Christine M. "Tina" Tartaglione was born on September 21, 1960, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 2nd Senatorial District in Philadelphia County. She has served in the State Senate since 1994 and is currently in her seventh term.

Political Experience

Tartaglione began her public service career as an assistant to Philadelphia City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski from 1986 to 1989. She subsequently worked as a Senior Executive Assistant to State Treasurer Catherine Baker Knoll from 1989 to 1992, followed by a position as Business Representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1776 in 1992.

In 1994, she announced her candidacy for the Pennsylvania State Senate, running on a platform of increased gun control, better day care, racial and ethnic harmony, more jobs, and affordable housing. She narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Bruce Marks by 393 votes, becoming the fifth woman elected to the State Senate in Pennsylvania. She has been re-elected to six additional terms, never receiving less than 76% of the vote.

In 2010, Tartaglione became the first woman to serve in Senate Democratic Leadership when she was elected Caucus Secretary. In November 2022, she was elected as the first female Senate Democratic Whip in Pennsylvania history and the first person with a disability to serve as the Whip of any caucus in the state's 235-year history.

Notable Achievements and Current Positions

Tartaglione is widely recognized as the Senate's leading advocate for working families, fair wages, and people with disabilities. Her key legislative accomplishments include:

• Authoring Pennsylvania's landmark 2006 minimum wage increase through Senate Bill 1090
• Instrumental in establishing the state Office for People with Disabilities
• Principal sponsor of legislation protecting healthcare employees from mandatory overtime
• Author of legislation creating the Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers
• Advocate for safe nurse staffing levels
• Led efforts to modernize Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation system

Tartaglione currently serves as Democratic Chairwoman of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee and as chair of the Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania Senate delegations. She serves on multiple standing committees including Banking and Insurance, Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, Law and Justice, and the bicameral Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. She also serves on the Senate Committee on Ethics and Official Conduct.