Heather Boyd
2023 - Present
2024
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Heather Boyd (Democratic Party) is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing District 163. She assumed office on June 5, 2023. Her term ended on November 30, 2024.
Boyd (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent District 163. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Boyd completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Heather Boyd lives in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.[1] She graduated from Port Huron Northern High School.[2] Boyd earned a B.A. in history from the University of Michigan in 1998, an M.A. in art history from James Madison University in 2001, and an M.A. in history from the University of Delaware.[3] Her career experience includes working as the district director, the campaign manager, and a senior advisor to Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon; the chief of staff to Pennsylvania State Representative Leanne Krueger; and an instructor with Delaware County Community College.[1][3] Boyd founded the Delaware County Chapter of NOW and has served as the chair of the Upper Darby Democratic Committee.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163
Incumbent Heather Boyd defeated Jeffrey Jones in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Heather Boyd (D)  | 62.9 | 20,340 |
 | Jeffrey Jones (R) | 37.1 | 12,017 | |
| Total votes: 32,357 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163
Incumbent Heather Boyd advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 on April 23, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Heather Boyd | 98.9 | 5,042 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 55 | ||
| Total votes: 5,097 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163
Jeffrey Jones advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 on April 23, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeffrey Jones (Write-in) | 76.5 | 1,098 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 23.5 | 337 | ||
| Total votes: 1,435 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
Endorsements
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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Boyd in this election.
2023
See also: Pennsylvania state legislative special elections, 2023
General election
Special general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163
Heather Boyd defeated Katie Ford and Alfe Goodwin in the special general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Heather Boyd (D) | 60.2 | 9,415 |
 | Katie Ford (R) | 38.6 | 6,040 | |
 | Alfe Goodwin (L) | 1.2 | 194 | |
| Total votes: 15,649 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2015
Five of the nine seats on the Upper Darby school board were up for general election on November 3, 2015. There was a primary election on May 19, 2015.
Incumbents Judith Gentile (D/R) and Kenneth P. Rucci (R) won re-election, while challengers Brian M. Dietzler (R), Heather Boyd (D), and Lee A. Jordan (R) joined the board. They defeated incumbent Ronald Berry (R) and challengers Edward Brown (D), Saheed Sims (D), and Alfred Achtert Jr. (D). Incumbents William Gaul and Francis Zarilli did not run for re-election.[4]
All candidates with the exception of Achtert, who ran solely for the Democratic nomination, cross-filed to run in the Democratic and Republican primaries. Neil Desnoyers was defeated in the primary election. No independent candidates filed to run in the general election.
Results
| Upper Darby School District, At-Large, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic/Republican |  Judith Gentile Incumbent |
19.4% | 12,950 | |
| Republican | Brian M. Dietzler |
11.8% | 7,901 | |
| Republican | Kenneth P. Rucci Incumbent |
11.1% | 7,375 | |
| Democratic | Heather Boyd |
10.4% | 6,915 | |
| Republican | Lee A. Jordan |
10.4% | 6,904 | |
| Republican | Ronald Berry Incumbent | 10.3% | 6,856 | |
| Democratic | Edward Brown | 9.7% | 6,461 | |
| Democratic | Saheed Sims | 9.2% | 6,164 | |
| Democratic | Alfred Achtert Jr. | 7.8% | 5,172 | |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 3 | ||
| Total Votes | 66,701 | |||
| Source: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, "Unofficial Municipal Election Results for Upper Darby Township," accessed November 4, 2015 | ||||
| Upper Darby School District, At-Large Democratic Primary Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Heather Boyd |
18.1% | 2,174 | |
| Democratic | Edward Brown |
12.6% | 1,509 | |
| Democratic | Saheed Sims |
11.8% | 1,424 | |
| Democratic | Alfred Achtert Jr. |
10.4% | 1,250 | |
| Democratic | Judith Gentile Incumbent |
10% | 1,207 | |
| Democratic | Neil Desnoyers | 9.5% | 1,147 | |
| Democratic | Kenneth P. Rucci Incumbent | 7.3% | 872 | |
| Democratic | Lee A. Jordan | 7.1% | 859 | |
| Democratic | Ronald Berry Incumbent | 6.7% | 804 | |
| Democratic | Brian M. Dietzler | 6.4% | 772 | |
| Democratic | Write-in votes | 0% | 5 | |
| Total Votes | 12,023 | |||
| Source: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, "Official Municipal Primary 2015 Results for Upper Darby Township," accessed June 16, 2015 | ||||
| Upper Darby School District, At-Large Republican Primary Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Judith Gentile Incumbent |
19.1% | 2,932 | |
| Republican | Kenneth P. Rucci Incumbent |
17.9% | 2,750 | |
| Republican | Brian M. Dietzler |
17.8% | 2,739 | |
| Republican | Ronald Berry Incumbent |
12.4% | 1,897 | |
| Republican | Lee A. Jordan |
11.6% | 1,778 | |
| Republican | Saheed Sims | 5.9% | 899 | |
| Republican | Neil Desnoyers | 5.5% | 849 | |
| Republican | Heather Boyd | 5.5% | 842 | |
| Republican | Edward Brown | 4.3% | 664 | |
| Total Votes | 15,353 | |||
| Source: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, "Official Municipal Primary 2015 Results for Upper Darby Township," accessed June 16, 2015 | ||||
Funding
The Delaware County Bureau of Elections does not publish and freely disclose school board candidate campaign finance reports. If you have any information regarding the campaign finance disclosures in this race, please contact the school board elections team at [email protected].
Endorsements
Boyd received an official endorsement in the primary election from Friends of the Upper Darby Democratic Committee.[5]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Heather Boyd completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Boyd's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a mom of four boys and grandmom to 1 darling granddaughter. My family has lived in Drexel Hill for 17 years. Two of my sons are still in public school, while the other two are twin boys who came into our family as teenagers, and are now adults. My education has been at public universities. I have a BA in History from the University of Michigan, an MA in Art History from James Madison University and an MBA and ABD in the History of American Civilization at the University of Delaware, where I also met my husband Sean, a mechanical engineer. Like many new moms, I juggled trying to make a living while raising small children (and then teenagers). This was, and continues to be, a difficult and expensive juggle for many, if not most, families. My experience has taught me how important it is to reinstate the Child Tax Credit, help families with child care costs and develop paid family leave policies! Our families deserve support to thrive. I taught college level history online, and also in person at PAFA and DCCC before leaving teaching for public service. I served as a school board director in Upper Darby, and District Director to State Rep. Leanne Krueger and then as District Director and Senior Advisor to Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon. These positions have taught me how to navigate government, develop budgets and provide state and federal services to our communities.
- Our PA Supreme Court found our public education funding system unconstitutional in 2022. I am proud to represent Upper Darby, William Penn and Southeast Delco, but these school districts have been systemically underfunded for decades. We knew this, but the court finally provided a path to right this wrong. This underfunding has put an unfair burden of public education costs heavily on the local tax payers in our communities. I am committed to the seven year funding plan set out by the Basic Education Funding Commission to return our school districts to equitable funding - for our students and for our local tax payers.
- The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and returned the protection of women's reproductive rights to the states. I believe that the private decisions a woman makes about her own body MUST be protected. I also will work to ensure that access to abortion, contraception and health care are preserved in PA. A right is not a right without access. This overturning of Roe v Wade has the potential to return additional privacy rights to the states, so I am committed to protecting the fundamental rights of women to make their own health care decisions, and for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to access all of the rights afforded to all Pennsylvanians.
- I want to protect, defend and expand opportunities for working people. We are currently living through the largest wealth disparity between the rich and the poor that has ever existed in our country. I want to restore the middle class, including protecting the rights of workers to organize, increase our dreadful minimum wage to a living wage, require corporations to pay their fair share in taxes and require equal pay for equal work. We need to expand access to affordable housing and job development. We need to make higher education more accessible and affordable. I want to ensure a level playing field for all Pennsylvanians.
Public Education Funding, Access to Health Care, Protecting Reproductive Rights, Affordable Housing, Juvenile Justice, Justice System Reform, Expanding Access to Voting Rights, Civic Education, Protecting Workers Rights, Access and Affordability of Higher Education.
I am empathetic, compassionate and passionate. Because I believe that government can be an instrument of good, I am a strong, committed public servant. I am a good listener, and a hard worker. I believe that being inclusive leads to transparency. I seek out input, rather than wait for those who want to give it. I believe in evidenced-based research and decision making, and I do love research!
Research the bills brought before you, first in committee and also on the floor. Listen to your constituents' needs, and develop legislation that will meet those needs. Cooperate and be willing to compromise with other legislators to achieve the best outcome you can for all Pennsylvanians. Provide state services and educational outreach regarding state programs for constituents and businesses in our districts. Advocate for grant funding for municipalities, public services and non-profits.
A strong community where everyone gets the opportunities to be educated, healthy and able to chart their own path.
Providing a strong educational foundation, both in K-12 and Higher Education to create a civically engaged community and a strong economy.
Access to affordable housing.
Ensure that we have a 21st century workforce, which includes incentivizing and supporting public servants like child care providers, teachers, home care assistants, police, fire fighters and social workers.
Protecting our beautiful environment, balanced by the ability to protect and create family-sustaining, union jobs.
Its definitely helpful.
Yes, of course. Legislatures are a democratic form of government. We are elected by the people, and we must find common ground with a majority of our fellow legislators in order to pass legislation. This requires conversation, negotiation, persuasion and cooperation. Building relationships and discussing ideas helps legislators find that common ground.
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 13
Keystone Equality
Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF)
Delaware County Democratic Committee
Planned Parenthood
SEIU
PSEA/PACE
PA AFL-CIO
Delco Labor County
PASNAP
CeaseFirePA
Education, Health, Labor, Housing
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2023
Heather Boyd did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Pennsylvania scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Pennsylvania State Legislature was in session from January 3 to December 13.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 |
Officeholder Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Heather Boyd For PA, "Meet Heather Boyd," accessed June 1, 2023
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 10, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 LinkedIn, "Heather Boyd," accessed June 1, 2023
- ↑ Delaware County, Pennsylvania, "Unofficial Candidate List for November 3, 2015 General Election," accessed October 2, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Friends of the Upper Darby Democratic Committee," April 14, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Michael Zabel (D) |
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 163 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Upper Darby School District, At-large 2015-2018 |
Succeeded by - |
