State

State Representative, 36th 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.

Entirely in Allegheny County: the boroughs of Brentwood and Mount Oliver, and parts of Pittsburgh (wards 16, 29 and 32 and parts of wards 17, 18 and 19), including the South Side Flats and Slopes, Arlington, St. Clair, Bon Air, Carrick, Overbrook, Mount Washington, Brookline and Beechview.

Candidates Compare by issue

Timothy McCune

Republican

Home health aide · Brentwood

The gist

Proposes tax relief and vehicle registration or fee waivers for volunteer firefighters and first responders.
Supports protecting gun rights, with laws focused on criminals rather than lawful gun owners.
Supports public schools along with school choice options such as charter schools and career training.
Supports school transparency and parental involvement in decisions affecting their children.
Proposes teaching high school students to recognize and report signs of dating and domestic abuse.
Calls for more services for special-needs families, especially young adults moving from school to work.
Supports policies to 'protect life' along with support systems for mothers, families and children.
Supports transparent budgeting and cutting wasteful spending.

More about Timothy

View sources (1)

Proposes tax relief and vehicle registration or fee waivers for volunteer firefighters and first responders.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Supporting Volunteer Firefighters & First Responders · mccuneforpa.com
“I support providing tax relief and vehicle registration or fee waivers for volunteer firefighters and first responders”
Supports protecting gun rights, with laws focused on criminals rather than lawful gun owners.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Protecting the Second Amendment · mccuneforpa.com
“I support protecting the Second Amendment while ensuring laws focus on criminals, not responsible gun owners.”
Supports public schools along with school choice options such as charter schools and career training.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Education & School Choice · mccuneforpa.com
“I support strong public schools while also giving families options such as charter schools, career training programs”
Supports school transparency and parental involvement in decisions affecting their children.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Supporting Families & Parental Rights · mccuneforpa.com
“I support transparency in schools and policies that keep families involved in decisions affecting their children.”
Proposes teaching high school students to recognize and report signs of dating and domestic abuse.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Domestic Violence Education & Awareness · mccuneforpa.com
“I support incorporating education in Pennsylvania high schools that teaches students how to recognize the warning signs of abuse”
Calls for more services for special-needs families, especially young adults moving from school to work.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Support for Special Needs Children & Families · mccuneforpa.com
“Special attention should be given to helping young adults with disabilities transition from school into adulthood, employment, and independent living.”
Supports policies to 'protect life' along with support systems for mothers, families and children.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Protecting Life · mccuneforpa.com
“Pennsylvania should support policies that protect life while also strengthening support systems for mothers, families, and children.”
Supports transparent budgeting and cutting wasteful spending.
Where I Stand - Timothy McCune for PA State Representative
Campaign website · Timothy McCune campaign · Responsible Spending & Lower Taxes · mccuneforpa.com
“I support transparent budgeting, reducing wasteful spending, and making sure tax dollars are used efficiently”

Jessica Benham

DemocraticIncumbent

State representative · Pittsburgh (South Side Slopes)

The gist

Supports universal background checks, extreme risk protection orders, firearm safety training and safe storage laws.
Supports a gift ban for officials, campaign contribution limits, full disclosure of election spending and a redistricting commission.
Supports election-day and automatic voter registration and more early voting.
Supports raising the minimum wage and protecting workers' rights to unionize.
Supports free public early childhood education for all children.
Supports abortion rights and opposes laws restricting reproductive choice.
Authored the 2024 law regulating pharmacy benefit managers; now backs a pharmacy reimbursement floor and a single Medicaid PBM.In office
Sponsored Act 11 of 2026, letting surviving spouses of Pittsburgh firefighters keep pension benefits if they remarry.In office
Co-sponsors transit funding bills raising rental car and lease fees and adding a 6% ride-hailing tax.In office
Supports the Fairness Act, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's anti-discrimination law.In office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about Jessica

View sources (5)

Supports universal background checks, extreme risk protection orders, firearm safety training and safe storage laws.
Policy Priorities - Benham for PA
Campaign website · Benham for PA · Increasing Public Safety in Our Communities · benhamforpa.com
“comprehensive background checks, extreme risk protection orders, firearm safety training, and safe storage laws”
Supports a gift ban for officials, campaign contribution limits, full disclosure of election spending and a redistricting commission.
Policy Priorities - Benham for PA
Campaign website · Benham for PA · Protecting Our Democracy … Protecting Our Democracy · benhamforpa.com
“Jessica supports a ban on gifts to elected officials, limits on contributions to political candidates, and full disclosure of all spending … She supports a redistricting commission to draw fair lines”
Supports election-day and automatic voter registration and more early voting.
Policy Priorities - Benham for PA
Campaign website · Benham for PA · Protecting Our Democracy · benhamforpa.com
“Jessica will fight for election day voter registration, automatic voter registration, and more opportunities for early voting.”
Supports raising the minimum wage and protecting workers' rights to unionize.
Policy Priorities - Benham for PA
Campaign website · Benham for PA · Workers' Rights · benhamforpa.com
“Jessica is pushing for a higher minimum wage, and to protect the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain.”
Supports free public early childhood education for all children.
Policy Priorities - Benham for PA
Campaign website · Benham for PA · Fully Funding Our Education System · benhamforpa.com
“Early education should be public, free, and inclusive for all students.”
Supports abortion rights and opposes laws restricting reproductive choice.
Policy Priorities - Benham for PA
Campaign website · Benham for PA · Reproductive Justice · benhamforpa.com
“Jessica fights to make sure that choice isn't restricted by harmful laws that take away our rights.”
Authored the 2024 law regulating pharmacy benefit managers; now backs a pharmacy reimbursement floor and a single Medicaid PBM.
Benham: Study shows more Pharmacy Benefit Managers reforms needed
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jessica Benham · May 21, 2026 · pahouse.com
“this study also makes clear that we should take action to set a reimbursement floor within the commercial insurance space … I remain enthusiastic about legislation that has been introduced to require the use of a single PBM for Medicaid”
Sponsored Act 11 of 2026, letting surviving spouses of Pittsburgh firefighters keep pension benefits if they remarry.
Governor signs Benham bill closing Pittsburgh firefighter pension loophole
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jessica Benham · May 6, 2026 · pahouse.com
“Families of first responders should never lose benefits their loved one earned through a lifetime of service.”
Co-sponsors transit funding bills raising rental car and lease fees and adding a 6% ride-hailing tax.
Policy Priorities - Benham for PA
Campaign website · Benham for PA · Climate Change and Infrastructure · benhamforpa.com
“Jessica believes firmly in the importance of sustainably funding public transit.”
Abney, Benham formally introduce bills to fund Pennsylvania's transit systems
Public statement · Office of Rep. Jessica Benham · May 30, 2025 · pahouse.com
“Our legislative package will provide the necessary funding to keep Allegheny moving”
Supports the Fairness Act, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's anti-discrimination law.
PA Fairness Act reintroduced by LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
Public statement · PA House Democratic Caucus · Jun 3, 2025 · pahouse.com
“lawmakers like us need to do more to protect them through bills like the Fairness Act”

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; 7 issues covered in this race.