Lisa Borowski

Lisa Borowski was born in Darby, Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor's degree from Drexel University in 1989.

Her career experience includes working as a communications director.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lisa became involved in politics in 2010 when her two sons were still students in Radnor’s public schools and the School Board at the time was debating the budget. She and many others felt the Board at the time did not have a vision which included investing in the schools and was not providing opportunity or space for growth. It seemed like they felt the status quo was good enough.

Lisa decided that sitting and complaining to anyone who would listen was not the best way to move things forward. She ran for School Board and won, helping bring a Democratic majority to the board in 2011. Lisa later served as Vice President of the Board and led the way on helping to create one of the area’s first full day kindergarten programs.

Lisa later ran for Radnor Township Commissioner, ready to build on the community improvements championed by her predecessors. She joined a Board deadlocked in partisan politics but was elected President and led a Republican majority Board during her first year. Together, they found a way to make progress.

This community has been Lisa’s home her entire life. It’s where she grew up, settled down, and raised her family. Lisa’s father cared for patients at Riddle Hospital in Media for almost 40 years, and her mother was a nurse, CCD teacher, and hospital volunteer. Lisa stands on the shoulders of her family and community members who taught her what it means to work hard, care about others, and stay focused on the issues most important to her neighbors.

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?

Healthcare access and affordability for patients. Creating opportunities for more to enter healthcare professions and breakdown barriers to education and training. Addressing the business of healthcare - communities across the commonwealth are traveling many hours to access care due to mergers, acquisitions, and consolidation of services, we need to provide growth opportunity, increase reimbursements and incentivize providers to stay in PA and practice in our communities and prevent those who come to our state looking to make money by limiting or eliminating healthcare services.We need to increase support for our first responders. We need to recognize the challenges our volunteer fire and EMS providers are facing not just in the communities of the 168th but across the state. Funding and personnel are two of the biggest issues and we need to find ways to increase investment and ensuring we are preserving and protecting our most valuable community resource. We also need to address the issue of staffing for state police in SEPA. The cost of living makes it challenging for officers to locate in SEPA who are being paid salaries on par with other communities across the commonwealth with a lower cost of living. We also need to support our municipal police departments and invest in training and support readiness.Lisa is dedicated to fighting climate change, including through a shift toward renewable energy sources. As a Radnor Commissioner, she supported Township participation in the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100% commitment to clean, renewable energy, fought for open space preservation, and helped protect the community’s natural resources.

Since joining the legislature she has worked on issues which will make a small and large impact. From preventing HOA’s from restricting residents from installing clotheslines on their property and comprehensive e-recycling legislation to supporting strong legislation to put guardrails around the development of data centers in local communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare, supporting first responders/public safety, public education, the environment, local infrastructure (sewers, stormwater), women's reproductive rights, workers' rights, commonsense gun reform, access to the ballot box, protecting the environment

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Planned Parenthood, Delco Dems, Steamfitters 420, Represent PA, PSEA PACE, PASNAP, Moms Demand Action, Moms Fed Up, NDRC, Eastern Regional Council of Carpenters, PA AFL-CIO, Conservation Voters PA, PFT, APSCUF/CAP, more pending...

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I first got involved in politics 11 years ago when the Radnor Township School Board was debating the budget. Her youngest son came home from school crying, saying that his gym teacher said he might lose his job. I decided to tune into the next School Board meeting. As I sat there watching it on her TV, it was clear that the Board seemed like they felt the status quo was good enough. This lack of vision inspired me and a friend to run for school board.

In 2010, I ran for School Board and won. I later served as Vice President of the Board which led the way on creating one of the area’s first full day kindergarten programs. I worked with my colleagues to find common sense solutions to the complex challenges facing our schools, unafraid to buck the status quo.

I later ran for Township Commissioner. I joined a Board deadlocked in partisan politics but was elected President and led a Republican majority Board during my first year. Together, we found a way to make progress. We secured critical investments for the for the public library, increase police funding, pave township roads, improve stormwater management, and passed four balanced budgets.

This community has been my home my entire life. It’s where I grew up, settled down, and raised my family. I am running for office to serve my community, because the people of Edgmont, Newtown, Middletown, and Radnor deserve a Representative who will always show up and stand up for them.

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?

Public education is why I got involved in politics, and it will always be a top priority as State Representative. As a former Vice President of the Radnor Township School District and a parent of two public school graduates, I will continue to work with my colleagues in the legislature to enhance and support public education and hold the state accountable when it comes to funding to shift the burden off or the property owners. It is time for the state to fulfill its responsibility to ensure our future leaders are getting all they need to be successful. We need to support teachers and staff, create a pipeline for new teachers, address student mental health concerns by adding appropriate staff, and improve school facilities.Supporting our first responders. As a township commissioner I saw first-hand the challenges our first responders face as they seek to serve their communities. Fire and EMS across the state are particularly stressed as they lose volunteers and communities are faced with tough budget decisions to maintain these services. As a state, we need to be doing more to support and developing a long-term plan to address these issues or communities will be left without reliable emergency services. We also need to increase recruitment of police officers and ensure they have the tools they need to protect and serve.I am a proud pro-choice candidate who will always stand up for a person’s right to make their own healthcare decisions. Having spent most of my career in healthcare, I deeply value the doctor-patient relationship. No matter one’s personal views on abortion, I believes that choice should remain between a person and their doctor – there’s no place for politicians interfering. With states now on the frontlines of protecting abortion access, I will be a strong advocate in Harrisburg.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

healthcare access with a focus on the closing of acute facilities and consolidation of services; victims of domestic abuse or violent crime; gun safety; reproductive rights; securing and stabilizing our first responders; repairing and rebuilding our roads and bridges; addressing environmental issues causing climate change and irreparable damage to our natural resources; supporting public education and addressing the overdependence on property taxes to fund our schools.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe our elected officials need to be engaged on the grassroots level with the community. They need to constantly be actively engaging with neighbors, businesses, local, and service providers to understand needs and ways to address concerns through legislation and funding. Elected officials need to effectively communicate what is happening in the legislature and how decisions being made will impact residents. It is important for legislators to show up and to be transparent as they act in the best interests of the communities they serve.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have experience working on a state and local level to get things done for my neighbors. I have experience dealing with many of the concerns of local communities - education, infrastructure, environmental impacts, and finances. I have experience working with stakeholders and residents to understand concerns and develop solutions.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To be a good listener, to care, to want to get involved and step outside your comfort zone to engage and learn. We need to understand the issues and develop good legislation which will address these concerns in a manner which will benefit the entire commonwealth and not create additional layers of bureaucracy.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A better world for my children to raise their families.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember driving to Texas so my father could complete his basic training in San Antonio after he was drafted into service during the Vietnam War. I was three years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working for PBS Channel 12 in Philadelphia. I managed audience services responding to concerns or complaints. It was my job to answer the viewer response line, prepare reports for the programming department regarding audience likes & dislikes, and conduct on-air fundraising. I worked in this role for 18 months.

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

I firmly believe in checks and balances. The legislature and the governor have sworn to work in the best interests of the residents of our commonwealth. No one part of the legislature is more important than the other and we must work together and compromise in order to get things done.

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

Protecting our environment, ensuring health care access, ensuring that all children have access to an outstanding education, and making sure we have fire, EMS, and police now and preparing those for the future.

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

I do think it is helpful in understanding the legislative process and knowing how to work with colleagues and stakeholders to move legislation forward.

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

Absolutely! You need 102 votes to get anything done. It is important to collaborate with your colleagues on both sides of the aisle to create legislation and to best understand the concerns across the commonwealth.

What committees interest you?

I currently serve on the Health, Consumer Protection, Local Government, Aging & Older Adults, and Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness. I believe these committees align closely with my interests and they are also representative of the 168th district.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

As a commissioner, I worked with our township to implement software which allows residents to see every dollar coming in and out of the township accounts. It is essential those who are paying the taxes know exactly how and where their money is being spent and how it is benefitting their community. You can't communication too much on these issues and you can't wait for people to ask, you need to meet people where they need to be met regarding the communications.

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