Jennie Jenkins-Dallas
The race for one of Harrisburg’s two PA House seats now has a Republican candidate in the mix—former mayoral and city council candidate Jennie Jenkins-Dallas.
In a press release on Wednesday, Jenkins-Dallas, 51, announced her candidacy as a Republican for the 103rd legislative district. Last year, she ran unsuccessfully for City Council as a Democrat and previously ran unsuccessfully for mayor.
“I am running because I love my country, and I can’t stand by and watch what is happening to our children, our churches, law enforcement and our freedom,” Jenkins-Dallas said in a statement. “I intend to build a bridge of unity between our two shores and neighborhoods. I am the only candidate who embodies conservative values and understands Dauphin and Cumberland counties.”
Rep. Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg) currently serves in the 103rd House seat, and she is running for re-election.
The district is set to change considerably. It currently includes all of Harrisburg and several other east shore communities. With redistricting, it will include about half of Harrisburg and will extend across the Susquehanna River into the west shore communities of Lemoyne, Camp Hill, Wormleysburg and East Pennsboro Township.
In her announcement, Jenkins-Dallas, who lives in Uptown Harrisburg, said that the redistricting prompted her to run for office, saying she “could run on her long-held conservative values and have a legitimate chance at winning.” She also touted her record during the pandemic, saying that she supported small businesses remaining open and along with her husband, Bishop William Dallas III, opened the doors of Gospel Fellowship Church to the homeless.
Jenkins-Dallas currently serves as publisher of two Harrisburg-based publications: La Voz Latina Central and Black Wall Street PA. She also has served as a city police officer. Following her suspension from the force in 2014, she filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city, which had accused her of theft, a charge she claimed was retaliatory for prior internal complaints she had made of workplace harassment and sex discrimination. After three years, she settled with the city, receiving $140,000.
In her campaign announcement, Jenkins-Dallas included a statement from former Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse addressing this issue. Papenfuse was mayor at the time of the settlement.
“Jennie got dragged into a lot of drama that was beside the point,” the statement said. “I know her to be a good person and a hard worker. Jennie loves her community and that is what voters want to know.”
Last year, she backed Papenfuse in his unsuccessful general election bid as write-in candidate.
Her announcement also included a statement from former Dauphin County Commission Chair Jeff Haste.
“Jennie and I worked on numerous projects while a Dauphin County commissioner,” the statement said. “She is a woman of faith, dedicated to helping people, and is a conservative at heart.”
The PA primary is slated for May 17, with the general election on Nov. 8.
“Unlike city administration, serving on a state level allows me to engage in broader policy discussions around life, the family’s role in education, crime and regulation,” Jenkins-Dallas stated. “I represent the people. I am conservative and that will never change.”
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