Ana Tiburcio, who won a special election last month to fill a vacant seat in the state House of Representatives, was sworn in Monday to represent District 22 in Allentown and Salisbury Township.
In the Feb. 24 special election, Tiburcio received 67% of the vote, or 1,474 votes, compared with 717 for her opponent, Republican Robert Smith Jr. The 22nd District covers Allentown’s East Side and Center City and a portion of Salisbury Township, and over 50% of voters in the district are Democrats. Only 6.9% of voters in the district cast a ballot in the special election.
Tiburcio replaces Josh Siegel, who resigned at the end of 2025 to become Lehigh County executive. Her term will expire in December 2026.
“It is an honor to serve the people of Lehigh County and Allentown, where I’ve lived for nearly three decades,” Tiburcio said in a written statement. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my work promoting education, youth empowerment, employment opportunities, and community revitalization in the 22nd Legislative District.”
Tiburcio’s swearing in makes her the eighth Hispanic member of the House, and the only one from the Lehigh Valley, according to the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus. She is the fourth Dominican American elected to the House, after state Reps. Danilo Burgos, Manuel Guzman and Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz.
“It is an honor to welcome Representative Tiburcio to the House and the Legislative Latino Caucus to serve as a powerful voice for Lehigh County,” said Cepeda-Freytiz, caucus chair and Democrat from Berks County, in a statement. “She brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to Harrisburg, and she will greatly improve the impact of our collective advocacy to fight for the Latino community and all Pennsylvanians.”
Prior to her election, Tiburcio was the owner of A&M Tax & Services, a former school board director of the Allentown School District, and served as a program coordinator for the Fine Feather Foundation, a nonprofit empowering youth through creativity, education, and mentorship. She is also involved with Allentown Works, the Allentown city beautification project Love Your Block, and Allentown Blueprint Communities.
The 22nd Legislative District is nearly 61% Hispanic, the second-highest percentage of any House district in Pennsylvania.
Tiburcio’s oath of office was administered by Judge Latasha C. Williams.
Prior to being elected, Tiburcio served as a member of the Allentown School Board and a program coordinator for the nonprofit Fine Feather Foundation, and owner of A&M Tax & Services.
Her district office is located at 1801 Union Blvd., Suite H, 2nd Floor, in Allentown and can be reached at 484-656-7744 or 717-705-6433.
Tiburcio’s swearing in comes as she faces a challenge to earn the Democratic nomination in the May primary election. The challenge questions the veracity of signatures on nominating petitions that she submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of State in support of her campaign for a two-year term beginning in 2027. Tiburcio has defended her candidacy, and a judge is scheduled to hear the challenge Wednesday in Harrisburg.
If her petitions are upheld, Tiburcio will face a primary challenge from Democrat and Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach. Smith, who Tiburcio defeated in the special election, is also running in the Republican primary for a two-year term. He has no primary opponent.
Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.