Patrick Murphy is serving his third year as U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District. He was the first Iraq war veteran elected to Congress, after serving as a Captain in the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division from 2003 to 2004. Representative Murphy was awarded the Bronze Star for Service.

After returning from Iraq, Murphy practiced law prior to running for Congress in 2006. As a veteran, Murphy specializes in military issues and has opposed the troop surge in 2007 and sponsored legislation ending the war in Iraq.

Representative Murphy is also the Sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009, which would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and is Cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and has a strong record on women’s rights.