Summary
Current Position: US House of Representatives PA-17 since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: Lawyer; Pennsylvania House of Representatives 153rd district from 2012 to 2018
District: the majority of Montgomery County and most of Berks County northeast of Reading in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Upcoming Election:
After law school, Dean returned to the Philadelphia area and practiced law with the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers, going on to serve as executive director. She then opened a small, three-woman law practice in Glenside, and served as in-house counsel for her husband’s growing bicycle business.
She served 10 years as an assistant professor of English at her alma mater, La Salle University, in Philadelphia, where she taught writing and ethics.
OnAir Post: Madeleine Dean PA-04
News
About
Source: Government site
Born and raised in Glenside, Pennsylvania, to Bob and Mary Dean, Madeleine got her start in politics around the dinner table with her five older brothers and one older sister. She was graduated from Abington High School—and at age 18 won her first election to serve as a local committeeperson.
Madeleine completed her undergraduate studies at La Salle University in Philadelphia and earned her law degree at Widener University. She returned home and practiced in a small Philadelphia firm and with the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Madeleine then opened a small, three-woman law practice in Glenside.
While she and her husband PJ were raising three young sons, Madeleine changed careers. From 2001 until 2011 she was a member of the English Department at La Salle University—teaching writing as well as contributing to numerous publications.
With her children grown, Madeleine then took the chance to enter public service—something she had long wanted—and after studying politics and public service at Penn’s Fels School of Government. In 2011, Madeleine ran for and served as Abington Township commissioner, before winning a special election to the Pennsylvania State House in 2012.
During her six-and-a-half years in Harrisburg, Madeleine was an outspoken champion of public education, healthcare access, environmental protection, equal rights, ethics, criminal justice reform, combating addiction, and ending gun violence. Following the Sandy Hook shooting, Madeleine founded the PA-SAFE Caucus—an active coalition of legislators and advocates dedicated to ending gun violence. In 2015, Madeleine was appointed to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women, advising Governor Tom Wolf on policies to improve the lives of women and their families.
Madeleine’s concern for equality—and a broader desire to expand her public service—eventually inspired her to run for Congress. In 2018, Pennsylvania had 18 Congressional seats—and zero women. Madeleine changed that by winning the Fourth Congressional District seat, alongside three other women elected to the delegation that year.
In Congress, Madeleine remains focused on decency and the common good. She is working to address issues that affect Americans deeply—ending the gun violence epidemic, getting opioids out of our community and supporting recovery, and guaranteeing full health care for all, including women and girls. In Madeleine’s view, building a more compassionate society means making smart, humane policy choices and working to ensure that government delivers the services constituents need.
Madeleine and PJ have three sons, three daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren.
Personal
Full Name: Madeleine Dean
Gender: Female
Family: Husband: PJ; 3 Children: Patrick, Harry, Alex
Birth Date: 06/06/1959
Birth Place: Glenside, PA
Home City: Abington Township, PA
Religion: Catholic
Source: Vote Smart
Education
Attended, Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania
Attended, Montgomery County Community College
JD, School of Law, Widener University, 1984
BA, English Language and Literature, La Salle University, 1981
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, Pennsylvania, District 4, 2019-present
Former Commissioner, Abington Township, Ward 7
Representative, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 153, 2012-2019
Professional Experience
Former In-House Counsel, Cunnane Bicycle Company, Incorporated
Contributor, Daily News
Contributor, Patriot News
Contributor, Philadelphia Inquirer
Former Executive Director/Law Practitioner, Philadelphia Trial Lawyers
Writer, Philapdelphia Daily News
English Professor, La Salle University, 2001-2012
Offices
Glenside District Office
Phone: 215-884-4300
Fax: 215-884-3640
Pottstown District Office
Phone: 610-382-1250
WASHINGTON, DC
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Election Results
To learn more, go to this wikipedia section in this post.
Finances
Source: Vote Smart
Committees
House Judiciary Committee
- Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance
House Commitee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Europe
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability
Caucuses
Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force
New Democrat Coalition
Congressional Progressive Caucus
Equality Caucus
Ukraine Caucus
New Legislation
Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Representative Dean.
Issues
Source: Government page
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
Pennsylvania’s fourth congressional district, effective January 3, 2023, encompasses the majority of Montgomery County and most of Berks County northeast of Reading in southeastern Pennsylvania. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the Pennsylvania district pushed northwards, further into Berks County, effective with the 2022 elections. The area has been represented by Democrat Madeleine Dean since 2019.
Wikipedia
Madeleine Dean Cunnane (born June 6, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative[1] for Pennsylvania’s 4th congressional district.[2] The district includes almost all of Montgomery County, a suburban county north of Philadelphia. Before being elected to Congress, Dean was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, representing the 153rd district[3][4] in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Early life and education
The youngest of seven children, Madeleine Dean was born to Bob and Mary Dean in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Abington Senior High School.[4] She graduated magna cum laude from La Salle University, and earned her Juris Doctor at the Widener University Delaware Law School. She also studied politics and public service at the Fels Institute of Government of the University of Pennsylvania.[5]
Career
After law school, Dean returned to the Philadelphia area and practiced law with the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers, going on to serve as executive director. She then opened a small, three-woman law practice in Glenside, and served as in-house counsel for her husband’s growing bicycle business.[6]
While raising three young sons, Dean turned to teaching. She served 10 years as an assistant professor of English at her alma mater, La Salle University, in Philadelphia, where she taught writing and ethics.[6][7]
Early political career
Dean got her start in politics soon after graduating from high school, when she was elected to an Abington Township committee seat.[8]
She volunteered on her first campaign, for Joe Hoeffel‘s reelection to the state legislature, in the same district seat she later held. On that campaign she met her future husband, Patrick Cunnane, then a 19-year-old elected committeeman.[when?]
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Having worked and volunteered in politics for decades, and her children grown, Dean was asked to become a public servant herself, serving as Abington Township commissioner, and ran for state representative in 2012.[9] In the State House, she prioritized social issues such as addiction, equal rights, access to healthcare, ethics, criminal justice reform, and gun violence.[citation needed]
After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Dean and Dan Frankel co-founded the gun violence prevention caucus, PA SAFE Caucus. The caucus is a self-described coalition of legislators and advocates dedicated to curbing the sale of illegal guns.[10]
In 2015, Dean was appointed to the Governor’s Commission for Women,[11] a commission designed to advise the governor on policies and legislation that promote equality issues ranging from sexual assault to business initiatives.[11] In 2017, she was elected chair of the Southeast Delegation of the Pennsylvania House Democrats, composed of 22 House Democrats representing nine counties.[12]
She served on several committees, including Appropriations, Judiciary, Policy, Urban Affairs, State Government, and Finance, of which she was vice-chair.[4]
Dean stated in 2014: “We know that the number one issue with voters is education and how we fund our public schools”. Regarding the Pennsylvania education budget for 2013, the then-state Representative said: “How we educate our kids tells us how our economy will be.” In that same instance, she highlighted the issue of public school funding.[13]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2018
In February 2018, after a significant change in Pennsylvania’s congressional districts mandated by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Dean announced she would end her campaign for lieutenant governor and instead run for Congress in the 4th district.[14] The district had previously been the 13th, represented by two-term fellow Democrat Brendan Boyle. But the 13th’s share of Philadelphia, including Boyle’s home, was drawn into the 2nd district, and Boyle opted to run for reelection there.[15]
On May 15, Dean defeated two challengers, Shira Goodman and former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, in the Democratic primary.[16] In the general election she defeated Republican Dan David with 63.45% of the vote to his 36.55%.[17] She was one of four Democratic women elected to Congress from Pennsylvania in 2018. The others were Mary Gay Scanlon, Chrissy Houlahan and Susan Wild. The state’s delegation had previously been all male.
2020
Dean ran for reelection and defeated the Republican nominee, military veteran and political commentator Kathy Barnette,[18] with 59.5% of the vote to Barnette’s 40.5%.[19]
2022
Dean stood for re-election in 2022, but her district was mostly unchanged by redistricting. Dean faced Republican nominee Christian Nascimento, a vice president of product at Comcast and former Methacton School Board president, and won 61.3% of the vote.[20][21]
Tenure
On January 12, 2021, Dean was named an impeachment manager (prosecutor) for the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.[22]
On July 29, 2024, Dean was announced as one of six Democratic members of a bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.[23]
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Progressive Caucus[24]
- Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues
- New Democrat Coalition[25]
Political positions
Dean voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[26][27]
Dean voted with President Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[28]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean | 5,206 | 56.49 | |
| Republican | Nicholas Mattiacci | 4,009 | 43.51 | |
| Total votes | 9,215 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean (incumbent) | 20,934 | 64.17 | |
| Republican | Nicholas Mattiacci | 11,369 | 34.85 | |
| Libertarian | Kenneth Krawchuk | 320 | 0.98 | |
| Total votes | 32,623 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 16,984 | 100.00 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean (incumbent) | 24,496 | 66.25 | |
| Republican | Anthony Scalfaro III | 12,478 | 33.75 | |
| Total votes | 36,974 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean | 42,625 | 72.6 | |
| Democratic | Shira Goodman | 9,645 | 16.4 | |
| Democratic | Joe Hoeffel | 6,431 | 11.0 | |
| Total votes | 58,701 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean | 211,524 | 63.5 | |
| Republican | Dan David | 121,467 | 36.5 | |
| Total votes | 332,991 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean (incumbent) | 264,637 | 59.5 | |
| Republican | Kathy Barnette | 179,926 | 40.5 | |
| Total votes | 444,563 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Madeleine Dean (incumbent) | 224,799 | 61.3 | |
| Republican | Christian Nascimento | 141,986 | 38.7 | |
| Total votes | 366,785 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Other political campaigns
Lieutenant governor
In November 2017, Dean announced her candidacy for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, facing, among others, incumbent Mike Stack in the Democratic primary.[30] She dropped out to run for Congress.
Personal life
Dean lives in Lower Merion Township, with her husband, Patrick “P.J.” Cunnane. Cunnane is an entrepreneur in the bicycle industry and managed Advanced Sports International. They have three grown sons and three grandchildren. Her son, Pat, was senior writer and deputy director of messaging in the Obama administration.[31] Dean is Roman Catholic.[32][33]
See also
References
- ^ “Pennsylvania Election Results: Fourth House District”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ “Suburban Philly lawmaker drops lieutenant governor bid to run for Congress”. Penn Live. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
- ^ “Representative Madeleine Dean’s Biography”. Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ^ a b c “Madeleine Dean”. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ^ “About Congresswoman Madeleine Dean”. U.S. House of Representatives. February 15, 2021. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ a b “Meet Madeleine”. Reelect Madeline Dean. February 15, 2021. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Waller, Allyson (January 26, 2021). “Here Are the House Managers in Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Roebuck, Jeremy; Tamari, Jonathan (February 9, 2021). “Montco’s Bruce Castor and Madeleine Dean bring very different approaches to Trump’s impeachment trial”. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Freeman, Jarreau (November 6, 2012). “ELECTION 2012: Madeleine Dean defeats Nick Mattiacci, Ken Krawchuk for the 153rd seat”. Times Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ “Lawmakers, gun-safety advocates announce formation of PA SAFE”. PA SAFE Caucus. March 15, 2016. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ a b “Wolf Names 26 to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women”. Governor Tom Wolf. October 7, 2015. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ “House Democrats’ Southeast Delegation leadership team elected”. Southeast Delegation. January 4, 2017. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ Pennington, Maura. “PA lawmakers put education at top of agenda in election year”. Watchdog. Retrieved February 23, 2018.[dead link]
- ^ Micek, John L. (February 22, 2018). “Suburban Philly lawmaker drops lieutenant governor bid to run for Congress”. The Patriot-News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Kopp, John (February 22, 2018). “Brendan Boyle to seek re-election in redrawn Philly congressional district”. Philly Voice. Philadelphia, PA. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
- ^ “Pennsylvania Primary Election Results”. The New York Times. May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ “2018 General Election: Representative in Congress”. Pennsylvania Department of State. November 6, 2016. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Shuey, Karen (February 26, 2020). “Conservative commentator seeks 4th Congressional District seat”. Reading Eagle. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ “2020 Presidential Election – Representative in Congress”. Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ “Pennsylvania Fourth Congressional District Election Results”. The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ a b “2022 General Election Official Returns – Representative in Congress”. Pennsylvania Department of State.
- ^ “Pelosi Names Impeachment Managers”. Speaker Nancy Pelosi. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ “House leaders announce members of bipartisan task force investigating Trump assassination attempt”. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ “Caucus Members”. Congressional Progressive Caucus. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ “Members”. New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). “House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). “Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session”. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ “2020 Presidential Election – Representative in Congress”. Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ Navratil, Liz (November 29, 2017). “State Rep. Madeleine Dean to run for lieutenant governor”. Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ Kurtz, Judy (April 18, 2018). “Former Obama staffer dishes on White House life in ‘West Winging It’“. The Hill. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
- ^ “Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress” (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2023.
- ^ “‘Do it now. Ask for help now’: Rep. Madeleine Dean and her son reflect on his addiction”. February 24, 2021.
External links
- Congresswoman Madeleine Dean official U.S. House website
- Madeleine Dean for Congress
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Madeleine Dean (D) state legislature profile
- Appearances on C-SPAN
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