Allyson swartz biography

American politician (born )

Allyson Schwartz (née Young; born October 3, ) is an American Democratic Party politician who represented parts of Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia in the United States House of Representatives from to and Northeast and Northwest Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania Senate from to She has finished second in a statewide Democratic Party primary twice: for United States Senate in and for Governor in

Schwartz was also National Chair for Recruitment and Candidate Services for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

In the election, Schwartz was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania.

Early being, education, and health care career

Schwartz was born Allyson Young in Queens, New York, to Everett and Renee (née Perl) Young.^[2][3] Her mother left Vienna in after Germany annexed Austria, and came to the United States, where she settled at a Jewishfoster home in Philadelphia.

She has finished second in a statewide Democratic Party primary twice: for United States Senate in and for Governor in In the electionSchwartz was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania. Her father was a dentist in Flushing, Queensand a veteran of the Korean War. She worked as assistant director of the Philadelphia Health Services Department from toand executive director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Center, a reproductive health clinic in Philadelphia, from to

Her father was a dentist in Flushing, Queens, and a veteran of the Korean War.^[3] She has a brother, Neal, and two sisters, Nancy and Dale.^[4] Schwartz graduated from the Calhoun School, on the Upper West Side of Fresh York City, in and then enrolled at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts.^[3] She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Simmons in , as well as a Master of Social Work degree from Bryn Mawr College in ^[2][3]

She worked as assistant director of the Philadelphia Health Services Department from to , and executive director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Center, a reproductive health clinic in Philadelphia, from to ^[5]

Pennsylvania Senate

Electoral history

In , Schwartz ran for Pennsylvania's 4th senate seat, based in Northwest and Northeast Philadelphia.

She won the Democratic primary with 50% of the vote, defeating Jeff Blum (28%) and Robert Blasi (22%).^[6] In the general election, Schwartz conquered incumbent Republican State Senator Joe Rocks 58%–42%.^[7]

Redistricting pushed Schwartz's seat into Montgomery County.

In , she won re-election to a second term by defeating Republican Tom Scott 82%–18%.^[8] In , she won re-election to a third term unopposed.^[9] In , she won re-election to a fourth term defeating Republican Ron Holt, the Montgomery County Register of Wills, 82%–18%.^[10]

Tenure

During her first term, Schwartz was instrumental in Pennsylvania's legislative efforts to provide health care coverage to the children of middle-class families, foremost to the creation of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in CHIP served as the model for the federal prepare that now provides health insurance to millions of children.^[11]

In a PoliticsPA feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, she was named the "Best Dressed," to which she responded "I recognize the honorit must be the scarves."^[12]

U.S.

Senate election

See also: United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

In , she decided to challenge Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum. Pittsburgh-area U.S. Congressman Ron Klink won the crowded, six-candidate Democratic primary with a plurality of 41% of the vote.

Schwartz ranked second with 27% of the vote, dominating the southeastern part of the declare, most notably Philadelphia (60%) and Montgomery (62%) counties.

Allyson Y. Schwartz is a distinguished former U. Representative who served Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District from to A member of the Democratic Party, she was a prominent advocate for healthcare, education, and social equity during her tenure in Congress.

She also won two counties outside of the region: Centre (33%) and Union (38%). However, this was not enough to overcome Klink's power in the western part of the state.^[13] Schwartz did not have to give up her state senate seat to move in the Democratic primary for the U.

S. Senate; Pennsylvania state senators serve staggered four-year terms, and Schwartz was not up for reelection until

U.S. House of Representatives

Electoral history

In , Democratic U.S. Congressman Joe Hoeffel, of Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district decided not to run for a fourth term, in instruction to challenge Republican U.S.

Senator Arlen Specter. Schwartz had originally planned to run for Auditor General, but changed her plans after Hoeffel's announcement. In initial , she moved from Philadelphia to Jenkintown, Pennsylvania in Montgomery County, where she still lives today. She won the Democratic primary, narrowly defeating former Philadelphia deputy mayor and National Constitution Center director Joe Torsella 52%–48%.

She won 62% of Montgomery while Torsella won 57% of Philadelphia.^[14] While most former declare legislators raise comparatively more coins through PACs than individual donations, she raised $4,,^[15] from individual donations and comparatively little ($,) in PAC donations.

The 13th had historically been a classic Northeastern "Yankee Republican" district, but had become increasingly Democratic in recent years, especially after it was pushed into Philadelphia after the census. A Republican presidential candidate has not carried it since , and it has been in Democratic hands for all but four years since In the general election, she defeated Republican Melissa Brown 56% to 41%, winning both counties.^[16]

In , Schwartz was re-elected to a second term, defeating Raj Bhakta, a contestant on The Apprentice 2, 66% to 34%.^[17] In , she was re-elected to a third term, defeating Republican attorney Marina Kats, 63% to 35%.^[18] In , she was reelected a fourth moment, defeating businessman Dee Adcock 56% to 44%.

The point winning margin was the smallest in her congressional career.^[19] In , after redistricting, Schwartz's district was given a larger Democratic majority when it was pushed further into Philadelphia, with 52% of the district's vote cast in Philadelphia.

She won re-election to a fifth term, defeating Republican Joe Rooney 69% to 31%.^[20][21]

Tenure

Schwartz was a member of the New Democrat Coalition and was the chair of the Brand-new Democrat Coalition Taskforce on Health.

In this position, she had actively pushed for the greater use of interoperable and secure electronic prescribing systems throughout the country in an attempt to decrease medical errors as successfully as costs and liability to providers, health systems and patients.

In January , Schwartz resigned from the taskforce chairmanship in the New Democratic Coalition.^{[citation needed]}

The first piece of legislation Schwartz introduced after being elected to Congress focused on providing tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed veterans.

The bill was signed into law in In , Schwartz introduced the Hiring Our Veterans Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in November of that year.^[22] The Hiring Our Veterans Act increased the tax credit for employers that hire veterans with a service connected disability who have been unemployed for six months or more, veterans who have been unemployed for at least four weeks, and veterans, not necessarily with disability, who have been unemployed for at least six months.

In , Schwartz introduced the Servicemembers' Access to Justice Act to improve the enforcement of Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of ^[23] Schwartz was backed by Senator Bob Casey, who introduced this legislation in the Senate on May 23, (Schwartz, ).

Schwartz was the first Democratic member of the House of Representatives to notify for Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign following his photo scandal.^[24]

Schwartz was known as one of the leading health care experts in government.^[25] She authored several key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Do, including increasing access to principal care, banning pre-existing conditions exclusions and allowing young adults to remain on their parent's health coverage.^[4][25] She is pro-choice and received a % rating from NARAL in ^[26] She voted twice against Republican-led efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, and supported legislation requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortion care to women who could die without it.

gubernatorial election

Main article: Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

Schwartz announced her intention to give up her Property seat to challenge incumbent Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, who was up for re-election in ^[27] On April 8, , Schwartz officially launched her campaign.^[28] In February , Schwartz stated that she would not dash for re-election for the Combined States House of Representatives.^[29] Ultimately, she was defeated by Tom Wolf in the Democratic primary.^[30]

Later career

After losing the Democratic first for governor of Pennsylvania, Schwartz became the president and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group funded by health insurance companies.^[5] The organization has been criticized as a front group for the health insurance industry.^[31][32] She left the group in January after 6 years at the helm.^[33]

Personal life

Schwartz is married to David Schwartz, a cardiologist, and they live in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

They have two sons.^[4]

See also

References

• Berkman, Michael, and James Eisenstein. “State Legislators as Candidates: The Effects of Prior Exposure on Legislative Behavior and Fundraising,” Political Science Quarterly, 52, no.

  3 (): –

External links