Philadelphia State Rep. Mike O’Brien dies

Pennsylvania State Rep. Mike O’Brien has died from a fatal heart attack at the age of 64.

O’Brien’s daughter, Bridget O’Brien, confirmed the sad news with AP, sharing that her father died in early Monday morning inside his childhood home in Fishtown.

Bridget O’Brien shared that her father had several health issues. Over the summer, O’Brien announced that he would not seek another term as his chief of staff.

A representative of the 175th Legislative District, O’Brien also chaired the House Urban Affairs Committee and served on the House Appropriations Committee.

While the Democrats’s office works on an official announcement of his passing, some friends and co-workers have shared their thoughts on State Rep. Mike O’Brien’s political career and his death.

Friends and politicians remember State Rep. Mike O’Brien

“Rep. O’Brien was a strong voice for the citizens of Philadelphia during his 12 years in the House and a man of common sense and integrity,” Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, shared.

“Mike and I go back to the days when we were staffers, navigating bureaucracies and doing our best to help people in need,” Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke, D-5th District, said. “That experience makes some future politicians cynical – but not Mike. Mike never lost his impatience for progress and change, and in recent years, I have appreciated watching him fight with passion for Philadelphians on the Pennsylvania House floor. Rest easy, Mike – you really deserve it.”