2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

Danielle Friel Otten

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State Representative Danielle Friel Otten is a mother, businesswoman, community leader and champion for working families who has called Chester County home for over two decades. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she moved to Chester County to attend college at West Chester University.

Danielle Friel Otten — About

Danielle Friel Otten was born and raised in Philadelphia. She attended West Chester University. She is a mother and has called Chester County home for over two decades.

Danielle has spent most of her professional career in marketing and hospitality and has served on the executive teams of some of Philadelphia’s most notable hospitality brands. As the former owner of a retail shop in downtown West Chester, Danielle understands the impact that decisions made in Harrisburg have on the small businesses at the heart of our communities and local economies.

Danielle has worked in marketing and hospitality, including as a member of executive teams at hospitality brands in Philadelphia. She formerly owned a retail shop in downtown West Chester.

Danielle Otten (Incumbent) PA HOUSE DISTRICT 155 Elected in 2018, Danielle Friel Otten is the voice of the people in government. Danielle stands for the health, welfare, and safety of citizens, and the environment.

Danielle Otten (Incumbent)

Danielle Otten (Incumbent) - Chester County Democratic Committee

How will Danielle approach the state budget? Danielle believes it is the responsibility of our legislators to deliver a fiscally responsible, fair budget. Ever since the GOP took control of the Pennsylvania State House, our state has had 6 credit downgrades, costing taxpayers more than $100 million each year. She will work to create budgets based on sustainable revenue sources and place the best interests of the citizens of our Commonwealth above loopholes or tax giveaways for big corporations or the wealthiest 1 percent.

Danielle Friel Otten — Frequently Asked Questions

Does Danielle have a plan for job creation? Danielle will work to create new jobs by investing in green jobs, clean-job training, and green-skills upgrade training to create family-sustaining careers at all skill and education levels.

Does Danielle have a plan for job creation? Danielle will work to create new jobs by investing in green jobs, clean-job training, and green-skills upgrade training to create family-sustaining careers at all skill and education levels. Danielle also believes in investing in our infrastructure, including improvements to roads, public transportation, and communications networks, creating thousands of new, well-paying jobs and improving Pennsylvanians’ quality of life and access to employment centers.

This year Danielle held a House policy meeting to discuss the shortage of care workers for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. Danielle called for more healthcare workers, and to support the healthcare workers by ensuring they earn a living wage.

Danielle Friel Otten — Accomplishments

Plans to pursue fiscally responsible budgets using sustainable revenue sources rather than corporate loopholes or tax giveaways.

Plans to create jobs by investing in green jobs and training for clean jobs and green skills.

- Plans to pursue fiscally responsible budgets using sustainable revenue sources rather than corporate loopholes or tax giveaways.
- Plans to create jobs by investing in green jobs and training for clean jobs and green skills.
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Economy

What is Danielle’s stance on abortion/reproductive rights/women’s right to choose? Danielle believes in protecting women’s individual rights and women’s access to health care, including reproductive care. As the mother of and an aunt to special needs children who began their lives in NICUs following high-risk pregnancies and deliveries, Danielle has a very personal stake in her pro-choice stance and a strong conviction that decisions about a pregnancy should be left solely to a woman and her doctor.

What is Danielle’s position on access / affordability of health care? Danielle believes that no American should die from lack of health care. She believes the best solution is single-payer healthcare – instead of private insurance, we could share the costs equitably through taxes and it would cost us less than we pay today in private insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

How will Danielle combat the opioid crisis in Pennsylvania? Danielle will work to make mental health and addiction services affordable and accessible. She will push insurance companies to cover longer term in-patient and out-patient treatment plans recommended by healthcare professionals, without the need for re-approval every five days. She will advocate for recognition and awareness of substance addiction as a disease, not a crime.

Does Danielle have a position on Fair Staffing for RNs? Danielle feels strongly that we need to hold hospitals more responsible by guaranteeing minimum staffing standards in order to establish safe staffing limits. Adequate nurse-to-patient staffing ratios have been shown to reduce medical errors and saves lives.

What is Danielle’s stance on medical marijuana? Danielle believes Medical marijuana provides an alternative to patients suffering from terminal illness and chronic conditions and can reduce the dangerous use of opioids.

Healthcare

What is Danielle’s position on Charter Schools? Danielle believes it is the state’s responsibility to ensure that every child receives a first-rate education. She supports parents in their decision to select the best educational environment for their children; however, she believes our legislature must hold charter schools accountable to the same standards for performance and fiscal transparency that public schools are required to meet.

Danielle will work to fix Pennsylvania’s flawed charter school funding formula, which currently redirects public tax dollars from neighborhood public schools to charter schools—including for-profit charter management companies—without demanding an accounting of how that money is spent, or what the outcomes are for our students.

What is Danielle’s position on public school funding? Danielle believes that Pennsylvania’s over-reliance on local property taxes for public school funding has meant that local homeowners, including senior citizens, have been unfairly burdened for far too long, while corporations and Harrisburg have failed to pay their fair share for our schools. Danielle will work to free up more money for public schools by fighting to close huge corporate tax loopholes and working toward sustainable, equitable funding solutions. She’ll push the state to increase its investment in public schools and pay its fair share – so local property tax payers aren’t stuck picking up the bill.

Danielle is committed to giving the students of Chester County and Pennsylvania a better future by: Fully and equitably funding our public schools; Closing corporate tax shelters and loopholes to increase revenue for public schools while reducing the tax burden on senior citizens and working families; Holding charter schools to the same standards of transparency and accountability as public schools; Expanding pre-K, full-day kindergarten, and STEM and arts programs; Reducing or eliminating standardized testing; Mandating recess and lunch time for students and teachers; Ensuring that plans for online or blended instruction create equity and access for every student as we adapt educational models to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Danielle Friel Otten — Issues

Would Danielle support investments in vocational education? Yes. Danielle believes that workforce development through access to affordable vocational education and training programs is one more path to creating family-sustaining jobs.

Plans to revise Pennsylvania's charter-school funding formula to require reporting on spending and student outcomes.

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- Plans to revise Pennsylvania's charter-school funding formula to require reporting on spending and student outcomes.
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Education

What are Danielle’s energy policy ideas? Danielle believes in investing in clean energy all over PA, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, and building clean energy infrastructure that protects our environment and benefits the citizens of PA – not the fossil fuels lobby. She will explore innovative solutions such as industrialized hemp production that helps to reduce reliance on plastics and fossil fuels while creating good jobs and sustainable local economies.

What is Danielle’s position on the Mariner East Pipeline and other proposed or active pipelines in PA? Danielle has taken the #NoFossilFuelMoney pledge and will fight to protect the health, welfare, and safety of citizens and the environment—not the interests of the oil & gas lobby. She will fight to correct the lack of oversight that has allowed the unregulated construction and operation of pipelines like Mariner East 2. She will work to end giveaways and tax breaks to big corporations like Sunoco and ETP that are concerned only with their own profits—not the interests of Pennsylvanians.

Protecting our communities from hazardous pipelines. In 2019 Danielle was the primary sponsor of HB 1735, which creates early warning systems for pipelines that carry dangerous substances such as natural gas and oil. Pipeline leaks and ruptures pose a serious risk to the environment, our health, and our property. Danielle introduced HB 1735 to help keep the citizens of Pennsylvania safe from companies who are not concerned with the people impacted by these dangerous pipelines.

Energy & the Environment

Specifically: Danielle supports universal background checks, closing gun-purchase loopholes, and getting guns out of the hands of known domestic abusers. Danielle does not believe that firearms should be on school grounds or community playgrounds under any circumstances unless carried by an on-duty police officer. Danielle would support a ban on assault rifles and would consider restrictions on large capacity magazines, both of which have become common elements in mass shootings in the U.S.

What is Danielle’s stance on recreational marijuana? Danielle supports legalizing marijuana for recreational use. She believes that legalization will reduce unnecessary burdens on our criminal justice system and provide a much-needed revenue boost for the state. If legalized, marijuana should be a highly regulated product, with stiff penalties for driving under the influence or selling to minors.

Danielle is a strong advocate for: Investment in solving the overall violence problem in our communities; A background check with every gun purchase; A minimum age for gun purchases and child access prevention policies; Banning bump stocks and limiting the size of magazines; Requiring a permit for concealed carry. Danielle does not support arming teachers or school staff outside of law enforcement professionals.

Public Safety

Good Governance. Good governance means bringing the state closer to the democracy envisioned by our founders. This can be made possible by removing barriers that prevent us from voting and having a voice in government.

Danielle Friel Otten — Vision

Does Danielle support Campaign Finance Reform? Does she support term limits for elected officials? Danielle believes that the best way to achieve a better functioning, truly representative government at both the state and federal level is not through term limits but through campaign finance reform. To reduce the influence of big-money interests and bring the voice of the people to Harrisburg and Washington, we need to limit the influence of corporations and lobbyists.

It means taking big money out of politics. It means an end to gerrymandering. And it means everyone has a chance to participate equally, regardless of income, race, or gender.

Voting & Elections

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws, including introducing tax bills. 
- State representatives and their staff respond to constituent concerns and questions through emails, phone calls, and website announcements. 
- State representatives oversee the executive branch and can vote to overrule a veto by the Governor.  
- They are elected to two-year terms and have a salary of $106,000, with a 1-3% annual increase

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives