Amanda Cappelletti (born December 9, 1986) is an American politician and lawyer. She is a Democratic member of the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four-year terms, stagger ...

, representing the 17th District since 2021.

Background

Cappelletti received her undergraduate degree from

Chestnut Hill College Chestnut Hill College is a private Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The college was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was originally named Mount S ...

, and went on to earn a J.D. and M.P.H. from

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

. She worked as a legislative fellow at the Pennsylvania state affiliate of the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

before joining the

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is a state agency in Pennsylvania tasked to provide care and support to vulnerable citizens. With a range of program offices, the department administers various services including eligibility determin ...

, where she worked as a children's advocate and policy specialist. She later served as Director of Policy for

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

's Pennsylvania affiliate.

Political career

Cappelletti was elected to the East Norriton Board of Supervisors in 2017, becoming the board's vice-chair in 2019. In November 2019, Cappelletti announced she would challenge three-term incumbent

Daylin Leach Daylin Leach (born June 23, 1961) is a former American politician and lawyer, who was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 17th senatorial district from 2009 until 2020. He was previously a member of the Pennsylvania House of Repre ...

in the Democratic primary for the 17th District of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Leach faced many calls to resign amid allegations of inappropriate behavior, and Cappelletti was endorsed by several officials including Governor

Tom Wolf Thomas Westerman Wolf (born November 17, 1948) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 47th governor of Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2023. He previously served as chairman and CEO of his business, The Wolf Organization, and l ...

and U.S. Senators

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

and

Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A mem ...

. Cappelletti defeated Leach in the June 2020 primary, receiving 65% of the vote. She went on to defeat her Republican opponent in the general election.

Committee assignments

Cappelletti sits on the following committees in the Senate: *Community, Economic & Recreational Development (Minority Chair) *Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee *Banking & Insurance Committee *Health & Human Services Committee *Judiciary Committee

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cappelletti, Amanda 1986 births Living people 21st-century American women politicians American abortion-rights activists American Civil Liberties Union people Chestnut Hill College alumni Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators Pennsylvania lawyers Politicians from Pottstown, Pennsylvania Temple University alumni Women state legislators in Pennsylvania 21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly