Election 2022: Meet State Representative Liz Hanbidge

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — With the November general election just around the corner, Patch is profiling some of the candidates whose names will appear at the ballot box.

Below, we introduce you to State Rep. Liz Hanbidge, the Democratic incumbent representing Pennsylvania's 61st House District seat in Montgomery County.

Hanbidge is facing Republican challenger Jessie Bradica in the upcoming general election.

Patch sent an election questionnaire to Hanbidge, and below are her responses.

Name: Liz Hanbidge

Age: 40

Town Of Residence: Whitpain Township

What Communities Does Your District Cover?
The 61st encompasses Upper Gwynedd, Lower Gwynedd, and Towamencin Townships, North Wales Borough, and portions of Whitpain Township.

Party Affiliation (If Applicable):
Democratic Party

Education
University of Pennsylvania B.A.
University of Oxford M.S.
Harvard University Ed.M.
University of Wisconsin J.D.

Occupation
State Representative

How Long Have You Held Public Office? If You Are A Political Newcomer, What Made You Decide To Get Involved In Politics?
I was elected in 2018 and have been serving as State Representative of the 61st since then. I ran for office because for too long politicians in Harrisburg ignored their constituents and their constituents’ needs. As an attorney and child advocate working for the families and children most harmed by Harrisburg’s apathy, I knew the impact of those failures and knew I could make a difference for the residents of my district and the commonwealth.

How Long Have You Lived In Pennsylvania? How Long Have You Lived In The District You Either Represent, Or Are Seeking To Represent?
My family moved to Blue Bell in 2001. I lived out of state for a time during graduate school, but this area has been home for more than 20 years.

What Are Some Of The Top Issues Facing Your District?
Mitigating the impacts of inflation is one of the top issues facing my district. Daily, I speak to seniors who are afraid they’ll be priced out of their homes, parents who fear they can’t afford childcare, small businesses that are struggling, and people who are concerned about affording food or medications. While some of the legislation passed this session, such as the childcare tax credit and the one-time expansion of the property tax/rent rebate program for seniors, offer some relief, for many it is not enough, and it is not coming quickly enough. Measures that could be helping more are not being moved by the majority party, and people and small businesses cannot get the aid they need.
Other issues that I hear from concerned constituents about include: ending gun violence, ensuring reproductive freedom, making sure that our elections are free and fair, enacting good government reforms, combating climate change, and ensuring that our schools are well and fairly funded. These are all topics I am deeply committed to and many of which I have authored legislation on.
One of the issues of greatest concern facing a portion of my district is the Towamencin sewer sale. I have deep concerns about the privatization of municipal assets and am concerned that Act 12 denies residents, and ratepayers, a voice in this process. I’m committed to finding legislative solutions to improve this process going forward. While in my role I’m limited in what I can do in the specific instance of the Towamencin sewer sale, questions relevant to the sewer sale will appear on the reverse side of the ballots for Towamencin township residents.

What In Your Background Qualifies You For The Elected Position?
My background lends itself well to this role because being a public servant and advocate for others is at the core of who I am. For almost a decade before I became a representative, I dedicated myself to giving voice to the voiceless in our community through the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project. My work in service to others began well before I graduated high school, and it has impacted my life in more ways than I can recount.
As an attorney and small business owner, I also understand the difficulties of managing a small business in a tough economic climate and the particular needs of our local small business.
This skill set means that not only have I been able to advocate on my constituents’ behalf to help them get state services and on legislative issues, but I’ve also been able to get critical funding to our district for infrastructure improvements, firehouse renovations and expansion, school safety and school funding grants, and grants for local non-profits - all without raising taxes.

Do You Believe Adhering To Party Doctrine Or Serving Constituents Is More Important?
My job is to serve my constituents, first and foremost. I am always aware that I serve all the residents of the 61st, irrespective of party. Moreover, hyper-partisanship serves no one. I have found in my many conversations with constituents that the majority of people are in the “middle” on many issues and, generally speaking, when one is able to sit down and discuss the issues impacting people’s daily lives, we agree on more than we disagree upon. I deeply value getting to hear from my constituents on issues and having the impactful conversations that help us all reach a better understanding of one another’s viewpoints even where we may not always agree.

Are You Willing To Work Across The Political Aisle To Get Things Accomplished?
I have and will continue to work with both sides of the aisle to accomplish impactful legislation. Sometimes legislating in the minority means that one is constantly trying to find friends on the other side of the aisle willing to run your bills under their name, so things get accomplished. I have been fortunate enough to find colleagues on the other side of the aisle willing to take on my bills or amendments, however, in order to be a better legislative body, we must overcome our partisanship and do the work of the people.
While one party has run the state’s Senate for the past 30 years and the House for 26 of the last 30, this shouldn’t mean that voices from the other side of the aisle are silenced. This session, while about half of legislation proposed in the House was proposed by Democrats, less than 4% of the bills which passed the House were authored by Democrats. Only 0.7% of the bills which passed the senate and were signed into law were authored by Democrats. This session, only around 23% of bills received a vote at the committee level.
As a body we are allowing partisanship to get in the way of good ideas and helping our constituents. While I am committed to working across the aisle, I am also deeply committed to improving our House rules to ensure that bills that are well supported, like common sense gun violence prevention bills, get a House vote because partisanship should not stand in the way of good, impactful legislation.

Is There Anything Else You Would Like Folks To Know About You?
It’s been my honor to serve the residents of the 61st and I hope you’ll continue to give me the opportunity to do so. I also hope that you feel I’ve been a communicative and diligent representative for you. In the past two years, my office has been able to serve over 12,800 constituents. I’ve authored more than 41 bills and brought just under $11.7 million dollars in grant funding to our community.
Since my election in 2018, I've sent out more than 200 weekly emails and quarterly newsletters, hosted numerous open houses, telephone and in-person town halls, a county-wide legislative summit, regular mobile office hours, and many shredding, recycling, and other community events.
In 2019, I was elected by my peers to be the Chair of the Montgomery County democratic House Delegation. In that role, it’s been an honor to help some of the entities that provide so much to county residents. Most recently, the Montgomery County Delegation announced almost $9 million in grant funding to community aid organizations and I’m grateful to play even a small role in helping to give back to those who help so many.
If you aren’t yet receiving my weekly emails you can sign up here: Rep. Liz Hanbidge | NewsCenter Search Page (pahouse.com)
For more information about my run for re-election you can visit www.LizforPA.com or follow me on social media @LizforPA on Facebook and Twitter.