State Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) gave a speech urging Republicans to put their heads down and get to work, bringing the crowd to its feet at the Montgomery County GOP’s 2025 Spring Reception on Wednesday.
White, 36, serves as the House Republican Caucus chair and is considered a rising star in the GOP. She became the first Republican elected to the state House from Philadelphia in 25 years when she won a special election in 2015. She ran unopposed last November.
White told the crowd she’s often asked, “How in the world did you win in Philadelphia?”
The answer: Do the work.
“I didn’t come from a political dynasty or inherit the seat in any way,” she said. “I had to work for it.”
It’s the work of people at the committee level — finding good candidates, knocking on doors, putting up signs, and covering the polling stations — that leads to success, White said. She recounted how a Republican committee woman convinced her to run.
“But nobody told me (the voter registration) was two to one Democrat,” White added.
White served as Philly GOP chairwoman. “This was a very big challenge,” she said. “That 2020 election cycle. I saw the challenges. I was just blown away by what was going on there.”
Montgomery County Republican Committee Chair Christian Nascimento, Rep. Martina White, and Montgomery County Republican Committee Vice Chair Nancy Becker
White is perhaps best known for her efforts to get progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner removed from office.
“He turned Philadelphia into a haven for criminals,” said White. “And he sent a message to thugs. They think they can run the street. And the anti-police movement that drove riots in our city was one of the scariest things I think I’ve ever seen in my life. But even today, you see these anti-Israel protests on campuses throughout the city and in other parts of the state. But Larry Krasner doesn’t care. It’s the progressive movement and what they stand for.”
The effort to impeach Krasner failed, and when people ask her why he’s still in office, White puts the blame squarely on the state’s Democrat-majority Supreme Court.
“You know what they did. They said, ‘You may have impeached Larry Krasner, but it goes from the House over to the Senate for conviction, for a trial.’ And they let the clock run out and said, ‘You’re too late for a trial. We determined you should have had your trial in the prior session, and you can’t do it anymore.’ Letting Larry Krasner off scot-free.”
She also blamed the court for the problems that have plagued Pennsylvania’s elections in the wake of problematic rulings.
“The legislators write the laws, but the Supreme Court gets to interpret them and determine whether they’re constitutional. And what they did during that election cycle, they literally changed the rules in the middle of the game. Right at the end of the game, too. It was scary,” White said.
“Protecting the vote, every legal vote, remains one of our top priorities in Harrisburg. We need election integrity. Period.”
She noted that three Democratic Supreme Court justices are up for retention this year. “It’s very important that we recognize what they’ve done to us over the years, to the people of this commonwealth.”
White also pushed back on claims Republicans don’t support public education, noting that during her time in the legislature, they’ve increased education spending by “billions of dollars.” At the same time, she supports giving parents choice, particularly in communities with failing schools like Philadelphia, where “the outcomes for kids are horrendous.”
“If you can’t read by the time you’re through the third grade, you’re more likely to struggle for the rest of your life. In Philadelphia, less than 30 percent of students are reading on grade level in third grade.”
The legislature started the Educational Improvement Tax Credit that gives scholarships to needy kids to help them go to private or “a school that works best for them. It gives families choices and an opportunity to get out of a really bad situation.”
“I’ve been a great proponent of Lifeline Scholarships. We also want to direct-fund these things,” she added.
“Do you ever hear about how the left talks about, ‘We’ve got to give food vouchers for people in need’? Or, ‘We need housing vouchers?’ But the moment you put the word education in front of the word vouchers, whoa! They say, ‘No, absolutely not.’” They want to keep their voters dependent on them, she said.
“The one thing about education is, nobody can ever take it from you. And if kids get a quality education, they have the best opportunity to have a successful life. So, I’m going to keep fighting for that.”
White, a financial advisor, serves on the Rules Committee, the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee, the SEPTA board, and the Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Task Force.
