Nancy Guenst

Nancy Guenst was born in Abington, Pennsylvania. Guenst served in the United States Army from 1977 to 1979. She earned a high school diploma from Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School. Her career experience includes working as the president of Designs In Stone, Inc.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I've always felt a calling to public service. When I returned home from US Army, I started with Hatboro Council for 2 terms. I then ran for Mayor, becoming the first female Mayor in Hatboro's history. I ran for State Rep. in 2020 where I continue to fight for our values.

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?

I help all, regardless of party lines.We have one of the busiest offices in the State of PA.I never call this a "job", it's a calling.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about our environment, helping others, and working with all.

Nancy Guenst did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Nancy Guenst did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am currently the Mayor of Hatboro and previously served two terms on Hatboro Council.

I am a life long resident of the Borough. I proudly served in the US Army from 1977 through 1979 as a communications analyst and German translator at Field Station Berlin. I am a proud member of Rotary International, serve on the board of Elm Street Hatboro, a philanthropic 501C3 and am the vice-chair of The Welcome Project which serves our LGBTQ+ community as well as newcomers to the US, people living in poverty and our Spanish speaking community.

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?

I will fight for the rights of our Working Families and to keep our unions strong.We must bring equality for all to our State of PA.We must ensure the safety of our residents through common sense gun laws and affordable health care.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about bringing equality to our LGBTQ+ community. It's a disgrace that this issue has been sitting in committee for over 20 years. We must bring equitable school funding to our city schools that suffer from a lack of technology and safety issues due to poor infrastructure. We absolutely must put caps on health insurance co-pays. People being treated for Diabetes are dying due to the high cost of their co-pays. We have to ensure our people with disabilities have the funding for treatment, rehabilitation, housing and personal care.

It is our job as legislators to care for our communities, to protect our constituents and to ensure their safety.

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

The most important to me as an elected official is empathy and compassion.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The most important is that "We the People, in order to form a more perfect Union" continues to thrive.

It is our duty as legislators to help our most vulnerable, our sick and our hungry. That we have done all that we could to educate our children in an equitable manner. They are our future.

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

When our president JFK was assassinated. I was 5 years old and came home from kindergarten.

My mother was standing in the living room in tears with our television on. It was a powerful moment and made me realize how important it must be, to live your life for service to the people.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I was out in Colorado Elk hunting and sitting on top of a ridge and I kept singing Gene Autry's The Red River Valley over and over and...

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

Well I certainly believe that it can help. Running a campaign, raising funds, communication skills and putting the best of you forward is a learning process. As a 2 term councilwoman and now currently a mayor I have made a number of friends and acquaintances serving in our political arena and particularly in our legislature that I know I can depend on to make my transition to State politics a smooth transition.

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

We have a lot to do at the state level as our house here has been predominantly held by a party that has cut back on many needed services. Especially our SNAP, CHIP and educational funding. Along with that they have been chipping away at women's reproductive rights, have not addressed gun control nor have they addressed equality for our LGBTQ+ community.

It will take time to fix these things and I look forward to hitting the ground running.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would really like to be considered for the Human Services Committee, Veteran's Affairs and Game and Fisheries, Education and Appropriations.