Margo L. Davidson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margo L Davidson
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| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 164th district |
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| In office January 4, 2011 – July 22, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Mario Civera |
| Succeeded by | Gina Curry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 27, 1962 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Robert |
| Children | 4 |
| Residences | Upper Darby, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
Margo Lomax Davidson (born September 27, 1962) is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 164th Legislative District from 2011 until her resignation on July 22, 2021 due to criminal charges. The district included parts of Upper Darby Township, and the boroughs of East Lansdowne and Millbourne.
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Early life and education
The oldest of three children, Davidson was born in West Philadelphia, where she and her siblings were raised by their single mother. She graduated from the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in 1980. The first in her family to graduate college, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Temple University in 1988.
Career
She began her career as a broadcast journalist, hosting a show on WDAS and often covering politics. She also started two non-profit organizations: the Anti-drug and Alcohol Crusaders, which offers programs for children whose parents are struggling with addiction, and the African American Female Entrepreneurs Alliance, which focuses on small business development. She worked on Barack Obama's presidential campaign during the 2008 election, traveling as far as Montana to work for the campaign.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Davidson announced her candidacy for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after longtime Republican incumbent Mario Civera was elected to the Delaware County Council. Civera eventually resigned his state House seat, and Davidson defeated Republican school board member Maureen Carey in the general election. She was just the third person to hold this seat but the first Democrat, first woman, and first African American to represent the 164th district.
Davidson assumed office on January 4, 2011.
Fraud charges and resignation
On July 22, 2021, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced charges against Davidson for stealing from the Commonwealth by filing fraudulent overnight per diem requests and various other expenses through the State House Comptroller's Office as well as hindering a state prosecution. A grand jury found that Davidson had requested overnight expenses for nights she did not spend in Harrisburg, and received personal reimbursements from the Commonwealth for expenses that had been paid for by her campaign. She was also charged with Election Code violations arising from failure to report campaign finance information, as well as soliciting a witness to lie during the course of the investigation. Davidson was reimbursed by the state for out-of-pocket expenses incurred during official events and trips, despite also being reimbursed for those same expenses by her campaign.
She was charged with misdemeanor charges of Theft, Solicitation to Hinder Apprehension, and Election Code Violations. She waived her preliminary hearing, and has paid the restitution of $6,925. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General James Price. Davidson resigned from the State House after accepting responsibility for the charges.
2018 Congressional bid
Davidson ran as a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district during the 2018 primary, the primary and general election were won by Mary Gay Scanlon.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Democratic | Mary Gay Scanlon | 16,804 | 28.4 | |
| Democratic | Ashley Lunkenheimer | 9,044 | 15.3 | |
| Democratic | Richard Lazer | 8,892 | 15.0 | |
| Democratic | Molly Sheehan | 6,099 | 10.3 | |
| Democratic | Greg Vitali | 5,558 | 9.4 | |
| Democratic | Lindy Li | 4,126 | 7.0 | |
| Democratic | Theresa Wright | 3,046 | 5.2 | |
| Democratic | Thaddeus Kirkland | 2,327 | 3.9 | |
| Democratic | Margo L. Davidson | 2,275 | 3.9 | |
| Democratic | Larry Arata | 913 | 1.5 | |
| Total votes | 59,084 | 100.0 | ||
Election results
2010
| PA House election, 2010: Pennsylvania House, District 164 |
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Margo L. Davidson | 10,083 | 53.65 | ||
| Republican | Maureen Carey | 8,711 | 46.35 | ||
| Margin of victory | 1,372 | 7.3 | |||
| Turnout | 18,794 | 100 | |||
2012
| PA House election, 2012: Pennsylvania House, District 164 |
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Margo L. Davidson | 17,240 | 66.6 | ||
| Republican | Earl Toole | 8,649 | 33.4 | ||
| Margin of victory | 8,591 | 33.2 |  12.95 |
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| Turnout | 25,889 | 100 | |||
2014
| PA House election, 2014: Pennsylvania House, District 164 |
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Margo L. Davidson | 12,272 | 80.1 | ||
| Republican | Saud Siddiqui | 3,056 | 19.9 | ||
| Margin of victory | 9,216 | 60.2 | 13.5 |
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| Turnout | 15,328 | 100 | |||
2016
| PA House election, 2016: Pennsylvania House, District 164 |
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Margo L. Davidson | 20,448 | 79.04 | ||
| Republican | Inderjit Singh Bains | 5,423 | 20.96 | ||
| Margin of victory | 15,025 | 58.14 |  1.06 |
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| Turnout | 25,871 | 100 | |||
