Lauren Underwood

Lauren Ashley Underwood (born October 4, 1986)[1] is an American politician and registered nurse who serves as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 14th congressional district as a member of the Democratic Party. Her district, which was once represented by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, includes the outer western suburbs of Chicago, including Crystal Lake, Geneva, Oswego, Woodstock, and Yorkville.

Lauren Underwood
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 14th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byRandy Hultgren
Personal details
Born
Lauren Ashley Underwood

(1986-10-04) October 4, 1986
Mayfield Heights, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BSN)
Johns Hopkins University (MSN, MPH)
WebsiteHouse website

After growing up in Naperville, Illinois, Underwood received a degree in nursing from the University of Michigan and two master's degrees from Johns Hopkins University. She started her career as a policy professional in the Obama administration in 2014 and later worked as a senior advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

In 2018, Underwood was elected to the United States House of Representatives, defeating Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren. Upon her swearing in, she became the youngest black woman to serve in Congress.[2] She was reelected in 2020.[3]

Early life

Lauren Underwood was born in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.[4] At age three, she moved with her family to Naperville, Illinois, where she grew up and attended Neuqua Valley High School, graduating in 2004. She began as a Girl Scout in kindergarten, and is a lifetime member.[5][6] From 2003 to 2004, she worked on the City of Naperville's Fair Housing Advisory Commission.[7] She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan in 2008. At Michigan, Underwood took a course on nursing politics that she has said "changed her life" and influenced her to enter healthcare policy.[7][8] Also at Michigan, she joined the National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.[9] She received her Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 2009.[7]

Career

In 2014, Underwood became a senior advisor at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she worked to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[10][11][12]

Beginning in 2017, Underwood was the Senior Director of Strategy and Regulatory Affairs at Next Level Health.[13] She also served as an adjunct instructor at the Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.[14]

U.S. House of Representatives
Underwood during election night 2018

Elections

In August 2017, Underwood announced her candidacy in the 2018 elections for the United States House of Representatives in Illinois's 14th congressional district.[15] Her platform focused on improving the Affordable Care Act, expanding job opportunities, infrastructure improvements, and paid family leave.[10] She won the March 20, 2018, Democratic primary with 57% of the vote against six opponents.[16]

In the general election, Underwood faced incumbent Republican Randy Hultgren. In a public debate, Underwood, who has a heart condition, said that she had decided to run for the seat because Hultgren voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Hultgren voted in favor of the Republican American Health Care Act, which passed the House in 2017 but not the Senate, and would have repealed and replaced the ACA.

Underwood said the repeal-and-replace bill would have taken away the right of "individuals like me with preexisting conditions to have affordable coverage" and that people like her would either be denied coverage or charged more. Hultgren said the bill would have protected such people because although it would have allowed states to charge people with pre-existing conditions more, they would be eligible for subsidies.[17]

Underwood said that health care is "a human right" and that single-payer/universal coverage/Medicare for all was "a great goal" but would have to wait until we have good answers to the questions about costs.[18] Hultgren ran TV ads stating that Underwood supports a single-payer plan.[19]

Former President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden endorsed Underwood. In the November 6 election[20] she defeated Hultgren with 52.5% of the vote.[21]

In the 2020 election, Underwood narrowly won reelection over state senator Jim Oberweis. The Associated Press called the election on November 12, nine days after the election.[3]

Tenure

According to VoteView, Underwood has the 16th-most liberal voting record in the House of Representatives in the 116th United States Congress.[22] According to FiveThirtyEight, she has voted in line with President Trump's position on 4.7% of bills.[23]

In her first term, Underwood wrote four bills that Trump signed into law.[24] These included the Lower Insulin Costs Now Act, which aims to make cheaper generic insulin more quickly available, on which she partnered with fellow Illinois Democrat Jan Schakowsky, Kentucky Republican Brett Guthrie, and Pennsylvania Republican Mike Kelly.[25] Another was the Veterans' Care Quality Transparency Act, which was co-sponsored by California Democrat Katie Porter.[26]

In 2019, Underwood was listed in Time 100. Her entry was written by U.S. Senator Cory Booker.[27]

On May 22, 2019, Underwood suggested that immigrant deaths in the custody of the United States Border Patrol were intentional.[28][29]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Electoral history
Illinois 14th Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2018[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lauren Underwood 29,391 57.35
Democratic Matthew Brolley 6,845 13.36
Democratic Jim Walz 5,100 9.95
Democratic Victor Swanson 3,597 7.02
Democratic John J. Hosta 2,578 5.03
Democratic George Weber 2,570 5.01
Democratic Daniel Roldan-Johnson 1,170 2.28
Total votes 51,251 100.0
Illinois 14th Congressional District General Election, 2018[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lauren Underwood 156,035 52.50
Republican Randy Hultgren (incumbent) 141,164 47.50
Total votes 297,199 100.0
Illinois 14th Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2020[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lauren Underwood (incumbent) 77,707 100.0
Total votes 77,707 100.0
Illinois 14th Congressional District General Election, 2020[35][36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lauren Underwood (incumbent) 203,209 50.67
Republican Jim Oberweis 197,835 49.33
Total votes 401,052 100.0

See also

References
  1. "Lauren Underwood: Candidate for Congress, 14th District". WTTW. October 9, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  2. O'Connell, Patrick M. "Democrat Lauren Underwood today becomes the youngest black woman ever in Congress as new class sworn in". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  3. Klar, Rebecca (November 12, 2020). "Underwood wins reelection in Illinois House race". TheHill. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  4. "Frequently Asked Questions". Lauren Underwood for Congress. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  5. "About". Representative Lauren Underwood. December 3, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  6. Edwards, Breanna. "Lauren Underwood Speaks On Effective Leadership". Essence. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  7. Sun-Times Editorial Board. "Lauren Underwood: Who she is, why she's running, her positions". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  8. "Lauren Underwood: Candidate Profile". Daily Herald. February 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  9. Davis, Rachaell (March 21, 2018). "Facts About Lauren Underwood - Essence". Essence. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  10. BySun-Times Editorial Board. "Lauren Underwood: Who she is, why she's running, her positions". Chicago.suntimes.com. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  11. "Lauren Underwood: Candidate Profile". Daily Herald. February 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  12. Mary L. Datcher, Chicago Defender Managing Editor (November 15, 2017). "Former Obama Health Sr. Advisor Lauren Underwood Runs for Congress". The Chicago Defender. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  13. "From Public Health Advisor to Congressional Candidate: An Interview with Lauren Underwood - Minority Nurse". July 24, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  14. "Naperville's Lauren Underwood to run for Rep. Randy Hultgren's 14th District seat - Naperville Sun". Chicagotribune.com. October 26, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  15. "Naperville's Lauren Underwood to run for Rep. Randy Hultgren's 14th District seat - Naperville Sun". Chicagotribune.com. October 26, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  16. Fuller, James (March 20, 2018). "Underwood coasts in Democratic primary for 14th Congressional District". Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  17. Fuller, Jim (October 23, 2018). "Hultgren, Underwood debate at last, spar over health care vote". Daily Herald.
  18. Fuller, James (April 2, 2018). "Underwood hopes winning primary formula carries over against Hultgren". Daily Herald.
  19. Skinner, Cal (October 6, 2018). "Hultgren Goes After Single Payer Health Plan Supported by Opponent Underwood". McHenry County Blog.
  20. "Lauren Underwood embraces progressive label in faceoff against U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  21. "Illinois's 14th House District Election Results: Lauren Underwood vs. Randy Hultgren". New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  22. "Voteview | Congress View". voteview.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  23. Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  24. "Lauren Underwood Wins Reelection In Illinois' 14th District, But Her Challenger Won't Concede". WBEZ Chicago. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  25. "Two Pieces of Underwood's Bipartisan Legislation Signed Into Law by President Trump". Representative Lauren Underwood. December 23, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  26. Underwood, Lauren (October 20, 2020). "H.R.2372 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Veterans' Care Quality Transparency Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  27. "TIME 100 Next 2019: Lauren Underwood". Time. 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  28. "Lawmaker suggests migrant deaths are intentional". CNN. May 22, 2019.
  29. Alvarez, Priscilla (May 22, 2019). "Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan defends shifting DHS resources to the border". CNN.
  30. "Congressional Black Caucus". cbc.house.gov. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  31. "Rep. Adams and Rep. Underwood Launch Black Maternal Health Caucus". Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  32. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  33. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  34. "Election Results 2020 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  35. "Election Results 2020 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  36. "Illinois 2020 Election Results". Chicago Sun-Times. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Randy Hultgren		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 14th congressional district
2019–present		 Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
David Trone		 United States Representatives by seniority
365th		 Succeeded by
Jeff Van Drew
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