American politician
Alec Joseph Ryncavage[1] (born March 27, 2001) is an American businessman and politician. He is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 119th District since 2023.
Early life and career
Ryncavage was born on March 27, 2001,[2][3] in Pennsylvania,[4] to Danielle and David Ryncavage, Sr.[5] He was raised Catholic.[6] While still in junior high school, Ryncavage became a freelance web developer, creating his own anti-virus software at age 14.[7][8] He later founded his own cybersecurity company, CYBIOT.[9]
Ryncavage graduated from Wyoming Valley West High School in 2019.[10]
Political career
In 2019, Ryncavage ran for a seat on the Borough Council of Plymouth, Pennsylvania. His platform included fiscal conservatism and community revitalization.[11][12] He won, becoming at age 18 the youngest person ever elected to the council.[13]
In 2022, Ryncavage announced his intention to run for Pennsylvania State Representative from the 119th District, to replace retiring State Representative Gerald Mullery.[9] He won the Republican primary election,[14] and went on to defeat Democrat Vito Malacari in the general election.[15] He was the youngest person elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since Michael Cassidy in 1976.[16] At 22 years of age, Ryncavage is the youngest current member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.[17]
Political positions
Ryncavage defines himself as a "moderate Republican" who grew up in a Democratic family in a heavily Democratic hometown.[18]
Abortion
Ryncavage describes himself as "personally pro-life," but according to himself, has "never supported an outright ban on abortion." He supports exceptions to abortion bans for rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother.[6] He has indicated support for limiting abortions after 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy as opposed to Pennsylvania's current limit at 24 weeks.[19] Ryncavage opposes late-term abortions and taxpayer-funded abortions.[6]
Criminal justice and policing
Ryncavage opposes defunding the police.[20] When running for Plymouth Borough Council, he voiced support for stricter code enforcement.[18] During his time on council he advocated for the hiring of more police officers.[21]
In 2022, Ryncavage supported the passage of the Officer John Wilding Law,[22] which made it a felony should bodily harm come to a law enforcement officer as a result of a suspect fleeing arrest.[23]
Education
Ryncavage supports school choice and moving state funding to individual students rather than schools to allow for better student access to better, private schools. He has said, "I’m not advocating for defunding public schools. ... I just think there needs to be a little bit more competition. If you want the quality of education to increase, if you want the price per student cost to decrease, you need to introduce competition."[19]
Elections
Ryncavage supports voter ID and supports banning no-excuse mail-in ballots.[20] In order to lessen concerns about voter fraud, Ryncavage opposes the use of ballot drop boxes, but does not believe that there has ever been previous instances of mass voter fraud.[19]
He supports the implementation of open primary elections as a way to deter political extremism.[24]
Emergency powers and religious gatherings
In 2024, Ryncavage announced plans to propose legislation that would permit religious gatherings during an emergency declaration. The bill came as a response to prohibitions against large public gatherings, including religious services, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[25][26]
Environmental policy
Ryncavage opposes the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and is against banning natural gas.[20]
Ryncavage wants to see more cooperation between the state and federal government to clean up old mining sites. He also supports tax credits and incentives for private businesses to reclaim mine land.[19]
Gun rights
Ryncavage supports constitutional carry and is a member of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA).[20] He is concerned with red flag laws potentially violating due process.[19]
LGBTQ+
In 2023, Ryncavage and Representative Aaron Kaufer were the only two Republicans in the State House to vote for an LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination bill. He defended his vote saying the passage of the bill would deter the implementation of more "radical" measures by the state government.[27]
Marijuana
Ryncavage supports the legalization of marijuana under a "live and let live" philosophy that "empower[s] individuals to make choices about their own lives, as long as those choices do not harm others,” provided a sufficient regulatory system is implemented in conjunction. He would also support the use of marijuana-sourced tax revenue to fund state services.[28]
Taxation
Ryncavage supports the elimination of property taxes and supports expanding the homestead tax exemption;[20][19] he is willing to offset the loss in revenue by increasing sales tax.[19]
