Jessica Rothchild

What’s your hometown?  I’m from Hazlet, New Jersey but I’ve been living in Scranton since college.

What is your day job? Physical therapist. I was a gymnast and I was injured pretty often, so I had a lot of experience with PT as a patient. I wanted to provide the same compassion and care for my patients.

How did you learn about Emerge PA?  I met Anne Wakabayashi through Equality Pennsylvania, when she worked there and I was serving on the Board of Directors. Anne contacted me in the fall of 2016 to see if I would be interested in applying.

Was there a defining moment that inspired you to run or support women who want to run? What shaped your decision to join Emerge?  Several people suggested I run for office after I ran as a delegate in 2016. I gave it some thought and participated in the Ready to Run program, which is a one day information session. It was a helpful introduction to running for office but I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared. When I decide to do something, I commit myself completely to it. I did not choose to apply to Emerge until the 2016 general election happened. Although I felt helpless and disappointed, I still felt like I needed to do something. I think the election helped motivate many people to take action and to do things they never tried before. It gave me the push that I needed to apply to the program. A lot of women in my cohort expressed similar sentiments, that the election really changed things for them.

Is there a specific policy issue close to your heart, and can you tell us about it?  I have been an LGBTQ activist since college and I went on to become the President of Equality Pennsylvania. I enjoyed being a part of Equality PA and helping to make change in a big way, but I wanted to do something that would directly benefit my local community. Not only do we need more women in elected office, but we are severely lacking in the number of LGBTQ elected officials as well. I was approaching the end of my term with Equality PA wondering what gap I could help fill for the LGBTQ community. I didn’t know of any lesbian political figures or even candidates in Pennsylvania. I thought of my own local senators, representatives, and even city council members who are all heterosexual, cisgender, white men. It’s so important to get people into those positions who not only represent our values, but personally understand our struggles. While someone may genuinely support LGBTQ issues, it does not compare to the impact of having an LGBTQ person themselves serving in that position.

If you are running for office, where are you in the process?  I am currently running for a Democratic State Committee position in Lackawanna County and I plan on running for a local office in the near future.

Over the course of your time with Emerge PA, what has been your best insight into yourself and/or the campaign process?  Emerge provided me with the self-confidence and support I needed to run for office. Despite my previous experiences in politics, it is completely different when you place yourself in the role of a candidate. We were given the opportunity to better understand ourselves as candidates and to plan out our approach to a campaign over the course of 6 months. I enjoyed the sessions when we reviewed and practiced fundraising. We began building a list and asking for donations for ourselves, rather than an organization or a cause. I was surprised with the response from my close friends who were willing to donate because they believed in me and wanted me to succeed.

What has been your biggest success or proudest moment thus far on your journey, and/or, your favorite Emerge memory?  My proudest moment was our Emerge graduation. Just seeing the amount of elected officials at graduation–quite a few I already knew, so it was nice to have the support of people already elected who recognized the importance of a program like Emerge and wanted to support Emerge women. Realizing we’re a part of something, that all these state reps are here, and know about, and are willing to support this project.

What’s one thing you’re loving right now (food, TV show, book, hobby, etc)?  We just bought a home so Lowe’s is where I’ve been living. Home improvement! I was already a big fan of HGTV, and now I am spending time on little projects that I have no idea what I’m doing. We had bats this week–all little surprises. Who do you call for bats?

What’s your favorite memory of or place in Pennsylvania?  When I was married in Hawley, PA. I have a lot of family in New Jersey and New York, so we made it a sort of halfway point. It was nice to have everyone come out to PA and show everyone the area where we live; I feel really proud of northeast PA. It’s definitely our home now; we really have roots down, so to be able to have our wedding here and be legally married was pretty significant.

What advice do you have for our future candidates or volunteers?  Remember your training! I keep the binder pretty close with me. It’s usually in my car; I use it as a reference a lot. Take seriously what you learn from Emerge and make sure you use it, because it can only help you.

What’s your favorite way to spend a few empty hours of free time?  Spending time with my dog and wife. In the summers we like to hike in a bunch of different places in northeast PA: Seven Tubs Nature Area, Rickett’s Glen, and places near the Delaware River Water Gap are a few.