A native of Fort Wayne, State Representative Phil GiaQuinta was born and raised in Indiana House District 80, which includes portions of south-central Fort Wayne.

GiaQuinta, who was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2006, was elected Indiana House Democratic Caucus Leader on Nov. 7, 2018, and is ranking House minority member of the General Assembly's Committee on Joint Rules.

Keeping the folks and district he represents in mind, GiaQuinta authored successful legislation that created the funding for the Allen County-Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board. The bill allowed for the board to use a portion of the revenue from county food and beverage taxes to fund new structures and renovate old ones, like the Electric Works project. This has resulted in roughly $150 million invested in local economic development projects in Allen County.  

To streamline the homebuying process for Hoosiers, GiaQuinta authored a law in 2008 that allowed for the sales disclosure to also be used as an application for the homestead tax credit, eliminating duplicate paperwork and multiple visits to the auditor’s office.

In 2015, GiaQuinta authored a law to protect Good Samaritans who break into hot cars to rescue children from being sued for damages.

Rep. GiaQuinta also co-sponsored a 2023 law to allow Fort Wayne to designate several outdoor districts as being exempt from Indiana’s outdoor container law. In 2024, he co-sponsored a law to create gourmet and specialty markets within Indiana code, thus allowing a Fort Wayne local business to offer carryout alcohol sales.  

GiaQuinta currently works as a customer account manager for Fort Wayne City Utilities. He earned his black belt in Six Sigma for reducing the average hold time for City Utilities customers. He started Fort Wayne’s successful 3-1-1 call center, a one-stop shop for city services.

GiaQuinta is currently a trustee of the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and serves on the IU Fort Wayne Advisory Board, the City of Fort Wayne Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District (SEED) Board, the Alliance Health Centers Board, the Independent Colleges of Indiana Board, the Northeast Indiana Strategic Development Commission Board and the Brightpoint Board. He also formerly served as an elected member to the Wayne Township Advisory Board.

He graduated from Leadership Fort Wayne, a program that instructs and encourages individuals to become active leaders within the community. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. GiaQuinta is the past recipient of a Legislator of the Year award from both the Indiana Trial Lawyers and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He also has received the Civility in Government Award by the Association of Retired Members of the Indiana General Assembly (2018) and was inducted into the Fort Wayne South Side Hall of Fame in 2019.

GiaQuinta is the son of former State Representative Ben GiaQuinta. He is the youngest of six children and proud uncle to 16 nieces and nephews.