State Rep. Jessica Benham wins Democratic nomination in 36th State House District

State Rep. Jessica Benham, D-South Side, trounced her opponent in Tuesday’s Democratic primary race in the 36th State House District, according to unofficial tallies.

Benham was first elected in 2020 to a strong Democratic district that includes Brentwood, Mt. Oliver and several Pittsburgh neighborhoods, including all or parts of Arlington, Brookline, Beechview, Bon Air, Carrick, Overbrook, Mt. Washington and the South Side.

As of Wednesday, with 96% of precincts reporting, Benham had collected 68.3% of the votes counted compared with 31.7% for challenger Stephanie Fox, a former Brentwood councilwoman, unofficial results showed.

No Republicans appeared on the ballot in the district that includes Brentwood, Mt. Oliver and several Pittsburgh neighborhoods, including all or parts of Arlington, Brookline, Beechview, Bon Air, Carrick, Overbrook, Mt. Washington and the South Side.

In a tweet sent on Tuesday, Benham declared victory and thanked voters for supporting her reelection bid.

“Thank you to the voters of the 36th District for your overwhelming support of my reelection, and to my incredible volunteers and staff for all of your help and encouragement,” tweeted Benham. “It will be my absolute honor to continue to represent you in Harrisburg.”

Her win came despite the Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorsing Fox. This was the second time in two elections that Benham failed to receive the committee’s endorsement.

Benham is autistic and became one of the first openly autistic state representatives in the country when she was first elected. She also is the first openly bisexual woman elected to serve in Harrisburg.