U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District, is certified for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot. The district includes Lower Merion Township.

Scanlon faces Republican Nick Manganaro, according to BallotReady election data. She has held the seat since 2018.

Scanlon did not respond to the Lower Merion Times questionnaire. This profile draws on her official congressional biography, her campaign website and public records.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania 5th Congressional District
  • Residence: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, according to her campaign website
  • Family: Husband Mark Stewart; three adult children, Casey, Daniel and Matthew, according to her campaign website
  • Born: Aug. 30, 1959, in Syracuse, New York, according to Wikipedia
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in history, Colgate University, 1980; juris doctor, University of Pennsylvania, 1984

Experience and public service

Scanlon has spent much of her career in law and education advocacy. According to BallotReady profile data, her professional history includes:

  • Judicial clerk, Pennsylvania Superior Court (1984–1986)
  • Litigation associate, Duane Morris LLP (1986–1992)
  • Attorney, Education Law Center of Pennsylvania (1992–2001)
  • National pro bono counsel, Ballard Spahr LLP (2004–2018), according to her campaign website

In elected office, Scanlon served as a school director for the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District from 2007 to 2015, according to BallotReady. She was first elected to Congress in 2018.

She served as a volunteer attorney and board member at the Support Center for Child Advocates beginning in 1985, according to her Wikipedia biography. She also co-chaired the Voting Rights Task Force at the Association of Pro Bono Counsel in 2017, according to her campaign website.

In Congress, Scanlon sits on the House Judiciary Committee, where she is ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, according to her official congressional page. She also serves on the House Committee on Rules, where she is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House.

On the issues

On her congressional biography, Scanlon lists her legislative priorities as voting rights, access to justice, education, supporting economic growth for her region, common sense gun safety, women's rights and ending hunger. She says her main goal is "protecting and improving the lives of America's children, families, veterans, and seniors."

No additional policy detail or issue questionnaire responses were available for this profile.

Endorsements

The following organizations have endorsed Scanlon, according to BallotReady profile data, which credits each endorsement to the endorsing organization:

  • AFL-CIO
  • Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council
  • Common Defense
  • Defend The Vote
  • democracyFIRST
  • End Citizens United
  • Five County United Labor Council
  • Giffords
  • GiveGreen
  • Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council
  • Harrisburg Region Central Labor Council
  • Humane Society of the United States
  • Johnstown Regional Central Labor Council
  • Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club
  • Montgomery County Democratic Committee
  • National Education Association
  • PA Conference of Teamsters
  • Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO
  • Philadelphia Ward 39A Democrats
  • Seven Mountains Central Labor Council

Scanlon faces Manganaro in the general election.