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Disability Rights Leader and Community Advocate to Challenge Incumbent on Schools, Healthcare, and Economic Opportunity

• WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Rebecca MacTaggart, a civil rights advocate and 20-year South Strabane Township resident, has announced her candidacy for Pennsylvania House District 48. MacTaggart is running on a platform of fair school funding, affordable healthcare, economic opportunity for working families and small businesses, and being intentional about preparing the region for the many changes that are coming at an ever-increasing pace.

  "Washington County families want schools with the resources to educate their kids, common sense healthcare, and confidence that when new development comes to our area, it comes with rules that protect our land, our water, and our quality of life," MacTaggart said. "Too many of those decisions are being made in a big hurry, and they’re being made without input from the people who live here. I am running to change that."

  District 48 covers a wide stretch of Washington County, including the City of Washington, the boroughs of Donora, East Washington, and Green Hills, and the townships of Amwell, Carroll, East Finley, Fallowfield, Morris, North Franklin, North Strabane, Nottingham, Somerset, South Franklin, South Strabane, and West Finley.

  Most of MacTaggart’s professional career has been spent in direct, hands-on work supporting individuals with disabilities and behavioral health needs. At Community Living and Support Services (CLASS), she continues this work:

  As a state-certified “person-centered counselor,” she helps individuals to maintain their independence in regard to housing, transportation, and other necessities.

  As a state-credentialed “certified investigator,” she investigates cases of abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and rights violations.

  In her volunteer work, MacTaggart serves as Advocacy Coordinator for the United Spinal Association of Pittsburgh chapter and sits on several boards focused on access and opportunity, including the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's Accessibility Advisory Board, the Board of Directors for the Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center, and as Westland Branch Trail volunteer and accessibility advisor for the Montour Trail Council.

  MacTaggart stresses that building a real and lasting plan for school funding is one of the most pressing issues in the race. In 2023, the Commonwealth Court ruled that Pennsylvania's school funding system is unconstitutional, finding that it fails students in lower-wealth districts. While the legislature has begun to respond, progress has been slow, and Pennsylvanians seem unaware of what is happening. The 2025-26 state budget arrived 135 days late after an impasse that forced school districts across the state to take out loans just to keep classrooms open.

  "Funding formulas should reflect the real needs of our students, not punish communities for being rural or under-resourced," MacTaggart said. "That means adequate classroom resources, mental health services, special education support, career and technical programs, and after-school opportunities. Every child deserves a fair shot, and that starts with a fully and fairly funded basic education. We need to equip our kids so they can keep this region and this country competitive."

  MacTaggart also wants her candidacy to bring attention to wage stagnation and the rising cost of living. Pennsylvania's minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009, making it one of the lowest in the country. "People should be able to afford to live where they work and be paid fairly for doing it," she said. "We do have people in the district with great jobs, but we can’t ignore the fact that some others have two jobs and still can’t make ends meet."

  Coming from a family with strong union roots, MacTaggart feels the current economic climate is unsustainable for families. Her own father raised five children with a single job as a union steamfitter, her uncle a member of IBEW, and she herself is a past member of PSEA. “It’s so hard to have people tell me that they work all these hours, can’t get ahead, and even worse, can’t keep up on the issues that affect their health and welfare because there’s no time left in the day. It’s unacceptable.”

  MacTaggart and her husband Scot have been married since 2002 and raised two adult children in the Trinity School District.

  On economic development, MacTaggart said the district needs leaders who plan ahead rather than react after the fact. Communities across Washington County are weighing proposals for large-scale data centers and industrial development that raise questions about zoning, water use, energy demand, and neighborhood impacts. MacTaggart said she supports welcoming new investment, but with rules that protect public health and community character.

  "Growth and protection are not opposites. With smart planning and fair rules, we can have both," she said. "Washington County deserves leaders who will get ahead of change instead of waiting for it to happen to us."

  "When people's livelihoods and futures are on the line, I do not wait," MacTaggart said. "I choose to step up."

  Residents of House District 48 can learn more and get involved at www.rebeccamactaggart.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rm4pa

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