Valerie Gaydos

Political Party: Republican

District: 44th Legislative District, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Jurisdiction: Parts of Allegheny County

Valerie S. Gaydos was born on July 3, 1967, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before entering electoral politics, she built a career as an entrepreneur and community advocate. While in high school, she became a certified Emergency Medical Technician and volunteered for Valley Ambulance.

Her entry into politics came after personal reflection. Following her mother's passing in 2017 and the announcement of State Representative Mark Mustio's retirement, Gaydos decided to pursue elected office. In 2018, she campaigned extensively throughout her district, knocking on 8,000 constituent doors, and won her race by four percentage points to claim the 44th Pennsylvania House seat.

Education

Gaydos graduated from Dickinson College in 1989, where she majored in Russian and Economics. During her senior year, she completed internships at the U.S. Army War College and in the Harrisburg office of U.S. Senator John Heinz.

Political Experience

Early Career in Government

After college, Gaydos worked on Senator John Heinz's staff before transitioning to the Pennsylvania State Senate, where she initially worked in the policy office and later joined the staff of then State Majority Whip D. Michael Fisher.

Private Sector and Entrepreneurship

In 1994, Gaydos founded Capital Growth Inc. and spent over 25 years building successful companies. She became a recognized advocate for startups and served as an angel investor supporting veteran-owned and small businesses. She was the first woman president of the Pennsylvania Angel Network.

Current Legislative Leadership

As a state representative, Gaydos has earned consecutive "Guardian of Small Business" awards from the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business. She serves on the Small Business Council within the Department of Community and Economic Development and sits on the boards of Team Pennsylvania and America250PA.

She chairs the House Life Sciences Caucus, House Cancer Caucus, and House Cyber Security Caucus, and is a member of the Economic Growth, Emerging Technologies, Homeowners Association, and Manufacturing caucuses.

Legislative Achievements

Gaydos has successfully passed four bills into law, including Act 77 of 2024 addressing pharmaceutical industry issues and protecting independent pharmacies; Act 38 of 2022 authorizing the Pennsylvania National Guard's response to cyber crises; Act 45 of 2021 strengthening protections for human trafficking victims; and Act 67 of 2020 increasing transparency in the prescription drug marketplace.