Rep. Mary Jo Daley's Biography

Mary Jo Daley was first elected to represent Montgomery County’s 148th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2012. Her election to state office continues a deep commitment to community service, the environment and social justice.

Daley is committed to focusing on the needs of her constituents through the assistance provided by a capable district office staff and a lot of community outreach. As a representative, she believes strongly that it is possible to practice the politics that are about getting things done and delivering services that people want and need.

Keeping her promise to be a strong voice for her constituents, Daley is leading efforts in Harrisburg to stop further erosion of women's rights, fighting for non-discrimination in Pennsylvania, and taking a deep look at how the state pays for the services it provides.

At present, Daley serves as the Majority Chair of the House Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development Committee, co-chair of the bicameral, bipartisan Women's Health Caucus, and co-chair of the House Irish American Caucus. She's also a member of the House Rules Committee.

Appreciating challenging policy work, Daley previously served as Minority Chair for the Finance Committee’s Select Subcommittee on Tax Reform and Modernization. Additionally, Daley previously worked on bringing down costs and increasing transparency for reviewing property assessments as part of her work on the Local Government Commission.

Daley’s interest in public service grew out of discussions around the dinner table with her family as she grew up in Narberth with six younger siblings. These conversations covered civil and human rights; the Vietnam War and activism; environmental issues and population; unionization and standing up for yourself; the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.; politics; and government. During her teen years, women’s liberation moved to the forefront, eventually fueling her strong interest in seeing more women in elected office.

Her parents, Frank (Duce) and Mary Daley were also raised in Narberth and brought up their family in the small Montgomery County borough. Daley attended first through eighth grades at St. Margaret School in Narberth and then traveled to Archbishop Prendergast High School in Drexel Hill for the next four years.

Growing up in Narberth provided Daley with many opportunities – Girl Scout camping trips; learning to take buses and trains to get places; babysitting jobs; working at Mapes 5&10 (a favorite Narberth hang-out); playing tennis, basketball, volleyball and checkers at the Narberth playground; and swimming at the YMCA and in the Schuylkill River.

After high school, Daley attended Gwynedd Mercy College and earned an associate's degree in Medical Secretarial Science. Upon graduation, she worked in the Nuclear Medicine Department at Hahnemann Hospital, married her high school sweetheart and started a family.

Daley, divorced and now a single mother, continued her studies, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After becoming intrigued by a Policy, Politics and Public Service course offered by the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, Daley returned to school and earned her master's degree in public administration.

Driven to do work that is interesting, challenging, and meaningful, Daley’s professional résumé includes 20 years in departmental administration and finance at the University of Pennsylvania, 12 years as an administrative assistant/coordinator at Hahnemann University and three years as Office Manager at a Philadelphia architectural firm.

Daley’s life as a public servant began in 1992 as she served 20 years as a member of Narberth Borough Council, including 10 years as council president starting in 2001. She often cites her years on Borough Council as invaluable experience for serving as a state representative and why she believes so strongly in supporting local governments, no matter how small the municipality.

Presently, Daley and her husband, Bob Winkelman, live in Narberth while her daughter and her wife, stepdaughter and grandchildren all live in southeastern Pennsylvania, and her stepson lives in Florida.