Lauren Underwood made history on Thursday when she became the youngest Black woman to serve in the House of Representatives.
The 32-year-old registered nurse from Naperville, Illinois, represents the state’s 14th Congressional District. In 2014, she began working in the Obama administration and went on to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to help Americans get the Affordable Care Act.
In October, Underwood told EBONY that health care was the No. 1 issue she heard on the campaign trail.
“Drug prices are too high, premium prices are too high. They’re really looking for leadership in Congress that’s going to work for middle-class families,” she said at the time.
Underwood, who defeated Republican Randy Hultgren in November, said Thursday that her taking office was “a moment in history,” per the Chicago Tribune.
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Teddy is a multimedia journalist who serves as the culture and political writer for EBONY. His work has appeared in NBC's Owned and Operated stations, as well as DNAInfo, which covered local neighborhood news in New York City. He received his Masters in Journalism from the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at CUNY in 2017.