Dean, Madeleine, 1959-

Madeleine Dean Cunnane (born June 6, 1959) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served as the U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district since 2019.

Born in Glenside, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Abington High School before attending Montgomery County College, the University of Pennsylvania, and La Salle University, earning a B.A. at the latter; Dean would go on to earn a J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School. After law school, Dean returned to the Philadelphia area and practiced law with the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers, going on to serve as executive director. She then opened a small, three-woman law practice in Glenside, and served as in-house counsel for her husband's growing bicycle business.

While raising three young sons, Dean changed career paths and turned to teaching. She served 10 years as an assistant professor of English at her alma mater, La Salle University, in Philadelphia, where she taught writing and ethics. Having worked and volunteered in the political world for decades, and her children grown, Dean was asked to become a public servant herself, serving as Abington Township commissioner, and successfully running for state representative in 2012. In the State House, she prioritized social issues such as addiction, equal rights, access to healthcare, ethics, criminal justice reform, and gun violence. In 2015, Dean was appointed to the Governor's Commission for Women, a commission designed to advise the governor on policies and legislation that promote equality issues ranging from sexual assault to business initiatives. In 2017, she was elected chair of the Southeast Delegation of the Pennsylvania House Democrats, composed of 22 House Democrats representing nine counties. In November 2017, Dean announced her candidacy for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania.

In February 2018, after a significant change in Pennsylvania's congressional districts mandated by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Dean announced she would end her campaign for lieutenant governor and instead run for Congress in the 4th district. She was one of four Democratic women elected to Congress from Pennsylvania in 2018. In Congress, Dean remains focused on decency and the common good. That means working hard to address issues that affect Americans deeply — including stopping gun violence and guaranteeing health care for all. In Dean’s view, building a more compassionate society means making smart, humane policy choices. It also means working to ensure that government functions smoothly and delivers the services constituents need.