Senator Jimmy Dillon

Jimmy Dillon, born on January 15, 1979, is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Senate of Pennsylvania. He was elected to represent the 5th senatorial district on May 17, 2022, in a special election to replace incumbent Democrat John Sabatina. Before his political career, he was a School District of Philadelphia grant compliance monitor.

Dillon was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Holy Ghost Prep and the University of Notre Dame, where he played basketball. After his graduation from Notre Dame, he played professional basketball in Europe. While his basketball career took him all over the world, northeast Philadelphia has always been his home. He brought the lessons learned during his playing career back to his hometown as a mentor and coach to countless student athletes.

In 2021, Democratic state senator John Sabatina was elected as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia and resigned his seat on December 31. On January 10, 2022, Democrats selected Dillon’s older brother Shawn as their nominee. Shawn later withdrew from the race after facing a legal challenge due to missing candidate filing paperwork and was replaced on the ballot by Dillon. A special election was held on May 17; Dillon won with 54% of the vote. He was sworn in on June 7.

Apart from his political career, Dillon is also the father of two daughters, Reese and Aubrey, and the director of the Hoops 24-7 Basketball Academy. He prides himself on being an unwavering voice for his community and a team player in every sense of the word. He understands the values of listening and consensus building to get things done. As State Senator for the 5th District, he plans to dedicate himself as a voice for students and educators, working people, and law enforcement.