Rep. Peter G. Schweyer's Biography
Representative Peter G. Schweyer is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives serving the people of the 134th Legislative District in Lehigh County. He was first elected to this office in 2014 after being twice elected to City Council in his hometown.
Born and raised in Allentown, Schweyer is a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School and the Pennsylvania State University, State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Schreyer’s Honors College. He went on to study elementary education at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia at the post-graduate level.
Prior to his election, Schweyer worked as director of community and government affairs for Sacred Heart Hospital in Center City Allentown, directing the hospital's community health and community development initiatives.
Immediately prior to his service with Sacred Heart Hospital, he served as chief of staff to former state Rep. Jennifer L. Mann for eight years. He had also served as legislative assistant for two other members of the PA General Assembly and had been a schoolteacher in the Philadelphia School District as a cohort member of the Teach Philadelphia program.
Schweyer’s legislative priorities include protecting and expanding access to health insurance, appropriately funding PA’s public schools and supporting policies to spur the creation of more family-sustaining jobs in the Lehigh Valley. He supports increasing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, continued criminal justice reform, investment in sustainable, alternative energy and initiatives to better serve our veterans.
As State Representative, Schweyer serves as Chairman of the Education Committee, and has served as a deputy whip in the House Democratic Caucus and as a past member of the House Appropriations Committee. In 2023, Speaker McClinton appointed Schweyer to the PHEAA Board of Directors where he serves as a member of the Committee on Needs Analysis and Aid Coordination.
Schweyer was also appointed by Speaker McClinton to serve on the Basic Education Funding Commission, which is a group of bipartisan lawmakers and officials who meet every five years to review and update the state's education funding formula for schools.
He also serves on several community organizations that strive to improve the quality of life in Allentown and surrounding communities. Most notably, Schweyer is a past board member and past chairperson of the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA).
He and his wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents of Sarah and Erin, who both attend Allentown public schools. They are homeowners in South Allentown. In his spare time, Schweyer enjoys baseball games and cheering for the Penn State Nittany Lions, as well as reading, poorly playing his guitar, boating and watching far too much Netflix and HBO.