Dawn Wetzel Keefer[2] (born October 6, 1972) is an American politician from Pennsylvania, currently representing the 92nd District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Dawn Keefer | |
---|---|
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 92nd district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2017[1] | |
Preceded by | Mike Regan |
Personal details | |
Born | Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | October 6, 1972
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Tom |
Children | 3 |
Residence(s) | Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Keefer was born on October 6, 1972, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Gettysburg Area High School in 1991.[2] In 1995, Keefer earned a BA degree in government and politics from George Mason University.[2]
Keefer has served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 92nd district, since 2017. She was initially elected in 2016 and won reelection in 2018, 2020, and 2022.[3][2][4][5]
Following the 2020 United States presidential election, Keefer supported efforts to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, advocating for an audit of the election.[6] She was one of 26 Pennsylvania House Republicans who signed a letter requesting the disqualification of Pennsylvania's electoral votes.[7] Keefer was also one of several lawmakers in contact with Congressman Scott Perry following the election; Perry was one of the chief architects of attempts to reverse the election results to favor then-President Donald Trump.[8]
Keefer is the inaugural chairwoman of the Pennsylvania State Freedom Caucus.[9] Under her leadership, the caucus called for Pennsylvania libraries to withdraw from the American Library Association after its president, Emily Drabinski, referred to herself as a "Marxist" in a social media post.[10] The caucus also sued the administration of Governor Josh Shapiro in 2024 after he implemented automatic voter registration in the state, claiming it to be executive overreach.[11]
On January 11, 2024, Keefer announced her candidacy for the Pennsylvania State Senate in the 31st district following the retirement of Mike Regan.[12]
Keefer is frequently described as a small government conservative due to her efforts to cut back and restrict government spending.[13][14] She was recognized by the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) for her high score on their Award for Conservative Excellence.[15]
Keefer's husband is Tom. They have three children and live in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.[16]