Dawn Keefer is a Republican Pennsylvania State Senator representing the 31st district, which covers parts of Cumberland and York counties. She assumed office on January 7, 2025, after serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2017 to 2024.

Born on October 6, 1972, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Dawn Wetzel Keefer resides in Dillsburg. A free-market fiscal conservative with over 27 years of professional experience, she owned a consulting firm focused on public relations, grassroots strategy, membership development, and fundraising for more than a decade. Her husband, Tom, has run a custom motorcycle business for over 20 years, giving her firsthand insight into small business challenges in Pennsylvania. Keefer is known for championing efforts to right-size government, reduce regulations, expose the state's "shadow budget" with billions in surplus funds, and promote individual freedoms. She founded and chaired the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus in 2022. Notable positions include chair of the Senate Local Government Committee since taking office. She supported post-2020 election audits and investigations in Pennsylvania.

Education and Political Experience

Specific details on her formal education are not detailed in available records. Keefer's political career began in the Pennsylvania House, representing the 92nd district in northern York County from 2017 to 2024, where she developed non-tax solutions for budget shortfalls and advocated for fiscal accountability. In 2024, she announced her candidacy for the State Senate's 31st district following Mike Regan's retirement, defeating Democrat Mark Temons in the general election.