Lauren Underwood is a member of the U.S. House, representing Illinois' 14th Congressional District, elected in 2018. She won the election in 2018 by a 5 percent margin. Upon her swearing in, she became the youngest black woman to serve in Congress. She advanced from the Democratic primary on March 17, 2020 to the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.
A nurse by profession, Underwood graduated from the University of Michigan and received a Master of Science in Nursing degree from John Hopkins University. Prior to her election to Congress, Underwood worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a policy coordinator and then as a senior advisor. Lauren was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. During her time in the administration, Lauren helped communities across the country prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters, bioterror threats and public health emergencies.
