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State Representative, 20th District

Vote for
1
Term
2 years
Candidates
2
Election
Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state representative votes on Pennsylvania laws and the state budget in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Allegheny County only: Ross Township, the boroughs of Avalon, Bellevue and West View, and parts of Pittsburgh's Wards 26 and 27 (including Brighton Heights). The Republican nominee won his nomination by write-in in the May primary.

CandidatesCompare by issue

Taxes & budget

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    • Advocates property tax reform, saying high property taxes are pushing longtime homeowners toward tax sales.
    • Supports withholding legislators' pay until a state budget passes.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    • Supports requiring regular property reassessments in all 67 counties.In office

Public safety

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    • Supports state limits on sales of tianeptine and kratom, plus mental health and addiction counseling.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    No documented position found.

Education

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    • Pledges to champion public schools and career and technical education.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    • Calls for a larger state share of K-12 funding and opposes current cyber charter school funding.
    • Sponsored a House-passed bill doubling the special education contingency fund for high-cost students.In office

Economy & jobs

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    • Says his campaign will focus on affordability, accountability, improvement and reform.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    • Supports raising the minimum wage and tying future increases to legislators' cost-of-living raises.
    • Opposes right-to-work laws and supports tougher penalties on employers that fight unionizing.

Environment & parks

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    • Supports state regulation of data centers and a state ban on building new ones while impacts are studied.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    No documented position found.

Health & human services

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    No documented position found.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    • Supports writing abortion rights into Pennsylvania law.
    • Sponsored a bill to hold insurance CEOs criminally liable when care denials cause serious harm or death.In office

Government & transparency

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    • Proposes a legislative subcommittee to review waste, fraud and abuse in state government spending.
    • Supports requiring ID at the polls and touch-screen voting, and voting information for non-English speakers.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    • Supports campaign contribution limits, public financing of elections and an independent redistricting commission.

Courts & justice

  • Joseph AgugliaRepublican

    No documented position found.

  • Emily KinkeadDemocratic

    • Supports abolishing cash bail for non-violent offenses and expanding restorative justice programs.
    • Co-sponsored a House-passed bill shielding people who aid overdose victims from criminal charges.In office

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 8 issues covered in this race.