahead, local Democrats sound early warning on abortion rights” (Chris Potter, WESA)
“State bill aims to protect local pharmacies with tougher oversight of pharmacy benefit managers” (Kiley Koscinski, WESA)
“New department of disability rights could knock down bureaucratic barriers, supporters say” (Ben Wasserstein, WESA)
WESA Candidate Survey
State policies can help determine the health of the local economy — by adjusting tax rates, imposing or relaxing regulations, and so on. What policies do you think Harrisburg should pursue to improve the state’s economic performance?
State government needs to expand our sources of revenue so that we rely less on income taxes. We should regulate and tax recreational cannabis and take steps to close the so-called “Delaware loophole” that allows businesses to operate in the Commonwealth while avoiding paying their fair share. We need to expand investments in our main streets and locally owned businesses, and we have taken a great first step in that direction with the new Main Street Matters grant program funded in this year’s budget. We need to make it easier to enter and stay in the workforce by funding educational and training programs of all types, ensuring that child care is accessible and affordable to all families, and raising the minimum wage. Additional details on my economic policies can be found on my website.
Pennsylvania’s approach to education funding, which relies heavily on local property taxes, has long been criticized for burdening homeowners and for creating gaps between rich and poor communities. What should the legislature do to address those concerns, and are there other reforms you think are needed to improve the education students receive?
We took a good first step in this year’s state budget toward fixing our funding system for public education, but there is more still to do. I support the seven-year plan proposed by the House Democrats to fully and equitably fund our public school systems.
Nearby states have legalized the adult recreational use of marijuana, and there have been proposals to do so in Pennsylvania, possibly through new distributors or through existing state stores or medical marijuana dispensaries. Do you support legalization, and if so, who should be allowed to sell the product?
I support legalization of recreational cannabis and am open to conversations about who should be allowed to sell the product, as well as conversations about home-grow and criminal justice reforms that should be enacted alongside legalization.
Arguments over voting provisions — such as mail-in balloting, “drop boxes” and voter verification requirements — have become a part of the electoral landscape. How well do you think our election systems work now, and what, if any, changes to our state voting laws would you support?
I think that, broadly speaking, our election system is fair. I would support same-day voter registration, early voting, automatic voter registration, pre-canvassing of mail ballots (a reform supported and requested by all our counties), stronger limits on contributions to political candidates, and stronger requirements around full disclosure of all spending meant to influence the outcome of elections.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, there have been discussions in state capitals across the country about whether to limit abortion access or expand it. What changes, if any, would you favor to the state's current abortion laws?
I would vote for a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights into the PA Constitution. I support HB2374, which would remove excessive mandates placed on abortion providers, as well as HB2304, which would eliminate the 24-hour waiting period and Medicaid restrictions on abortions.
Ross Sylvester
Sylvester serves as the chair of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party. Sylvester told a Libertarian podcast two years ago that lockdowns during the COVID pandemic led him to third-party politics. Little public information about his candidacy exists online — a campaign website and social media pages associated with his 2022 run are no longer active. He’s a proponent of the Second Amendment and previously secured an endorsement from the state chapter of the Gun Owners of America in 2022.
Party: Libertarian
Place of residence: Pittsburgh
Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): None reported
WESA Candidate Survey
Sylvester did not respond to the WESA Candidate Survey.
