Lauren Underwood

Lauren Underwood
Born	Lauren Ashley Underwood 4 10, 1986
Birthplace	Mayfield Heights, Ohio, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Template:Hlist
Known for	Youngest Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress; co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
Education	University of Michigan (BSN) Johns Hopkins University (MSN, MPH)
Website	[Official website Official site]

Lauren Ashley Underwood (born October 4, 1986) is an American politician and registered nurse serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 14th congressional district, a seat she has held since January 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Underwood represents a sprawling district encompassing the outer western suburbs of Chicago, including DeKalb, Joliet, Oswego, Ottawa, and Yorkville — a district once represented by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. When Underwood was sworn in on January 3, 2019, she became the youngest Black woman to serve in the United States Congress, a milestone that drew national attention. Before entering politics, she built a career in public health policy, serving as a senior advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the Obama administration. In Congress, Underwood has focused on healthcare access, maternal health, and homeland security, and in 2022 she was elected co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, becoming the first Black woman to hold an elected Democratic leadership position since Shirley Chisholm in the 1970s.

Early Life

Lauren Ashley Underwood was born on October 4, 1986, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. She grew up in Naperville, Illinois, a suburb located west of Chicago. Underwood has spoken publicly about how her personal experience with a health condition during her youth shaped her interest in healthcare and public policy. Growing up in Naperville, she attended local schools and developed an early interest in science and public service.

Underwood's upbringing in Naperville placed her in what would later become the heart of Illinois's 14th congressional district, a predominantly suburban and exurban area that had long been considered a Republican stronghold. The district's political identity had been shaped in part by Dennis Hastert, who represented it for two decades before his retirement from Congress. Underwood's familiarity with the communities in the district — their demographics, economic concerns, and healthcare needs — would later inform both her decision to run for office and her policy priorities as a candidate and congresswoman.

Her interest in nursing and healthcare policy was not solely academic; Underwood has described how being diagnosed with a heart condition as a child gave her a firsthand understanding of the importance of health insurance coverage and access to quality medical care. This experience became a recurring theme in her public career, motivating her work in both the clinical and policy arenas.

Education

Underwood attended the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Her nursing education provided her with both clinical training and a foundation in public health that she would carry into her subsequent career in government.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Underwood pursued graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, one of the nation's leading institutions for public health and nursing education. At Johns Hopkins, she earned two master's degrees: a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and a Master of Public Health (MPH). The dual graduate degrees reflected her interest in bridging clinical nursing practice with broader public health policy — an approach that would define her professional trajectory in both the Obama administration and later in Congress. Her education at Johns Hopkins positioned her for work at the intersection of healthcare delivery and health policy at the federal level.

Career

Public Health and the Obama Administration

Underwood began her professional career in public health policy. In 2014, she joined the Obama administration, where she worked as a policy professional focused on healthcare issues. Her role expanded over time, and she eventually served as a senior advisor at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this capacity, Underwood was involved in the implementation and oversight of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), working to expand healthcare coverage and improve the quality of care across the country.

Her experience at HHS gave Underwood detailed knowledge of the federal healthcare system and the policy levers available to improve health outcomes. She has cited this period as formative in her understanding of how federal policy directly affects the lives of ordinary Americans, particularly those with pre-existing conditions or limited access to healthcare.

2018 Congressional Campaign

In August 2017, Underwood announced her candidacy for Illinois's 14th congressional district, challenging incumbent Republican Randy Hultgren. Her decision to run was motivated in part by Hultgren's vote in favor of the American Health Care Act of 2017, which sought to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Underwood framed healthcare as the central issue of her campaign, arguing that Hultgren's vote threatened the coverage and protections that residents of the 14th district relied upon.

The Democratic primary for the 14th district attracted several candidates, but Underwood emerged as the frontrunner. On March 20, 2018, she won the Democratic primary decisively, positioning herself as the party's nominee for the general election. Her primary victory was notable given the district's long history as a Republican stronghold; the 14th district had not elected a Democrat in decades.

During the general election campaign, Underwood and Hultgren debated key issues including healthcare, immigration, and fiscal policy. Healthcare remained the dominant topic, with Underwood criticizing Hultgren's support for legislation that she argued would weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions, while Hultgren defended his record and raised concerns about the cost implications of policies supported by Underwood. Underwood campaigned on her background as a registered nurse and former HHS advisor, presenting herself as someone with both professional expertise and personal experience on healthcare issues.

On November 6, 2018, Underwood defeated Hultgren in the general election, flipping the 14th district from Republican to Democratic control. The victory was part of a broader wave of Democratic gains in the 2018 midterm elections, but it was particularly significant given the district's Republican history. At 32 years old at the time of her election, Underwood became the youngest Black woman ever elected to the United States Congress.

First Term in Congress (2019–2021)

Underwood was sworn in as a member of the 116th United States Congress on January 3, 2019. As a freshman congresswoman, she focused heavily on healthcare legislation, consistent with the platform on which she had campaigned. She became a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

One of Underwood's signature legislative initiatives during her first term was her work on maternal health. She co-launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus alongside Representative Alma Adams, seeking to address the disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality among Black women in the United States. The caucus aimed to raise awareness of the issue and advance legislative solutions to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, particularly among women of color.

Underwood's background as a registered nurse and public health policy expert informed her committee work and legislative priorities. She advocated for strengthening the Affordable Care Act, expanding access to healthcare in rural and suburban communities, and increasing federal investment in public health infrastructure.

Reelection Campaigns

Underwood faced reelection in 2020 in what was again considered a competitive race in the 14th district. She successfully defended her seat, winning a second term. In 2022, she was reelected once more, and in 2024, she won her fourth consecutive term representing the district. Her ability to hold the seat across multiple election cycles in a district that had been a Republican stronghold for decades demonstrated her durability as a candidate and her connection to the constituents of the 14th district.

Democratic Leadership and Committee Work

In 2022, Underwood was elected co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, a leadership body within the House Democratic caucus. This made her the first Black woman to hold an elected Democratic leadership position in the House since Shirley Chisholm in the 1970s. The role placed Underwood in a position to shape the messaging and policy priorities of House Democrats.

As a member of Congress, Underwood has served on the House Appropriations Committee. In her capacity as a member of that committee, she has worked to secure federal funding for projects in her district. In 2025, she announced that she had secured approximately $10.95 million in community project funding for local initiatives in the 14th district, including projects related to childcare, career training, and community infrastructure.

Underwood also serves on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, where she has taken on the role of Ranking Member. In this capacity, she has engaged in oversight of immigration enforcement operations, including requesting briefings from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on operations affecting Illinois communities. In November 2025, she conducted an oversight visit to ICE's Broadview Processing Center and published a report on her findings.

In early 2026, Underwood sent investigative letters demanding a full accounting of "Operation Midway Blitz," an immigration enforcement operation, as part of her oversight responsibilities on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

Advocacy on Nursing and Healthcare Policy

Underwood has continued to draw on her background as a registered nurse in her legislative work. In 2026, she released a public statement opposing a proposed rule by the Department of Education that she described as threatening the nursing profession by limiting federal support for nursing education programs. Underwood called for public action against the proposed rule, framing it as a threat to the pipeline of trained nurses at a time of ongoing shortages in the healthcare workforce.

District Engagement

Underwood has maintained a visible presence in her district through constituent services and local office operations. In December 2025, she announced the opening of a new district office in DeKalb, Illinois, at 2179 Sycamore Road, expanding her local footprint to better serve constituents in the western portion of the 14th district.

She has also sponsored legislation to honor local community members, including a bill to rename the Plainfield Post Office in honor of Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. The legislation advanced out of committee in early 2026.

Personal Life

Lauren Underwood grew up in Naperville, Illinois, and has maintained strong ties to the communities in the 14th congressional district throughout her career. She is a registered nurse by training and has spoken publicly about how a heart condition diagnosed during her youth influenced her career path toward healthcare and public policy.

Underwood is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She has been recognized for her status as the youngest Black woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, a distinction she achieved when she was first sworn in at the age of 32 in January 2019.

Recognition

Underwood's election in 2018 drew significant national media coverage, both for the competitive nature of the race in a traditionally Republican district and for the historic nature of her victory as the youngest Black woman elected to Congress. Her campaign and subsequent service have been profiled by numerous media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Essence, and WTTW News.

Her election as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee in 2022 was noted as historically significant, as she became the first Black woman to hold an elected leadership position within the House Democratic caucus since Shirley Chisholm served in Democratic leadership in the 1970s.

Underwood's work on maternal health, particularly through the co-founding of the Black Maternal Health Caucus with Representative Alma Adams, has received attention from healthcare advocacy organizations and media outlets focused on health equity. Her dual identity as a registered nurse and a member of Congress has made her a prominent voice on healthcare issues on Capitol Hill, and she has been featured by Minority Nurse magazine and other publications that focus on diversity in the healthcare professions.

Her appearances and floor speeches in Congress have been documented by C-SPAN.

Legacy

Lauren Underwood's election in 2018 represented a significant shift in the political landscape of Illinois's 14th congressional district, which had been represented by Republicans for decades, including former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Her ability to win and retain the seat across four consecutive election cycles — 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 — transformed the district from a reliable Republican stronghold into a competitive seat.

As the youngest Black woman to serve in the U.S. Congress at the time of her first swearing-in, Underwood's election was part of a broader wave of historic firsts in the 2018 midterms that reshaped the demographic composition of Congress. Her subsequent elevation to Democratic leadership as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee further extended her influence within the party and underscored the generational and demographic changes occurring in American politics.

Underwood's co-founding of the Black Maternal Health Caucus brought increased legislative attention to maternal mortality disparities in the United States, an issue that had previously received limited focus in Congress. The caucus created a formal mechanism for bipartisan and cross-caucus engagement on the topic, helping to elevate it within the broader healthcare policy debate.

Her career trajectory — from registered nurse to HHS policy advisor to congresswoman — has been cited as an example of how healthcare professionals can translate clinical experience and policy expertise into effective legislative advocacy. Her continued focus on healthcare access, nursing workforce issues, and homeland security oversight reflects the intersection of her professional background and the needs of her constituents in the 14th district.