Election 2024: Republican Kathleen Tomlinson For State Representative

Candidates running in the Nov. 5 general election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —State Rep. Kathleen “KC” Tomlinson is running for re-election as a Republican for state representative in the 18th Legislative District against Democrat Anand Patel in the Nov. 5 general election.

Biographical Information

Name: Kathleen “KC” Tomlinson

Age: 35

Town of residence: Bensalem Township

Position sought: State Representative of the 18th Legislative District

Are you an incumbent?: Yes

What Towns Does Your District Cover?: Bensalem Township, Hulmeville Borough

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: Husband and three dogs

Education: Bensalem High School, Mercer County Mortuary School

Occupation: State Representative, Funeral Director

Candidate Questions

1. What can you do to curb crime that is seeping into the suburbs in Lower Bucks County / Eastern Montgomery County?

Keeping our community safe is one of my top priorities as our state representative. We have seen an uptick in spillover crime in our communities, and I have worked with law enforcement to protect our citizens. I have delivered over $1 million in funding for our local police, have supported legislation to crack down on dangerous sanctuary cities, and have supported legislation to give authority to our AG to prosecute crime in Philadelphia that DA Krasner seems intent on ignoring. I’ve passed three laws since being elected to address crime in retail theft, porch pirating, and sextortion. I also voted to fund 400 new cops on the streets. I am proud to have the endorsement of Sheriff Fred Harran, DA Jen Schorn, and the Fraternal Order of Police.

2. How can you work to get more money for your district in terms of school funding and grants?

One thing that I have done in my time in the legislature is to work with both parties to pass record funding for our schools. Our public schools now receive more in state funding than ever before. We have also made record investments in mental health and school safety, all in a bipartisan way. Gov. Josh Shapiro and Gov. Wolf both praised me for my work on education, and I will continue working with anyone who wants to fund our public schools. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the leading advocate for teachers and educators in our Commonwealth.

3. Where can improvements still be made to reduce traffic that continues to clog key roads in your district?

Reducing traffic and improving infrastructure takes funding, and we need to work together to continue to identify funding for these important projects. Every transportation bill that has been passed in the legislature has been bipartisan, and we need to put together that coalition to invest in infrastructure. One thing we did was begin to get state police funding out of the motor license fund while protecting our investment in public safety. That will free up dollars for infrastructure improvements and still allow us to put 400 new state troopers on the street. Infrastructure improvements are not just good for citizens, they are good for blue-collar jobs, including the building trades members who work on the projects. My support for infrastructure has been key to receiving the support of building trades unions across the district.

4. What do you bring to the district as a change agent in helping your constituents have a better life after years of inflation and rising costs for families?

Our families are facing skyrocketing inflation caused by overspending in Washington. But as a state representative, I have tried to find solutions in Harrisburg. We lowered taxes for working families, tripled the child tax credit, and I passed tax relief for seniors through expanding the property tax and rent rebate program. Now we need to lower income taxes for our small families and businesses. That’s why I am supporting legislation that would represent the largest income tax cut in history, so our families can keep more of what they earn and our small businesses can invest in their employees and their community.