STATE REPRESENTATIVE

MORGAN 
JESSICA
BATHGATE
BENHAM
 

State Rep. Jessica Benham took office on a platform of fighting for the interests of residents 
Morgan Bathgate is a college student at Messiah University studying Psychology. She 
graduated in 2020 from Mechanicsburg Area Senior High where she also played water 
in the 36th Legislative District and solving the critical problems that her constituents face: 
polo, swam competitively, played violin, maintained a 4.0 GPA and took six Advanced 
lack of access to quality health care and to economic opportunity, poor air and water quality, 
Placement (AP) classes.
and failing infrastructure. Benham’s background is in advocacy for health care, education and 
worker’s rights, with experience advocating for legislation on the federal, state and local levels.
She was diagnosed with Autism when she was 3 years old. Morgan likes to remind people 
Prior to holding public office, Benham was Director of Development for the Pittsburgh Center 
that she may think differently, learn differently and at times struggle to focus—but she 
for Autistic Advocacy (PCAA), a grassroots self-advocacy project run by Autistic people for 
embraces her extraordinary abilities. She is different—but not less.
Autistic people. She co-founded PCAA after moving back to college, and it remains the only 
LGBTQ Autistic-led advocacy organization in the Greater Pittsburgh Area.
Morgan describes herself as family oriented, artsy, techie, bookish, musical and 
adventurous. She loves nature, animals, video games and drawing.
Through her work with PCAA, Benham has worked to ensure that individuals with disabilities 
are treated fairly in the legislative process. She has provided feedback and consultation for 
legislation including the Autism CARES Act on the federal level and health care efforts at the 
state level. She advocated strongly for Paul’s Law, which states that an individual can’t be 
deemed ineligible for an organ transplant simply because of a disability and was signed into 
law in Pennsylvania in 2018.

However, her advocacy efforts are not limited to health care. Benham also has experience 
fighting for workers’ rights, notably during her time as a graduate worker at the University of 
Pittsburgh, where she was involved in efforts to organize a union of graduate student workers 
through the United Steelworkers.

Benham has B.A. degrees in Political Science and Communication Studies from Bethel 
University, an M.A. in Communication from Minnesota State University, and an M.A. in 
Bioethics from the University of Pittsburgh.

She currently resides in the Southside Slopes with her cat, Ravi.