Biography
Melissa Dicranian is the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate District 44 in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing incumbent Democrat Katie Muth.[1][2] A business owner who ran unsuccessfully for the Pennsylvania House in 2022 and 2024, she chairs a township historic architectural review board.[2][3]
Melissa Dicranian was born in Maine and earned a bachelor's degree from the Wentworth Institute of Technology in 1993, according to Ballotpedia.[2] In a 2024 Ballotpedia survey, her campaign biography said she grew up in a family of small business owners and worked for architectural firms as a designer, owner's representative and architectural representative.[3] It also said she chairs the Historic Architectural Review Board in Charlestown Township, serves as liaison to its planning and zoning body, and is a Pennsylvania Farm Bureau member.[3]
Dicranian ran for Pennsylvania House District 167 in 2022 and lost the Republican primary to Gail Newman.[2] She won the Republican primary for the same seat on April 23, 2024, and lost the general election to incumbent Democrat Kristine Howard, receiving 41.4 percent of the vote.[2] She advanced from the May 19, 2026 Republican primary for State Senate District 44 without opposition.[2]
In the 2024 survey, Dicranian listed supporting economic growth, community safety and education as her priorities, including support for small businesses, pro-growth tax reform and school choice.[3]
- 1.Pennsylvania State Senate elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Melissa Dicranian - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Melissa Dicranian - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2024) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Pennsylvania Senate District 44
Melissa Dicranian is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Pennsylvania Senate District 44 as R. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
