Mark Rozzi

Mark Lucio Rozzi was born on April 30, 1971, in Reading, Pennsylvania. A lifelong resident of the district, he resides in Muhlenberg Township. Before entering politics, Rozzi owned and operated his family's construction business, which he sold in 2018. He is divorced and has one daughter.

Rozzi is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a priest in the Roman Catholic Church. This personal history became a central focus of his political career, driving his efforts to legislate relief for survivors of sexual abuse. In January 2024, he withdrew from a race for Pennsylvania Auditor General, citing mental health issues stemming from his history of abuse.

Education

Rozzi graduated from Muhlenberg High School in 1989, where he was a three-sport athlete and a member of the Political Science Club and Model UN. He attended Kutztown University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a concentration in pre-law and constitutional law.

Political Experience

Rozzi was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent the 126th district in November 2012. He took office on January 1, 2013, and was subsequently elected to five more terms, serving until November 30, 2024. His legislative priorities included education, property tax relief, infrastructure improvement, and safeguarding children from predators.

Speaker of the House

On January 3, 2023, Rozzi was elected Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives following a disputed election outcome that left the legislature technically divided. Nominated as a compromise candidate with bipartisan support, he served in this role until February 28, 2023. During his tenure, he convened a special session for victims of childhood sexual abuse and passed legislation reforming the statute of limitations for abuse cases. He also drafted adopted rules intended to minimize hyper-partisanship in the legislative process. Although he stated upon election that he would govern as an independent, he remained registered with the Democratic Party, a decision that generated controversy among some Republican members who supported his speakership.

Legislative Record and Committees

Throughout his tenure, Rozzi served on several committees, including Gaming Oversight , Education, Labor & Industry, Policy, and Transportation. He was a member of numerous caucuses, such as the Mental Health Caucus, LGBTQ Equality Caucus, Climate Caucus, and Women's Health Caucus.

In 2019, legislation removing temporal constraints on filing charges against perpetrators of sexual abuse was signed into law following efforts led by Rozzi. In 2022, he was one of four House Democrats to vote in favor of a ban on transgender athletes participating in youth sports. In October 2023, Rozzi announced he would not seek re-election to his state house seat.