Marla Brown

Marla A. Gallo Brown (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 four siblings, She is of Italian ancestry. She graduated from Mohawk High School in 1988. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gannon University in 1992 and a Master of Science from Geneva College in 2000. She later ran a medical spa in Georgia for nine years. She defeated Sainato in the general election.

Political positions

Abortion Brown opposes the right to an abortion. From 2015 to 2018, she was CEO of Pregnancy Aid Clinic,

Criminal justice Following a spate of local false school shooting reports in 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.

Brown supports decreasing the state parole board vote for clemency from unanimous approval to a simple majority.

Election reform In April 2023, Brown introduced a bill that would create open primary elections in Pennsylvania. 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 that primary election should be open because of the large number of veterans, young people, and minorities who are registered as independents.

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.

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.

Minimum wage Brown voted against a bill to incrementally raise Pennsylvania's minimum to fifteen dollars an hour by 2026.

Personal life Brown lives in New Castle, Pennsylvania with her husband Greg Brown. She has three children.

Electoral history