The opportunity to make history lies in the hands of Pennsylvania voters this November, as the nation stands on the brink of electing the first female president, the first Asian American president, and the first woman of color president.

But the top of the ticket is not the only place where voters can make a lasting impact. Across the state, hundreds of women are running to make history in their local communities.

Currently, women hold just 32% of the seats in the General Assembly, ranking 26th out of the 50 states for female representation. This number, which is wildly out of step with both the national and state gender ratio, is a disappointing figure for a state with a legacy of challenging and redefining historic norms.

» READ MORE: Pennsylvania does a bad job of electing women. Why? | Opinion

Pennsylvania boasts a remarkable slate of women currently seeking their first term, however.

Consider Anna Payne, the 37-year-old Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania’s 137th House District. Payne was born with cystic fibrosis and was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer three years ago. Payne uses her experience to advocate for the disability community, and juggles campaigning alongside her work with the Pennsylvania Rare Disease Council and the Bucks County Cystic Fibrosis Alliance.

Or Megan Kocher, a 25-year-old candidate who has lived her entire life in the 119th House District, and is running to be the first woman elected to represent the district.

Or Anna Thomas, a 28-year-old who grew up in the Lehigh Valley in a family of Indian and Malaysian immigrants. Thomas recently received her master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, and instead of taking her degree to a major city, returned to her home community to run for office in the hope of making the district a better place for families like hers.

Or Eleanor Breslin, who made history as the first woman to lead Tinicum Township, and now hopes to bring her experience as a trial lawyer to the 143rd House District.

Or Angela Girol, who has worked in Pennsylvania public schools for over 20 years, and wants to prioritize schools in the 39th House District after serving as a member of the school board.

Or Hadley Haas, who, after both her sons were born hard of hearing, used her own experience fighting for her children in the 44th House District to advocate for other families with less access and support from the medical system.

These candidates embody the potential and promise of Pennsylvania.

Let’s pair the historic significance of Kamala Harris’ candidacy with historic elections across the state. When you head to the ballot box in a few months, remember that you have the power to shape the future of Pennsylvania and advance gender equity down ballot.

Electing women and increasing the number of female legislators has been shown to have profound positive impacts on communities, legislatures, political parties, and citizens’ lives, and helps democracy deliver. Further research indicates that the gender of a legislator has an important impact on their policy priorities. As more women are elected to office, there is an increase in policymaking that emphasizes quality of life and reflects the priorities of families, women, and people of color.

» READ MORE: Joanna McClinton on the importance of inclusive representation in Pa. government | Opinion

Leadership is not solely defined by the top of the ticket, and breaking the glass ceiling requires more than electing a female president. The voters in Pennsylvania have a momentous opportunity to drive the country forward this electoral season.

Caroline Welles is the executive director of the First Ask, an organization dedicated to supporting first-time, female candidates for state legislatures across the country.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Donald Trump is “obsessed” with spewing hatred after the Republican nominee for president criticized Shapiro as “the highly overrated Jewish Governor of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

Shapiro spoke Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention and said Trump “wants to take away our rights and our freedoms.”

Trump’s missive on social media also said Shapiro had “refused to acknowledge that I am the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had” and that “Shapiro has done nothing for Israel.”

Asked about Trump’s statement by a reporter Thursday morning, Shapiro said “it’s clear over the last few years, Donald Trump is obsessed with me and obsessed with continuing to spew hate and division in our politics. He’s someone who has routinely peddled antisemitic tropes like this.”

Shapiro has years of experience making Trump the focus of his rhetorical attacks, first as state attorney general and now as governor.

The White House issued a statement, saying “it is antisemitic, dangerous, and hurtful to attack a fellow American by calling out their Jewish faith in a derogatory way, or perpetuating the centuries-old smear of ‘dual loyalty.’”

The 2024 Pennsylvania high school football season is upon us, and it is time to take a look at some of highest rated recruits in the state. In this series, we will focus on the top recruits at a handful of positions for a specific graduating class.

We started by introducing you to the top senior recruits at nine different positions – quarterbacks, running backs, linebackers, edge rushers, wide receivers, defensive backs, tight ends offensive linemen and defensive linemen.

Then we moved to the top junior recruits, where we started with the quarterbacks, running backs, offensive linemen, defensive linemen and linebackers. Now we look at the top junior defensive back recruits in Pennsylvania for the 2024 season.

Of the 21 ranked players for the class of 2026 on 247Sports in Pennsylvania for the 2026 class, there are two defensive backs listed – safety Matt Sieg of Fort Cherry and safety Kyshawn Robinson of Westinghouse. Both 4-star recruits are uncommitted.

All rankings are based off 247Sports.com.

1. Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry; 5-foot-11.5, 180 pounds (No. 3 overall in Pennsylvania 2026 class)
Uncommitted

Also the starting quarterback for the state runners-up last season, Sieg has drawn interest from colleges as a defensive back. He holds offers from Penn State, Michigan State, USC, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, among others.

2. Kyshawn Robinson, Westinghouse; 5-foot-9, 160 pounds (No. 7 overall)
Uncommitted

Another two-way player who helped lead his team to a state championship game a season ago, Robinson is considered a top recruit in the state at defensive back. He holds offers from Penn State, Ohio State, Florida, USC and Texas A&M, among others.

Stay tuned to SBLive Pennsylvania all season long for all of your high school football coverage. You can check out our Pennsylvania high school football scoreboards all season long.

— Ryan Isley  | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sblivepa