New Hope-Solebury School Board Member Joins Race To Represent PA's 29th District

SOLEBURY, PA — A New Hope-Solebury school board director has announced her candidacy for a seat representing the 29th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where she hopes to advocate for working families, education funding reform, voter's rights, reproductive justice, and better-paying jobs for Pennsylvanians.

Liz K. Sheehan, a Democrat, was president of the New Hope-Solebury School District's board from 2020-2022, and was recently elected to a second term.

“As a Pennsylvania resident for most of my life and a mom raising two children in our state, I am truly passionate about ensuring a better education and quality of life for all Pennsylvanians,” she said. “I am dedicated to our community and have a proven track record of leadership and collaboration that will be instrumental in restoring trust and creating real progress in Harrisburg when we desperately need it.”

After serving as a school board president "during one of the most challenging periods in the history of public education," Sheehan has vowed to make school funding reform a key tenet of her candidacy.

“School board service isn’t just about education," she said. "We are community partners that find solutions to a complex set of issues, including mental health, taxes, budgeting, demographic shifts, affordable housing, and safety policies. I am proud of the positive culture we have created in our district, which has allowed us to thrive in very difficult circumstances. It would be an honor to continue advocating for positive change at the state level.”

Sheehan believes the current threat to Roe v. Wade underscores the crucial need to elect more women to the state house, to protect reproductive freedom and to pass legislation that benefits families.

She also feels that voting rights are tied to the capacity to advocate for change, and has also made opening our primaries to allow every voter a voice a critical part of her platform.

According to a news release, Sheehan's platform also includes these priorities:

• Increasing access to affordable, quality health care.
• Supporting childcare initiatives for working families.
• Defending LGBTQIA+ rights and working for social justice for all.
• Ensuring a livable wage and fair working conditions for all Pennsylvanians.
• Protecting our state’s natural resources and prioritizing climate change initiatives.
• Advocating for green jobs and a clean energy economy.
• Finding solutions to the opioid crisis.
• Supporting local entrepreneurs and small businesses.
• Promoting our cultural heritage and supporting our creative economy.
• Working toward gun violence prevention.

Growing up in southeastern Pennsylvania, Sheehan moved to Doylestown in 2012 with her husband when he was offered a position at Doylestown Hospital. Then, they moved to Solebury.

Both of these towns are now included in the newly-drawn Pennsylvania 29th legislative district, which also covers Chalfont, New Britain, Buckingham, and New Hope. Doylestown residents and fellow Democrats Connor O'Hanlon and Tim Brennan are also running for the seat.

Sheehan started her business 15 years ago, and has since created exhibitions and programming for many area institutions, including the James A. Michener Art Museum, to enrich communities through art and culture.

She has also volunteered with community organizations including the Bucks County Audubon Society, the New Hope Arts Festival, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Girls on the Run. She has degrees in Art History and Spanish from Bowdoin College and Tufts University.

Learn more about Sheehan's candidacy on her campaign website.

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