At 26 years old, Elizabethtown College business administration graduate Martina White ’10 will serve her Northeast Philadelphia constituents in Harrisburg. Earning more than 56 percent of votes, she won Tuesday’s special election for a vacant seat in the 170th District; the opening was a result of Rep. Brendan Boyle heading to the U.S. House.
In her victory speech, as reported by PoliticsPA.com, she said: “We all want to live in safe neighborhoods. We all want good-paying jobs to support our families. We all want quality schools that prepare our children for a successful future. These issues aren’t partisan, and they are what I will focus on as Representative.”
A GOP candidate, White is the first in 25 years to represent her party; to give an illustration, the Delaware County Times noted in its coverage that White would have been one year old the last time a republican held office in her district.
On her campaign website, White, a first-generation college student, cites her alma mater’s motto, ‘Educate for Service’ for helping to fuel her passion of finding ways throughout her education and career to benefit others. Presently, White is a financial adviser with Marlton, N.J.-based Independence Wealth Strategies.