Emily Kinkead

Emily Kinkead was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Red River High School. Kinkead earned a bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2009 and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2013. Her career experience includes working as an attorney. She has been affiliated with ALCOSAN and Pennsylvania Prison Society.[1][2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Representative Emily Kinkead has served the 20th District since she was elected in 2020. As a freshman legislator, she was assigned to serve on the House Appropriations, Judiciary, Human Services, and Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committees. Kinkead now serves as Secretary of both Human Services and Agriculture Committees. Additionally, she serves as Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Corrections and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy. She is the House Chair of the Legislative Hunger Caucus and on the Leadership Team of the Progressive Caucus.

While in office, Kinkead has vocally championed the policies that help working families and raise up communities – criminal justice reform, affordable housing, livable wages, worker protections, healthcare, addressing systemic racism, LGBTQIA+ equality, reproductive justice, adequately funding education, and more. She’s also focused on local issues like addressing blight and landslides.

A native Northsider, Emily lives in Brighton Heights with her cats and dog.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Blight and landslides remain a problem for my district, which I am continuing to address so our residents can safely build generational wealth through property ownership.Ensuring that workers can make living wages to support their families is also critical. Pennsylvania has the lowest minimum wage in the region and that hinders the growth of the middle class.I am committed to be a continued and outspoken advocate for defending reproductive freedoms in Pennsylvania.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

See the above issues that are a focus of my campaign.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like to put us on a path toward the Star Trek future

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I believe that the Governor should work as a partner with the state legislature. The Governor's administration should do its level best to cooperate with and support the goals of the legislature while also communicating with them on the important priorities of the administration. When a Governor looks at the legislature as a means to an end or as a branch of government to be wrestled into submission, then there are going to be real problems with governing.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Pennsylvania has faced decades of disinvestment from our state government under Republican leadership and we have kicked the can down the road on so many problems. Those problems are now coming to a head and we need to address everything from crumbling infrastructure to unconstitutionally underfunded schools. As a result of our underfunding, Pennsylvania has been losing population steadily and we need to work to turn that around, make Pennsylvania a place that businesses want to come to, workers want to move to and raise their families, and that invests in the future.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it depends on how the state legislature is structured. Pennsylvania is one of very few full time state legislatures and that allows us to dedicate ourselves full time to the work. for this reason, not having previous government experience is not a detriment because we have the time and the supports to learn the job. In fact, the diversity of experience makes us stronger advocates for the myriad issues that arise in our Commonwealth. In states with part time legislatures, I think prior government experience can be very important and beneficial because they have to be able to do the work in a short amount of time and switch from what they are working on as their full-time employment to governing. Prior experience can be crucial for that.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. Quite simply, you cannot get anything done unless you have relationships with other legislators - on both sides of the aisle.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

My legislative mentor has been Rep. Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh). He guided me through my first round of Appropriations budget hearings as a freshman legislator and has been an important sounding board not just for policy but also for legislative strategy. He is a well-respected and effective legislator who does not mistake the performance of politics for governing and I always try to be that kind of legislator.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I ran for this office with the goal of serving in this office. As with everything else in my career, I won't shut any doors for what might come next but I love the work that I do and I am not mapping out a specific trajectory beyond this role.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I have knocked many doors in my time running for office and serving in office and I am always struck by the number of older women who are absolutely thrilled to see a young woman running for office and serving in office and yet it is bittersweet because they often say that if they were my age, they would run for office as well but they were told that they could not run for office. It is truly disappointing to think about how many great leaders we have missed out on merely because of prejudices against race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I think granting the use of emergency powers is essential. While the legislature is critical for overseeing the broad operations of the state, we move at a slow pace. Sometimes, we need a quick action and allowing the Governor to act in that space is part of the role of that office. The legislature should not interfere with that role or seek to have oversight/veto power over emergency powers.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

As a currently elected state representative, I have introduced a number of pieces of legislation. While I expected that my biggest priority bills would be big, sweeping bills that made a splash, my biggest priority bill has become working to establish a landslide insurance program in the state. So many families in Western PA are being devastated by landslides and there is absolutely no insurance that covers that kind of damage. This is exactly where the state needs to act and I want to get this bill across the finish line.

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased January 30, 2020

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Emily Kinkead is a native Northsider, the daughter of city paramedics, with a deep love of the

Pittsburgh area. Emily's dad went on to become a doctor but from the beginning instilled in her a dedication to service, knowing that not everyone has access to the same opportunities and that we should always reach

back to help if we are able. She was first spurred to action in Democratic politics in support of LGBTQIA+ issues and has fought for equality at every level ever since. Emily is an attorney who has advocated for the rights of HIV+ individuals, low-income tenants, criminal defendants, and immigrants seeking asylum. She has over a decade of experience working on policy and advocacy for issues including disability rights, campaign finance reform, gerrymandering reform, and funding for healthcare research.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Responsible, Sustainable DevelopmentProactive LeadershipExperienced and Ready to Get to Work on Day 1

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

- Reproductive Justice

-LGBTQIA+ Equality

- Living Wage

- Responsible Development

-Infrastructure Investment

- Clean Air and Water/Green Economy

- Government Reform