Ismail Smith-Wade-El

Ismail "Izzy" Smith-Wade-El (born 1989 or 1990)^[1] is an American politician serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 49th district. Elected in November 2022, he assumed office on December 1, 2022.

Ismail Smith-Wade-El
Smith-Wade-El in 2021
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 49th district
Incumbent
Assumed office December 1, 2022
Preceded by	Bud Cook
Personal details
Born	1989 or 1990 (age 34–35) Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Parent	Rita Smith-Wade-El
Education	Carnegie Mellon University (BA)

Early life and education

Smith-Wade-El was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Dr. Rita Smith-Wade-El (1948-2018), a professor of psychology and African-American studies at Millersville University.^[2][3] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre and anthropology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014.^[1]

Career

Smith-Wade-El served as a member of the Lancaster City Council from 2017 until his resignation in 2022 following his election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He also worked as a program specialist at the Lancaster County Homeless Coalition.^[3] Smith-Wade-El was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in November 2022, becoming the first black and first LGBTQ representative for the 49th district.^[4][5]

Personal life

Smith-Wade-El is Catholic^[3] and identifies as queer.^[1]