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Chris Rabb

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chris Rabb
Rabb in December 2025
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 200th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byTonyelle Cook-Artis
Personal details
Born (1970-02-21) February 21, 1970 (age 56)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
Working Families
Democratic Socialists of America
Spouse
​
(divorced)​
Children2
RelativesMaurice Rabb Jr. (father)
Billy Murphy Jr. (uncle)
Laura W. Murphy (aunt)
Madeline Wheeler Murphy (grandmother)
John H. Murphy Sr. (great-great-grandfather)
EducationYale University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (MS)
WebsiteCampaign website

Christopher M. Rabb (born February 21, 1970) is an American politician representing the 200th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Rabb is the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district in the 2026 election.

Early life, family and education

[edit]
Rabb in the St. Ignatius College Prep yearbook, 1988

Rabb was born in Chicago, to an ophthalmologist and professor father, Maurice Rabb Jr., and a politically active mother, Madeline Murphy Rabb.[1][2] His maternal grandmother, Madeline Wheeler Murphy, was a Baltimore-based community activist, and his maternal grandfather, William H. Murphy Sr., was a judge in Baltimore.[3] Rabb's great-great-grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., was born into slavery and founded the Baltimore Afro-American in 1892.[1]

Shortly after beginning his undergraduate education at Yale University in 1988, Rabb was instrumental in the removal of an image of a shackled slave from the common room of Calhoun College (named after alumnus John C. Calhoun, since renamed after alumna Grace Hopper). In the process Rabb also learned he was a descendant of Philip Livingston.[4] Rabb received his bachelor's degree from Yale in 1992.[4] Rabb received a master's degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006.[5]

Career

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Rabb at the National Conference for Media Reform, June 7, 2008

In the early 1990s, Rabb worked as an aide to U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun.[1] He then worked for the Clinton administration in the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business.[1] Since moving to Philadelphia to obtain his master's at Penn, he has taught a business course at Temple University.[1] He published the non-fiction book Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity in 2010.[1]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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In 2016, Rabb defeated the incumbent state representative Tonyelle Cook-Artis, who was supported by the Pennsylvania Democratic establishment,[6] in a three-way Democratic primary 47% to 40%, and then defeated Republican challenger Latryse McDowell 94% to 5% in the November general election.[6][7] He won the 2018 primary over establishment-backed challenger Melissa Scott 52% to 48%,[8] and has since run unopposed in 2020 and 2024.[9]

Rabb has been a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 200th District, since 2017.[10] Rabb serves on a number of House Committees, including Agriculture & Rural Affairs,[11] Commerce,[12] and the Judiciary.[13][14] Rabb has put forward bills that would enable courts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to use restorative justice approaches to sentencing offenders,[13][15] and introduced and passed bills in the Pennsylvania House to repeal the use of the death penalty (House Bill 999).[14]

In 2017, Rabb helped to found the Pennsylvania Climate Caucus.[16][17] In 2024, Rabb introduced legislation to counter greenwashing, which is deceptive marketing that incorrectly suggests that a product is beneficial to the environment. According to the Center for Climate Integrity, the bill is the first of its type in the nation.[18][19][20]

On October 2, 2021, Rabb authored a memo to all members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives indicating that he will be introducing legislation to enforce reproductive responsibility among men. According to the memo, the proposal would "require all inseminators to undergo vasectomies within six weeks from having their third child or 40th birthday, whichever comes first." Rabb's satirical[21] memo was intended to draw attention to the double-standard of regulating women's bodies via legislation while the equivalent bill affecting men would seem absurd.[22][23] Rabb called the memo "parody legislation".[23]

In 2023, Rabb introduced bills to allow independent voters to vote in Pennsylvania primary elections (HB 979)[24] and to provide protections for cannabis consumers and businesses.[25]

2026 U.S. House of Representatives campaign

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Rabb at a campaign rally in 2026
2026 Democratic primary results
  Rabb
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Street
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Stanford
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  Tie
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%

In 2025, Rabb entered the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district to succeed Congressman Dwight Evans after he announced his retirement.[26] Rabb was endorsed by numerous progressive organizations and politicians, including the Justice Democrats,[27] Sunrise Movement,[28] Democratic Socialists of America (both the Philadelphia branch and the national organization),[29][30] Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,[31] and the Working Families Party.[27] He joined the Democratic Socialists of America in 2026, but stated in an interview with Jacobin that he has identified as a democratic socialist for longer.[29] American Priorities, a pro-Palestine super PAC created to counter the influence of the pro-Israel AIPAC, spent more than $400,000 in support of Rabb.[32] Rabb accused Ala Stanford, one of his opponents, of receiving support from AIPAC, which both Stanford and AIPAC denied.[33] His candidacy was described as an example of a "Mamdanified" campaign.[34]

In December, Rabb's campaign Instagram account reposted a video promoting a theory that the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting was perpetrated by "Zionists", which Rabb later disavowed and criticised, saying a former staffer was responsible for the repost.[35]

Rabb won the Democratic primary on May 19, 2026, defeating his opponents Sharif Street, Ala Stanford, and Shaun Griffith with 44% of the vote.[36] He is running against independent candidate Dennis Mahoney in the general election.[37]

In September 2026, Rabb attended a protest ahead of a speech by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly.[38]

Personal life

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Rabb has two sons and lives in East Mount Airy.[1] He is divorced from the scholar Imani Perry.[39][40][41] Rabb identifies as nonreligious and was endorsed by the American Humanist Association.[42][43]

Awards

[edit]

Published works

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  • Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity (2010) ISBN 9781605093079

Electoral history

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2016

[edit]


2016 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 200th district
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Rabb 10,299 47.23
Democratic Tonyelle Cook-Artis (incumbent) 8,866 40.66
Democratic Bobbie Curry 2,640 12.11
Total votes 21,805 100.0
General election
Democratic Christopher M. Rabb 34,012 94.56
Republican Kionna West 1,958 5.44
Total votes 35,970 100.00
Democratic hold

2018

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2018 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 200th district
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Rabb (incumbent) 7,954 52.3
Democratic Melissa Scott 7,249 47.7
Total votes 15,203 100.0
General election
Democratic Christopher M. Rabb (incumbent) 32,558 100.00
Total votes 32,558 100.00
Democratic hold

2020

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2020 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 200th district[44]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Rabb (incumbent) 21,579 99.77
Write-in 49 0.23
Total votes 21,628 100.0
General election
Democratic Christopher M. Rabb (incumbent) 36,437 100.00
Total votes 36,437 100.00
Democratic hold

2022

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2022 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 200th district[44]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Rabb (incumbent) 11,554 62.67
Democratic Isabella Fitzgerald 6,854 37.18
Write-in 27 0.15
Total votes 18,435 100.0
General election
Democratic Christopher M. Rabb (incumbent) 29,663 96.06
Republican Kionna West 1,216 3.94
Total votes 30,879 100.00
Democratic hold

2024

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2024 Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 200th district[44]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Rabb (incumbent) 15,138 99.6
Write-in 56 0.4
Total votes 15,194 100.0
General election
Democratic Christopher M. Rabb (incumbent) 35,743 99.6
Write-in 140 0.4
Total votes 35,883 100.0
Democratic hold

2026

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2026 Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district election[45]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Rabb 65,782 44.6
Democratic Sharif Street 43,137 29.3
Democratic Ala Stanford 35,452 24.0
Democratic Shaun Griffith 3,042 2.1
Total votes 147,413 100.0

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Baer, John (January 14, 2017). "Meet new Philly State Rep. Chris Rabb". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  2. ↑ "Biography". September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  3. ↑ "The Honorable William H. Murphy, Sr.'s Biography". The HistoryMakers.
  4. 1 2 Bass, Carole (March 19, 2014). "What's in a name? Looking for answers at Calhoun College". Yale Alumni Magazine.
  5. ↑ "Vote Smart". Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Otterbein, Holly (May 19, 2016). "The Incredible Political Insurgency of Chris Rabb". Philadelphia Magazine.
  7. ↑ "Pennsylvania Elections - Summary Results". electionreturns.pa.gov.
  8. ↑ Baer, John (October 2, 2017). "Rabb: Budget process 'boggles the mind'". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. B1. ProQuest 1945372538.
  9. ↑ "Pennsylvania Elections - Office Results". www.electionreturns.pa.gov.
  10. ↑ "House Session Days". Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  11. ↑ Caruso, Stephen (January 8, 2020). "While the state farm bill is a start, Pennsylvania's agriculture leaders see further reforms • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ Hall, Peter (May 21, 2024). "Measure to empower banks to fight financial exploitation of elders passes Pa. House panel • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  13. 1 2 Hall, Peter (April 30, 2024). "Restorative justice often leads to better outcomes for victims and offenders, experts say • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  14. 1 2 Sweitzer, Justin (October 31, 2023). "Death penalty repeal bill advances in PA House". City & State PA. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  15. ↑ Lengyel, Christina (May 3, 2024). "Restorative justice advocates ask for state-level reform". The Center Square. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "NCEL Recognizes State Legislators for their Dedication to Environmental Issues". National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. August 13, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  17. ↑ "HD 200 - Rep. Chris Rabb | Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania". Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. 2020.
  18. ↑ Stephens, Jenny (July 18, 2024). "Democratic Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabb to Introduce Landmark Legislation That Takes Aim at Greenwashing - Bucks County Beacon". Bucks County Beacon. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  19. ↑ Barton, Greg. "Proposal Would Ban "Greenwashing" In PA | WDAC". Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  20. ↑ Sanders, Emily. "How U.S. governments could crack down on greenwashing". www.exxonknews.org. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  21. ↑ Sadeghi, McKenzie (October 7, 2021). "Fact check: Pennsylvania bill proposing restrictions on male reproductive rights is satirical". USA Today. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  22. ↑ "House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  23. 1 2 "3 Child Limit Bill Proposed in PA; Would Mandate Vasectomies". MSN. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  24. ↑ Miller, Cassie (October 16, 2023). "Pennsylvania students call on lawmakers to end 'archaic' closed primaries". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. ProQuest 2877493431. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  25. ↑ Sweitzer, Justin (November 27, 2023). "The search to solve the cannabis conviction conundrum continues". City & State Pennsylvania. ProQuest 2915672935.
  26. ↑ Terruso, Julia (July 8, 2025). "State Rep. Chris Rabb, an anti-establishment progressive, is running for Dwight Evans' Congress seat". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  27. 1 2 Orso, Anna (March 19, 2026). "The progressive Working Families Party is backing State Rep. Chris Rabb for Congress". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  28. ↑ Orso, Anna (January 19, 2026). "Chris Rabb is trying to be the left's standard-bearer as he runs for Congress. Will progressives rally around him?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  29. 1 2 Olla, Akin. "Philly Wants to Send a Socialist to Congress". Jacobin. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  30. ↑ Walsh, Sean Collins (February 2, 2026). "Self-funding physicians, candidates trying to keep up, and a frontrunner: Inside the money race for a Philly congressional seat". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Progressives seek another big primary win in the nation's bluest House district". NBC News. May 19, 2026. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  32. ↑ Strauss, Joseph (May 19, 2026). "With AOC backing and anti-Israel message, Chris Rabb wins primary in Philadelphia". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  33. ↑ Cerino, Marco (April 6, 2026). "Third District congressional race intensifies amid PAC money disputes, endorsements and escalating political attacks". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  34. ↑ Platt, Larry (May 22, 2026). "The Mamdani-fication of Philadelphia". Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  35. ↑ Orso, Anna (May 1, 2026). "Chris Rabb disavows Instagram post suggesting Bondi Beach attack on Jews was false flag by 'Zionists'". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  36. ↑ Orso, Anna; Janesch, Sam (May 19, 2026). "State Rep. Chris Rabb wins Democratic primary for Philly congressional seat, a decisive win for the progressive left". Inquirer.com. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  37. ↑ Roth, Fallon (September 10, 2026). "Meet the humanitarian aid worker and independent candidate running against Chris Rabb in November". Inquirer.com. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  38. ↑ Speri, Alice; McMenamin, Lex (September 24, 2026). "Netanyahu's speech at UN spurs protests in New York City: 'Let Gaza live'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Demos Welcomes New Fellows Teresa Ghilarducci and Christopher Rabb". Demos. February 26, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Chris Rabb – Personal Democracy Forum". personaldemocracy.com. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  41. ↑ Perry, Imani (November 13, 2024). "Digging in the Crates". 52 Curate. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Humanist, Atheist, Agnostic and Nonreligious Elected Officials". Center for Freethought Equality. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  43. ↑ Center for Freethought Equality (May 20, 2026). "Humanists and Atheists Flex Political Muscle as Chris Rabb Will Be First Person to Enter Congress As Openly Nonreligious". Center for Freethought Equality. Archived from the original on June 26, 2026. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  44. 1 2 3 "State Rep Results County Results election". Philadelphia Results. September 9, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Pennsylvania Third Congressional District Primary 2026". The New York Times. May 19, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
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