Local Races: PA District 5

Mary Gay Scanlon

Incumbent: Mary Gay Scanlon (D)

Mary Gay Scanlon has spent nearly two years representing Pennsylvania’s 5th District in Washington. She was first sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018.  

The pandemic has pushed the economy and public health to the forefront of her campaign, but Scanlon says she is also committed to “fighting for fair elections and responsive government, commonsense gun safety, public education, civil rights, and ensuring that everyone in our community has access to justice, health care, and a seat at the table.” Scanlon is a strong proponent of constituent engagement and says she strives to reach consensus in the pursuit of tangible solutions. 

In Washington, Scanlon sits on the congressional Judiciary and Rules committees as well as the Select Committee to Modernize Congress. She says this experience has given her the opportunity to learn how Congress operates and allowed her to engage in bipartisan work. Scanlon seeks change that will impact both the 5th District and the nation. Climate change, racial and income equality, and creating conditions that promote equal opportunities for all Americans are among her priorities. 

Before running for Congress, Scanlon worked in public interest law and directed a national pro-bono legal program at Ballard Spahr LLP, providing services to low-income clients and non-profit organizations. She lives in Swarthmore. 

Dasha Pruett

Challenger: Dasha Pruett (R)

Dasha Pruett is running on a platform that prioritizes God, family, country, jobs, and security. Pruett emigrated from Russia with her family in 1980, and she says she is determined not to see the United States fall into the socialism she left behind. “There are basic freedoms that we have here that no other country provides. We have to defend that… Over my dead body will this country turn socialist.”

Pruett contends that Pennsylvania’s 5th District encompasses many communities with distinct personalities and she believes that it is important to represent all of their interests. This is an area where she finds incumbent Mary Gay Scanlon lacking. “She is not out in the community as much as she should be. In her two years, she focused way too much on impeachment and not enough on the community.” While on the campaign trail, Pruett says she has spent time getting to know the people she hopes to represent, meeting with community leaders and other citizens. 

If elected, Pruett plans to focus on stabilizing and improving the economy. She wants to provide tax breaks to companies like Boeing, so that they remain in the 5th District. She also intends to create incentives to attract businesses that previously operated in the district to return, and wants to welcome new businesses into the area to fill empty warehouses in Marcus Hook and Chester. 

School reform is also a major concern for Pruett, a proponent of school choice. “Parents should be able to make the decision of where to send their children [to school].” And she wants to create more vocational programs as an alternative to the college track. 

Pruett has experience in retail management and event planning and coordinating. She lives in Drexel Hill.