Senator Biography

• Senator Maria Collett represents the 12th Senatorial District across parts of Montgomery County, stretching from Lower Moreland in the east to Salford Township in the west.
• Sen. Collett is a lifelong advocate for working families. Following a successful career as a Deputy Attorney General in Camden County, New Jersey advocating for the rights of children, Sen. Collett pursued her passion for healthcare by transitioning to nursing. After graduating from nursing school, she found tremendous purpose and pride caring for patients at the bedside, working as a Level I trauma nurse, in pediatric home health, and in long-term care with aging adults. With the goal of serving her community on an even larger scale, Sen. Collett successfully ran for office in 2018, becoming the first Democrat elected to the seat.
• Sen. Collett grew up in Maryland, raised by her Greek immigrant father, who came to the U.S. to earn a Ph.D. in Economics, and her mother, who rose form a disadvantaged childhood to become the first member of her family to graduate from college. Their experiences instilled the values of education, hard work, integrity and humility in Sen. Collett from a young age. Sen. Collett has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland at College Park, a JD from Rutgers University School of Law, and a BSN from Drexel University.
• Now serving in her second term, Sen. Collett remains committed to ensuring a better future for every Pennsylvanian. She is a strong advocate for more affordable, accessible healthcare – including mental and behavioral healthcare. As a registered nurse, she continues to fight for fair working conditions, wages and workforce development programs for frontline healthcare professionals. In 2021, Sen. Collett championed the Nursing Workforce Initiative, which included a $55 million student loan relief program for Pennsylvania nurses.
• Sen. Collett’s legislative record shows her dedication to making life safer and more affordable for everyone. As the prime sponsor of the Family Care Act, Sen. Collett is working to establish a statewide paid family and medical leave program. She advocated for the expansion of PA’s Child & Dependent Care Tax Credit as part of the 2023-24 budget, tripling the maximum tax credit and giving a much-needed boost to working families. And she has secured tens of millions of dollars in state grant funding to improve public safety infrastructure – from police station upgrades and roadway repairs to nonprofit security and victim services.
• In 2024, Sen. Collett’s colleagues elected her to serve as the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Chair. In her new role, she leads caucus meetings during session days, keeps her fellow members up to date on bill activities in committee, and facilities discussions around legislative strategy. Sen. Collett is also the Minority Chair of the Aging & Youth Committee and serves on the Health & Human Services, Institutional Sustainability & Innovation, Judiciary, and Rules & Executive Nominations Committees.
• Sen. Collett and her husband Len, an attorney, reside in Lower Gwynedd Township with their son August and two dogs, Foster and Otis. She is an avid reader, muscle car enthusiast and movie buff.

• State Senator