Marla Brown

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Marla Brown

|state_house= Pennsylvania

|district=9th

|term_start = January 3, 2023

|term_end =

|predecessor = Chris Sainato

|successor =

|birth_date={{birth year and age|1970}}

|birth_place=Edinburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|death_date=

|death_place=

|party=Republican

|spouse = Greg Brown

|children=3

|education =Gannon University (BA)
Geneva College (MS)

|alma_mater=Mohawk High School

|website=[https://www.repmarlabrown.com/ www.repmarlabrown.com]

|residence= New Castle, Pennsylvania, U.S.

}}

Marla A. Gallo Brown{{cite web |title=2022 General Election Tuesday, November 8, 2022 Official Returns LAWRENCE |url=https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/General/CountyResults?countyName=LAWRENCE&ElectionID=94&ElectionType=G&IsActive=1 |website=electionreturns.pa.gov |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of State |access-date=13 January 2023}} (born 1970) is an American politician who currently represents the 9th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2023. She is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life and education

Brown was born in 1970, the eldest of six siblings, in Edinburg, Pennsylvania.{{cite news |url-access=subscription |last1=Vercilla |first1=Nicholas |title=Sainato, Brown set the record straight on mailer accusations |url=https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/sainato-brown-set-the-record-straight-on-mailer-accusations/article_37fe36f4-56f4-11ed-b5c7-8b00574af15b.html |access-date=4 September 2023 |work=New Castle News |date=October 31, 2022}} She is of Italian ancestry.{{cite web |title=About Marla Brown |url=https://mbrownforpa.com/about-marla-brown-1 |website=Marla Brown for PA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111211022/https://mbrownforpa.com/about-marla-brown-1 |archive-date=November 11, 2022 |access-date=8 January 2023}} Brown graduated from Mohawk High School in 1988.{{cite web |title=Representative Marla Brown |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/House_bio.cfm?id=1938 |website=Pennsylvania House of Representatives |publisher=Pennsylvania General Assembly |access-date=8 January 2023}} She earned Bachelor of Arts degree from Gannon University in 1992 and a Master of Science from Geneva College in 2000.

Career

Brown worked for UPS for 15 years, including working in London as the company's director of sales and marketing for the United Kingdom and Ireland.{{cite news |url-access=subscription |title=Local woman to seek state representative seat |url=https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/local-woman-to-seek-state-representative-seat/article_037a500a-7303-11ec-b9a9-57a0cfa51455.html |access-date=6 September 2023 |work=New Castle News |date=February 19, 2023}} She later ran a medical spa in Georgia for nine years.

In 2022, Brown won a three-way Republican primary election to challenge incumbent Democratic Pennsylvania State Representative from the 9th District Chris Sainato.{{cite news |last1=Previti |first1=Emily |title=Pennsylvania State House 9th District: A guide to the 2022 general election and candidates |url=https://www.wesa.fm/wesa-voter-guide/pennsylvania-state-house-9th-district-a-guide-to-the-2022-general-election-and-candidates |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=90.5 WESA |date=October 3, 2022}} She defeated Sainato in the general election.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Jan |author1-link=Jan Murphy |title=Pa. Democrats claim they took control of the state House; GOP says not so fast |url=https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/11/pa-democrats-claim-they-took-control-of-the-state-house-gop-says-not-so-fast.html |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=PennLIVE Patriot-News |publisher=Advance Local Media LLC |date=November 9, 2022}}

Political positions

=Abortion=

Brown opposes the right to an abortion. From 2015 to 2018, she was CEO of Pregnancy Aid Clinic, an Atlanta-based Catholic anti-abortion organization.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.pregnancyaidclinic.com/our-mission.html |website=Pregnancy Aid Clinic |access-date=4 September 2023}}

=Criminal justice=

Following a spate of local false school shooting reports in 2023,{{cite news |last1=Coller |first1=Patty |title=New Castle High School threat prompts felony bill |url=https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/new-castle-news/new-castle-high-school-threat-prompts-felony-bill/ |access-date=6 September 2023 |work=WKBN-TV |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |date=August 22, 2023}} Brown introduced a bill to elevate making a false emergency call to elicit a police response, otherwise known as swatting, from a misdemeanor offense to a felony.{{cite news |title=Pennsylvania lawmaker wants tougher penalties for swatting calls targeting schools |url=https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsylvania-lawmaker-wants-tougher-penalties-for-swatting-calls-targeting-schools/44893860 |access-date=4 September 2023 |work=WGAL-TV |publisher=Hearst Television Inc. |date=August 23, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Valente |first1=Mike |title=With students heading back to classroom, Pennsylvania lawmaker talks anti-swatting b |url=https://www.wtae.com/article/pennsylvania-anti-swatting-bill/44883336# |access-date=4 September 2023 |work=WTAE-TV |publisher=Hearst Television Inc. |date=August 23, 2023}}

Brown supports decreasing the state parole board vote for clemency from unanimous approval to a simple majority.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Marla |title=Column by Rep. Marla Brown: Legislator's responsibilities are to understand its constituents. That must include our prison population |url=https://www.ncnewsonline.com/opinion/columns/column-by-rep-marla-brown-legislators-responsibilities-are-to-understand-its-constituents-that-must-include/article_94c2d1e0-409d-11ee-ba29-172d0c366f5d.html |access-date=4 September 2023 |work=New Castle News |date=August 25, 2023| url-access=subscription}}

=Election reform=

In April 2023, Brown introduced a bill that would create open primary elections in Pennsylvania.{{cite web |title=HOUSE BILL No.976 Session of 2023 |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2023&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=0976&pn=0997 |website=Pennsylvania General Assembly |access-date=31 August 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Stockburger |first1=George |title=Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces open primaries bill |url=https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania-politics/pennsylvania-lawmaker-introduces-open-primaries-bill/ |access-date=28 March 2023 |work=abc27 WHTM |date=March 6, 2023}} She has argued against closed primary elections, saying that they are unfair to independent votes who cannot participate in elections funded by their tax dollars. In an op-ed with State Representative Jared Solomon, Brown also argued primary election should be open because of the large number of veterans, young people, and minorities who are registered as independents.{{cite news |last1=Solomon |first1=Jared |last2=Brown |first2=Marla |author1-link=Jared Solomon (Pennsylvania politician) |title=Opinion: A million reasons to open up primaries in Pennsylvania |url=https://www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2023/07/opinion-million-reasons-open-primaries-pennsylvania/388366/ |access-date=31 August 2023 |work=City & State Pennsylvania |date=July 11, 2023}}

Brown has called monetary campaign fundraising a "necessary evil of the [election] process," which is nonetheless beneficial because it demonstrates whether a candidate is capable of successfully spreading their message.{{cite news |last1=Huangpu |first1=Kate |title=The Pennsylvania legislature is getting a major infusion of new blood this January |url=https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2023-01-01/the-pennsylvania-legislature-is-getting-a-major-infusion-of-new-blood-this-january |access-date=31 August 2023 |work=90.5 WESA |agency=Spotlight PA |date=January 1, 2023}}

=Legislative perks=

During her 2022 campaign, Brown signed a pledge to refuse state per diems, state pension, or taxpayer-funded car. Brown also pledge to only serve eight years in the state legislature.{{cite news |last1=Vercilla |first1=Nicholas |title=District 9 preview: Brown wants to be an advocate for District 9 |url=https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/district-9-preview-brown-wants-to-be-an-advocate-for-district-9/article_bca09f8a-465c-11ed-bcfe-ebc7ca8304df.html |access-date=4 September 2023 |work=New Castle News |date=October 15, 2022 |url-access=subscription}}

=Minimum wage=

Brown voted against a bill to incrementally raise Pennsylvania's minimum to fifteen dollars an hour by 2026.{{cite news |last1=Scicchitano |first1=Eric |title=Eye on the Capitol: How Bernstine, Brown, Brooks, Vogel voted last week |url=https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/eye-on-the-capitol-how-bernstine-brown-brooks-vogel-voted-last-week/article_498e64e4-143f-11ee-bd05-6339de6ab7e4.html |access-date=6 September 2023 |url-access=subscription |work=New Castle News |date=June 27, 2023}}

Personal life

Brown lives in New Castle, Pennsylvania with her husband Greg Brown. She has three children.{{cite web |title=About Marla |url=https://www.repmarlabrown.com/about |website=PA State Rep. Marla Brown |access-date=8 January 2023}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change |title=2022 Pennsylvania House of Representatives Republican primary election, District 9{{cite web |title=Summary Results Report 2022 PRIMARY May 17, 2022 OFFICIAL RESULTS Lawrence |url=https://lawrencecountypa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/official-results-election-day-summaryPRIMARY2022.pdf |website=Lawrence County, Pennsylvania |access-date=8 January 2023 |page=36 |format=PDF |date=June 7, 2022}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Marla Brown

|votes=3,192

|percentage=42.62

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party=Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Nick Kerin

|votes=2,896

|percentage=38.66

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party=Republican Party (US)

|candidate=Darryl Audia

|votes=1,352

|percentage=18.05

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party=Write-in

|candidate = Chris Sainato

|votes = 40

|percentage = 0.53

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party=Write-in

|candidate=Scattered

|votes=10

|percentage=0.13

}}{{Election box total no change

|votes=7,490

|percentage=100.00}}{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change |title=2022 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 9{{cite web |title=Summary Results Report 2022 General November 8,2022 OFFICIAL RESULTS Lawrence |url=https://lawrencecountypa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Official-election-summ-GEN-2022.pdf |website=Lawrence County, Pennsylvania |access-date=8 January 2023 |page=4 |format=PDF |date=December 1, 2022}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate= Marla Brown

|votes=13,721

|percentage=52.81

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party=Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Chris Sainato (incumbent)

|votes=12,219

|percentage=47.03

}}{{Election box write-in with party link no change

|party=write-in

|votes=44

|percentage=0.17

}}{{Election box total no change

|votes=25,984

|percentage=100.00}}{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=2024 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election, District 9{{cite web |title=Summary Results Report 2024 General November 5, 2024 Lawrence |url=https://lawrencecountypa.gov/getmedia/2a5e5fd7-ae9a-4aa1-b0db-1be6a5ebcc69/2024-General-Election-Summary-Official-Results.pdf |website=Lawrence County, Pennsylvania |access-date=26 November 2024 |page=4 |date=November 21, 2024}}

}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party=Republican Party (US)

|candidate=Marla Brown

|votes=27,029

|percentage=94.66

}}{{Election box write-in with party link no change

|party=Write-in

|votes=1,524

|percentage=5.34

}}{{Election box total no change

|votes=28,553|percentage=100.00}}{{Election box end}}