Council Rock School Board Member To Run For PA State Representative In 178th District

WRIGHTSTOWN, PA — A Council Rock school board director announced her intent to run for state representative in Pennsylvania's 178th legislative district on Wednesday, following current representative Wendi Thomas' declaration that she will not be running.

A Council Rock graduate herself, Marcell has served on the board since August 2018, when she was appointed following the resignation of Kyle McKessy. She won the November 2019 and 2021 elections as the region 9 School Board Director.

“With the unexpected retirement announcement from Pennsylvania Representative Wendi Thomas and seeing firsthand how decisions in Harrisburg greatly affected our students, families and small businesses during the pandemic, our community deserves to have a strong voice fighting for them in the Capital,” she said in a news release.

If elected, she would be the representative for residents of Northampton, New Hope, Wrightstown, Upper Makefield, and Solebury.

Marcell is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and earned her Master’s degree from George Washington University while working full-time in Washington, D.C. She is a public relations and marketing executive with experience working in media relations, content marketing and public affairs.

She is proud to announce her candidacy in the legislative district she has long called home.

“After serving on the Council Rock School Board for almost four years and working together with my board colleagues to navigate through these difficult times to safely reopen our schools and keep them open, I believe I am well-prepared to represent our community as the next state representative for the 178th legislative district," she said.

Thomas, a former member of the Council Rock school board herself, announced her intent to leave office on Monday.

“I entered public service as a concerned mom looking to make a difference and I will return to private life as citizen who cares deeply about the future of our state and nation," Thomas said in a news release.

Marcell lives in Wrightstown with her husband, Steve Marcell, and their children. She has also lived in Northampton Township, Newtown Township and Newtown Borough.

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