Lauren Underwood, Nurse & Obama alum, is running for Congress in Illinois 14th District!

Families across the Illinois Fourteenth Congressional District deserve a representative who shares important values of family, community, duty, and citizenship.  A representative who is willing to respect all opinions, especially those counter to her own, and seek common ground to develop our shared path forward.  Our current Representative has ignored outreach from constituents across the district. He has abandoned his promises to preserve access to care and has instead voted in lockstep with the Trump agenda at each turn.  It’s time for new leadership in IL-14, it’s time for our community to be led by independent voices and engaged citizens.

I grew up in the 14th District – this is my home.  This is the community where I learned the importance of service and earned my first Girl Scout badge.  It's where I played in my first T-ball and basketball leagues, earned my first paycheck, and graduated from a world-class public high school.  As a teenager, I was appointed to serve on a local housing commission, where I had my introduction to public policy, and worked to preserve residents’ equal access to housing without discrimination based on age, gender, and many other protected classes.  This community gave me the tools and confidence to step into the world and make a difference, and I’m proud to be back home.

I began my career as a registered nurse and worked in clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, our country’s leading institution of scientific discovery, to improve health and save lives.  I continued in public service, later working to implement health care reform and improve health care quality for millions of Americans in the private insurance market and the Medicare program.  Expanding access to health care, including preventive services, has long been a critical priority for me, and I’m ready for this fight to protect our health care.  More recently, I worked to help communities across the country prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters, bioterror threats, and public health emergencies.  I’ve seen firsthand how resilient our communities are, but I also recognize that they need strong, reliable federal, state, and local partners to be able to reach their full potential.  

::A NEW DIRECTION FOR A STRONGER NATION::

SMART POLICIES TO SUPPORT JOB GROWTH - Northern Illinois continues to experience a sluggish labor market, and we need a voice in Washington that will fight to bring additional jobs and opportunities to our community.  This area was once an economic engine in the state, and I believe we’re missing an opportunity to leverage the science and technology expertise, innovative entrepreneurs, and hardworking residents within our community.  If I run for Congress, know that I will hustle to restore our labor market so that families and workers of all ages will have strong wages and thriving careers.   

ETHICS BEFORE POLITICS - Congress has taken to cobbling together legislation in secret, making backdoor deals, and voting along ideological lines for policies that harm families in every single corner of this district.  We need a government that will operate with integrity and transparency every day, developing smart policies that will put folks back to work and accelerate our local economic recovery.  If I run for Congress, be assured that I will have your back.

::ALWAYS REPRESENTING OUR DISTRICT RATHER THAN BEING A RUBBER STAMP FOR TRUMP::

I’m deeply concerned about the direction our country is headed in.  This Congress has not stood up to Trump and his failed policies. Instead, the IL-14 is represented by a Congressman who actively avoids meeting with residents and votes against policies that would strengthen our community.  I have no confidence in his leadership, and it is time for a change.  The residents of the IL-14 deserve a leader who has a servant’s heart.  A leader who knows how to get things done in Washington, who wants to govern, is prepared to serve, and is able to bring results that will benefit communities across northern Illinois.  It’s time to pursue a new direction, one that reflects our diverse, independent, bold voices.  I am running for Congress and hope to have your support to turn around our country and strengthen our nation for the generations to come.