Kathy L. Rapp (born February 23, 1951) is an American politician and current Republican member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from the 65th District.

Early life and education

Rapp was born on February 23, 1951, in

Sligo, Pennsylvania Sligo ( ) is a borough in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 686 at the 2020 census. It was named after the town and county of Sligo in Ireland. Geography Sligo is located in southwestern Clarion County at (41.1 ...

. She graduated from Warren Area High School in 1969 and later attended

Bryant & Stratton College Bryant & Stratton College (informally Bryant & Stratton or simply BSC) is a private college with campuses in New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as an online education division. Founded in 1854, the college offers associate degree ...

. She earned her paralegal certification from

Slippery Rock State College Slippery Rock University, formally Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (The Rock or SRU), is a public university in the Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania area of the United States. SRU is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Educa ...

Career

Prior to elective office, Rapp served as a community relations representative with Beverly Health Care in

Warren, Pennsylvania Warren is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,404 at the 2020 census. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Forest and the Cornp ...

. She volunteered for the Parent Education Network in

York, Pennsylvania York is a city in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in South Central Pennsylvania, the city's population was 44,800 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in ...

. She also worked as a compliance monitor with the

Pennsylvania Department of Education The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with publicly funded preschool, K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are direc ...

, where she helped examine

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

programs and served as a consultant with the Parent Education Network.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Rapp was first elected to the represent the 65th District in the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

. She has since won re-election to nine more consecutive terms.

Political positions

Rapp was "very much" opposed to legalizing

medical cannabis Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not ...

in Pennsylvania, believing that it could open the door to full adult use cannabis legalization. In 2020, Rapp was among 26 Pennsylvania House Republicans who called for the reversal of

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

's certification as the winner of Pennsylvania's electoral votes in the

2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...

, citing false claims of election irregularities.

Personal life

Rapp lives in

. She has three children and seven grandchildren.

References

External links

Representative Rapp's official web sitePennsylvania House profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapp, Kathy L. Living people Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives People from Warren, Pennsylvania Women state legislators in Pennsylvania 21st-century American women politicians 1951 births 21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly