Biography
Margaret Burke is the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 147 in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against incumbent Republican Donna Scheuren.[1][2] A scientist and former pharmaceutical-industry professional who has advocated for families of people with disabilities, she said in a Ballotpedia survey that she is running on affordability, healthcare access and public education.[3]
Margaret Burke graduated from North Babylon High School, earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1990, a Ph.D. from Stony Brook University of the State University of New York in 1998, and a graduate degree from Cornell's Johnson School of Management in 2000.[1] Ballotpedia lists her profession as stay-at-home parent.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, her campaign described her as a mom, former business professional and scientist who stepped away from a pharmaceutical-sector career in 2004 to care for her son with disabilities and has since advocated for families navigating special education and healthcare services.[3] The survey says she lives in Harleysville with her husband and their adult twins.[3]
Burke's survey responses name affordability, healthcare access and a fairly funded public education system, especially for students with disabilities, as her three key messages.[3]
- 1.Margaret Burke · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Margaret Burke - Candidate Connection survey responses · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Pennsylvania House District 147
Margaret Burke is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Pennsylvania House District 147 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
