A chance encounter with an old high school teacher is what would eventually land Abby Major a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

While attending the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science about 10 years ago, Major ran into state Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-60th, at Sheetz, where he offered her a job as his secretary. The district includes parts of Butler, Armstrong and Indiana counties.

She would go on to work as his chief of staff, which she said gave her the experience that motivated her to run for the office upon Pyle's retirement this year.“I kind of just fell into politics, it was never my goal,” Major, 36, said. “I'm certainly not a career politician. I'm just a normal person.”A Republican, Major won a special election for Pyle's seat in May against Democrat candidate Frank Prazenica and Libertarian candidate Andrew Hreha. She will be sworn in as a state representative Monday.Pyle announced in March that he would be stepping down from his seat for health reasons, having suffered a stroke in 2020, according to his website. Pyle was elected as the representative for the 60th District in November 2004.With a term lasting through 2022, Major said she wanted to see the seat filled by someone who would best represent the district.“I just really wanted to make sure when Jeff retired that whoever replaced him has the best interest in the district in mind,” Major said. “For the most part I just want to make sure that I go out there and make the vote the district wants me to make.”Major has never held public office. Rather than set a list of goals she wants to achieve while serving in office, Major said she will stick to some guidelines, including advocating for the Second Amendment and voting against tax increases, and plans to work with people in the district.“A lot of people go out there with big ideas and don't get any of them done,” she said. “I just want to make sure we are well represented in the state.”Major is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and was deployed in Iraq from December 2005 to December 2006, working as an intelligence analyst for the 704th support battalion. She also volunteered in her base's morgue during that time, she said.She said her work overseas prepared her to work long days.“When you do something like that, nothing else seems like as much,” Major said.Originally from Armstrong County, she attendedFord City High School and still lives in Ford City, raising her teenage daughter as a single mom.She said she has been working to set up offices in Ford City, Sarver and Harrisburg, since she won the election May 18.Major said she views the job as being a conduit between constituents and legislation. Having learned from Pyle what it takes to serve over more than eight years, she said she feels ready to do it.“This job is about helping people, and I think I'm good at it,” Major said. “I want them to know they can come to me if they want to talk about a specific piece of legislation.”

Abby Major