Rep. Jessica Benham's Biography

Jessica Benham is the State Representative for Pennsylvania House District 36, covering portions of the City of Pittsburgh and its suburbs. As a state representative, she has focused on increasing public safety, fighting for access to healthcare, a clean and healthy environment, fair funding for education, and LGBTQ and disability rights. 

Since her election in 2020, Jessica has brought millions of dollars into her district to invest in infrastructure, green spaces, education, violence prevention, and public safety. In 2024, she had a signature piece of legislation signed into law by the governor, which regulated pharmacy reimbursement middlemen to level the playing field between large and small pharmacies and lowered costs for patients.

Prior to her election to the state House, Jessica was the Director of Development for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy. Jessica is an alum of the University of Pittsburgh, where she was involved in the effort to organize a union of graduate workers. She knows firsthand the importance of organizing and the power that collective bargaining can have.

Jessica has B.A. degrees in Political Science and in Communication Studies from Bethel University, an M.A. in Communication from Minnesota State University, and an M.A. in Bioethics and a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives in the Southside Slopes with her cat, Ravi, and dog, Teddy.