Emily received two Bachelor's degrees - Biology and Political Science - from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She lives in Brighton Heights with her cats.

Meet Emily Kinkead

A native of Pittsburgh’s Northside, Emily lives in Brighton Heights with her cats and dog.

Biography

Emily Kinkead is originally from Pittsburgh's Northside. She earned bachelor's degrees in biology and political science from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She lives in Brighton Heights.

Rep. Emily Kinkead | Biography

KINKEAD, Emily D., a Representative from Allegheny County; born, 1987 in Allegheny County, Pa.; graduated, Red River High School, 2005; B.S., biology and, B.A., political science, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (now Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania), 2009; J.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2016; advocate, L’Arche, Washington, DC; advocate, Common Cause; employed, legislative policy office, National Institutes of Health; law clerk, judge Michael Wojcik, Commonwealth Court (2016-2018); attorney (2016-present); board member, Scenic Pittsburgh; elected as a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 2021, 2023 and 2025 terms.

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website

Additionally, she served as an intern law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Pupo Lenihan. Following her graduation, Kinkead clerked for the Honorable Judge Michael H. Wojcik of the Commonwealth Court before entering private practice.

Emily Kinkead currently works as an attorney. She previously worked as a law clerk for Judge Michael H. Wojcik of the Commonwealth Court, in private practice, in the legislative policy office at the National Institutes of Health, and as an advocate at L’Arche and Common Cause.

Meet Emily Kinkead. Emily was elected to serve Pennsylvania's 20th Legislative District in 2020. In a time filled with turmoil because of a raging pandemic, growing partisan strife, and ongoing attacks on our democracy and ability to vote, Emily has spent her time in office committed to being a voice for her district and advocating for the values that she believes need to be more central in our government policy - justice, equity, and diversity.

board member, Scenic Pittsburgh; elected as a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 2021, 2023 and 2025 terms.

Emily was elected to represent Pennsylvania's 20th Legislative District in 2020. She has been elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 2021, 2023, and 2025 terms.

2026 Pennsylvania General Election 

Emily opposes right-to-work (for less) legislation. She supports the passage of the Workplace Freedom Act, which would streamline union formation and allow union representatives direct access to new hires to explain the benefits of union membership. Emily supports efforts to institute industry-wide bargaining.

Issue Priorities

Emily supports allowing workers to sue employers who illegally interfere with unionizing efforts. She favors imposing financial penalties on employers who illegally fire employees that attempt to unionize and requiring businesses to immediately reinstate these employees while their cases are pending. Emily also supports more severe punishments for employers who violate labor laws.

There have been a number of legislative proposals that would increase revenue for the state, including marijuana legalization, a tax on digital advertisements, and the legalization/taxation of “skill games.' Which, if any, of these do you favor, and why? I support all of them. My bill, HB 20, is the first bipartisan bill offered in the House to legalize adult-use cannabis, and I will keep pushing to get some version of legalization across the finish line. Taxing digital advertisements is just updating our laws to keep up with technology. If you're advertising in Pennsylvania, you should be giving back to the Pennsylvanians from whom you are benefiting. Regarding skill games, the state Supreme Court has found that skill games are slot machines so if they are going to operate in Pennsylvania, then they should be taxed accordingly.

Pa. State House 20th District election: Aguglia v. Kinkead | 90.5 WESA

Taxing digital advertisements is just updating our laws to keep up with technology. If you're advertising in Pennsylvania, you should be giving back to the Pennsylvanians from whom you are benefiting. Regarding skill games, the state Supreme Court has found that skill games are slot machines so if they are going to operate in Pennsylvania, then they should be taxed accordingly.

The state’s current minimum wage of $7.15 has not been raised since 2007 and is now between 18 and 83 percent lower than our neighboring states. No wage that puts a full-time worker under the poverty level should be acceptable under any circumstances. Emily not only supports a $15 minimum wage, but she also supports indexing that wage to automatically annually adjust with inflation to ensure hard-working Pennsylvanians maintain the buying power needed to afford their basic living expenses.

Collective action benefits not only union members, but non-union workers and the community at large. Unions have been the impetus for improved workplace standards, expanded access to healthcare and living wages, and the acknowledgement that workers are the true job-creators in this country. The Republican attack on unions is one of the leading causes of our nation's growing income inequality and stagnant wage growth and Emily will fight these anti-union tactics in Harrisburg. Emily opposes right-to-work (for less) legislation.

Supports industry-wide bargaining and stronger penalties and remedies for employers that illegally interfere with union organizing.

Sponsored House Bill (HB) 20 to legalize adult-use cannabis and supports taxing digital advertisements and skill games.

Supports a $15 minimum wage indexed annually to inflation.

Opposes right-to-work legislation and supports the Workplace Freedom Act to streamline union formation.

- Supports industry-wide bargaining and stronger penalties and remedies for employers that illegally interfere with union organizing.
- Sponsored House Bill (HB) 20 to legalize adult-use cannabis and supports taxing digital advertisements and skill games.
- Supports a $15 minimum wage indexed annually to inflation.
- Opposes right-to-work legislation and supports the Workplace Freedom Act to streamline union formation.

Economy

Emily Kinkead knows that it is not the role of the state to interfere with a woman’s reproductive decisions. She believes that the women of Pennsylvania deserve peace of mind in knowing that politicians will not be playing politics with their personal rights. Accordingly, she will fight to enshrine the protections of a woman’s right to have a safe, legal abortion unencumbered by government interference or other barriers, as outlined in Roe v. Wade, into law in Pennsylvania.

Emily supports the immediate passage of the Fairness Act, which will make it unlawful to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Additionally, Emily supports requiring LGBTQIA+ information in our state’s sex education programs, increasing funding and programs aimed at providing affirming mental health care to all Pennsylvanians, but particularly LGBTQIA+ youth, and banning the practice of conversion therapy.

Emily believes that no one should have to go without life-sustaining healthcare or medications simply because they cannot afford to pay for it. But older Americans, many on fixed incomes, are struggling to keep up with the skyrocketing costs of premiums and out of pocket costs on prescription drugs. Emily supports following the lead of states like Colorado and Illinois to cap the out-of-pocket cost of essential drugs like insulin.

Emily believes that no one should have to go without life-sustaining healthcare or medications simply because they cannot afford to pay for it. But older Americans, many on fixed incomes, are struggling to keep up with the skyrocketing costs of premiums and out of pocket costs on prescription drugs. Emily supports following the lead of states like Colorado and Illinois to cap the out-of-pocket cost of essential drugs like insulin. She believes that the government should be working to bring more generic drugs to the marketplace and crack down on dirty tricks that big pharmaceutical companies use to prevent competition. Moreover, Emily supports passing legislation that would allow Pennsylvania to import cheaper drugs from Canada.

Emily Kinkead will fight to build a healthcare system for all Pennsylvanians that will be immune to Donald Trump's efforts to repeal protections of the Affordable Care Act such as pre-existing conditions and preventative care. She supports closing corporate tax loopholes to fund patient care and taking on big pharmaceutical drug companies to lower prescription drug prices. Emily will also push to stop the practice of insurance companies cutting off access to those fighting opioid addiction prematurely just to save money and fight to improve access to adequate care for the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians.

Supports protecting access to safe, legal abortion without government interference or other barriers.

Supports the Fairness Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Supports capping out-of-pocket costs for essential drugs such as insulin and allowing Pennsylvania to import lower-cost drugs from Canada.

Plans to prevent insurers from prematurely ending coverage for opioid-addiction treatment.

- Supports protecting access to safe, legal abortion without government interference or other barriers.
- Supports the Fairness Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Supports capping out-of-pocket costs for essential drugs such as insulin and allowing Pennsylvania to import lower-cost drugs from Canada.
- Plans to prevent insurers from prematurely ending coverage for opioid-addiction treatment.

Healthcare

PUBLIC EDUCATION We need to do more to increase the state share of education funding for our local schools. Pennsylvania is now ranked 46th among all states for contribution to K-12 education. This leads to a greater disparity in funding for children in less affluent districts.

Private schools maintain that the EITC benefits the poorest kids in the lowest performing schools. If that is true, then they should not be concerned about showing that to Pennsylvania taxpayers. Unfortunately, what has been shown is that these funds generally benefit kids that are already attending these schools. Even with a taxpayer-funded discount on private school tuition, the poorest families are still generally unable to afford tuition. And private schools are able to reject students for basically any reason so even if the families could afford the tuition, admittance still isn't guaranteed. Public money for public schools unless private schools submit to the same transparency and regulation.

Calls for increasing the state share of funding for local public schools.

Supports public funding for private schools only if they meet the same transparency and regulatory requirements as public schools.

- Calls for increasing the state share of funding for local public schools.
- Supports public funding for private schools only if they meet the same transparency and regulatory requirements as public schools.

Education

I am also working on several pieces of legislation that would require data centers to enter into community benefits agreements, pay money into an escrow fund to allow local municipalities to hire experts to review data center plans at each stage to ensure that they are meeting their promises, and fund any specialty equipment necessary for local emergency services to be able to properly respond to emergency situations that may arise at data center facilities.

Landslides are a huge and growing problem in Western PA. Pennsylvania has the only state-run insurance program around land movement in our mine subsidence insurance program. It has been incredibly successful and is entirely self-funded through premium payments. I have been working to either expand that program to include landslides or create a free-standing insurance program available to Pennsylvanians in areas impacted by landslides (and sinkholes).

Emily also supports greater accountability for the government agencies tasked with protecting our environment. Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s grand jury investigation into both private energy companies and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection highlights the danger associated with allowing government regulators to operate without proper oversight. And because clean water and clean air transcend legislative boundaries, what happens in other parts of the region is very much our business as well. Emily is vehemently opposed to HB 1100, a bill that seeks to allocate nearly one billion dollars in subsidies to petrochemical companies to build cracker plants in Pennsylvania.

Emily is vehemently opposed to HB 1100, a bill that seeks to allocate nearly one billion dollars in subsidies to petrochemical companies to build cracker plants in Pennsylvania. While most subsidies require reauthorization every one to two years, this massive giveaway would linger for 30 years - an entire generation. Allegheny County has the worst air quality and some of the worst water quality in the nation because of a generations of pollution from industries propped up this way. This bill was recently vetoed by Governor Wolf but there is growing support to override the veto. Emily recognizes that Pennsylvania's economy needs to be transitioning to clean, renewable energy sources today.

Is working on legislation requiring data-center community-benefits agreements, municipal review funding, and emergency-response equipment funding.

Is working to expand mine-subsidence insurance to cover landslides or create a separate landslide and sinkhole insurance program.

Opposes House Bill (HB) 1100, which would provide nearly $1 billion in petrochemical subsidies, and supports transitioning to renewable energy.

- Is working on legislation requiring data-center community-benefits agreements, municipal review funding, and emergency-response equipment funding.
- Is working to expand mine-subsidence insurance to cover landslides or create a separate landslide and sinkhole insurance program.
- Opposes House Bill (HB) 1100, which would provide nearly $1 billion in petrochemical subsidies, and supports transitioning to renewable energy.

Energy & the Environment

She also supports encouraging police investment in the communities they serve through rewarding police officers for positive community interactions. Emily is also committed to expanding restorative justice programs and ensuring that these programs are available to those accused of crimes without the requirement that they plead guilty. She believes that cash bail should be abolished for all non-violent offenses and that the state should be required to affirmatively demonstrate why a defendant cannot be released on their own recognizance before they are denied their freedom prior to any conviction.

Emily is also committed to expanding restorative justice programs and ensuring that these programs are available to those accused of crimes without the requirement that they plead guilty. She believes that cash bail should be abolished for all non-violent offenses and that the state should be required to affirmatively demonstrate why a defendant cannot be released on their own recognizance before they are denied their freedom prior to any conviction.

As a lawyer, Emily Kinkead has seen from the inside the need for change in our system. She is committed to returning our police forces to serving neighborhoods through community policing. This requires working with police and community stakeholders to rebuild trust. Emily supports the establishment of independent citizen review boards with subpoena and disciplinary power to review police misconduct complaints.

I support all of them. My bill, HB 20, is the first bipartisan bill offered in the House to legalize adult-use cannabis, and I will keep pushing to get some version of legalization across the finish line. Taxing digital advertisements is just updating our laws to keep up with technology.

Supports expanding restorative-justice programs without requiring defendants to plead guilty and eliminating cash bail for nonviolent offenses.

Supports community policing and independent citizen review boards with subpoena and disciplinary authority for police-misconduct complaints.

Sponsored House Bill (HB) 20 to legalize adult-use cannabis.

- Supports expanding restorative-justice programs without requiring defendants to plead guilty and eliminating cash bail for nonviolent offenses.
- Supports community policing and independent citizen review boards with subpoena and disciplinary authority for police-misconduct complaints.
- Sponsored House Bill (HB) 20 to legalize adult-use cannabis.

Public Safety

Currently, Pennsylvania has no campaign contribution limits. As a state representative, Emily has fought to put caps on campaign contributions and fight to establish a system of public financing for elections because if the people who own politicians are the ones who pay for them, then it should be the people - not wealthy special interests. Emily supports establishing an independent citizens redistricting commission to redraw the boundaries of our legislative districts because people should pick their politicians, not the other way around.

Here in Pennsylvania, my colleagues and I have been working at the state Capitol to strengthen voting rights for all Pennsylvanians. Last year, I proudly voted for, and the state House passed, the Voting Rights Protection Act, legislation that would make commonsense reforms, including allowing the counting of mail ballots before Election Day, increasing options for early voting, creating a post-election audit process, and more.

District 20 Update: Protecting your right to vote in 2026

Supports an independent citizens commission to redraw legislative district boundaries.

Advocates for campaign-contribution limits and public financing for elections.

Voted for the Voting Rights Protection Act, which would allow pre-Election Day mail-ballot counting, expand early voting, and establish post-election audits.

- Supports an independent citizens commission to redraw legislative district boundaries.
- Advocates for campaign-contribution limits and public financing for elections.
- Voted for the Voting Rights Protection Act, which would allow pre-Election Day mail-ballot counting, expand early voting, and establish post-election audits.

Voting & Elections

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Emily Kinkead

- Supports a $15 minimum wage indexed annually to inflation.
- Opposes right-to-work legislation and supports the Workplace Freedom Act to streamline union formation.

- Sponsored House Bill (HB) 20 to legalize adult-use cannabis.

- Voted for the Voting Rights Protection Act, which would allow pre-Election Day mail-ballot counting, expand early voting, and establish post-election audits.

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Joseph Aguglia

- 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. 
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- They are elected to two-year terms and have a salary of $106,000, with a 1-3% annual increase

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