First time mother, son in State House
Milou and Ryan Mackenzie are sworn in as lawmakers
The return to Harrisburg on Tuesday for the first day of the new legislative session in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was extra special for Ryan Mackenzie.
The Lehigh County Republican, who represents several communities in northeastern Berks County, was sworn in for his sixth term with a familiar face taking the same oath by his side.
His mother, Milou Mackenzie, was sworn in as well after winning her
first term in office. She won an open seat.
The duo made history by becoming the first mother-son pair to be elected to the state House.
Milou Mackenzie, 69, will represent the 131st Legislative District that includes communities in Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties.
“Having my son by my side makes this experience that much more meaningful,” she said in a press release. “It has been an incredible journey thus far and I am eager to begin my work in Harrisburg to help protect the rights and freedoms of those whom I represent and do what I can to ensure that the voices of all Pennsylvanians are heard by the General Assembly.”
Ryan Mackenzie, 38, said he’s honored to be part of the first motherson pair of representatives to serve Pennsylvania.
“I am humbled to have the continued faith and support of the 134th Legislative
District,” he said. “We will work together to strengthen education and job creation throughout the commonwealth.”
Mackenzie said during his next term he’s seeking to continue to address current COVID-19 and related health care issues brought on by the pandemic, attract business investments and create additional job opportunities to help further stimulate the economy and reform current election laws to resolve issues brought forward during the previous election cycle.