Mark Cohen is the “Dean” of the Pennsylvania General Assembly -- the longest serving member in either the House or the Senate. He was first elected to represent the 202nd District in Philadelphia in a special election on May 21, 1974 and has been re-elected to serve his constituents in every election since.

For seven years, Mark Cohen served as chairman of the Pennsylvania House Labor Relations Committee. During his tenure, he fought to protect the rights of workers and working families by increasing the minimum wage and by protecting workers' compensation benefits. He won praise from both the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce (now called the Chamber of Business and Industry) for his work on a special task force of labor, business, and legislative leaders that designed the solution to Pennsylvania's $3 billion unemployment crisis and preserved benefits for Pennsylvania's unemployed workers. He was the prime mover behind Pennsylvania’s Minimum Wage law and Pennsylvania’s Worker Right to Know Law.

From 1990-2010, Mark Cohen was elected by his colleagues as the Democratic Caucus Chairman. He currently serves as the Democratic Chairman of the House Human Services Committee where he continues to advocate issues that are important to Pennsylvania's working families.

Mark Cohen, born in 1949, is a graduate of Philadelphia Central High School, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, a Juris Doctorate from the Widener University School of Law and a Master of Business Administration from Lebanon Valley College. Mark and his wife Mona live in Philadelphia and have one daughter. (5/2011)