U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat from Swarthmore, is seeking reelection to Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Nick Manganaro, according to BallotReady election data.

Scanlon has represented the district since 2018, according to BallotReady.

According to her congressional biography, Scanlon said her legislative priorities include voting rights, access to justice, education, economic growth for her region, common sense gun safety, women's rights and ending hunger. She said her main goal as an elected official is protecting and improving the lives of America's children, families, veterans and seniors.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Residence: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband, Mark Stewart, according to her campaign website. They have three adult children: Casey, Daniel and Matthew.
  • Born: Aug. 30, 1959, in Syracuse, New York, according to Wikipedia
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in history, Colgate University, 1980; juris doctor, University of Pennsylvania, 1984, according to Wikipedia

Experience and public service

Scanlon's career spans law, education and elected office.

She served as a judicial clerk at the Pennsylvania Superior Court from 1984 to 1986, then worked as a litigation associate at Duane Morris LLP from 1986 to 1992, according to BallotReady. She was an attorney at the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 2001, according to BallotReady.

Scanlon said on her campaign website that she worked as national pro bono counsel at Ballard Spahr LLP from 2004 to 2018. She also said she co-chaired the Voting Rights Task Force at the Association of Pro Bono Counsel in 2017.

She served as a volunteer attorney and board member at the Support Center for Child Advocates beginning in 1985, according to Wikipedia. She served as a school director for the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District from 2007 to 2015, according to BallotReady.

In Congress, Scanlon serves on the House Judiciary Committee, where she is ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, according to her official congressional website. She also serves on the House Committee on Rules, where she is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House.

Endorsements

The following organizations have endorsed Scanlon, according to BallotReady:

  • AFL-CIO
  • Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council
  • Common Defense
  • Defend The Vote
  • democracyFIRST
  • End Citizens United
  • Five County United Labor Council
  • Giffords
  • GiveGreen
  • Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council
  • Harrisburg Region Central Labor Council
  • Humane Society of the United States
  • Johnstown Regional Central Labor Council
  • Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club
  • Montgomery County Democratic Committee
  • National Education Association
  • PA Conference of Teamsters
  • Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO
  • Philadelphia Ward 39A Democrats
  • Seven Mountains Central Labor Council

The Radnor-Haverford Herald sent Scanlon a candidate questionnaire. She had not responded as of publication. This profile will be updated if a response is received.