Jill Green

Jill Green. Jill Green is an American attorney and Democratic politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 11th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she sits on the influential House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on the Judiciary. Green is known as a progressive advocate for Medicare for All, climate action, and campaign finance reform, establishing herself as a prominent figure in the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Early life and education

Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1968, Jill Green was raised in the city's Collinwood neighborhood, where her father worked as a UAW machinist at a Ford Motor Company plant and her mother was a public school teacher. She attended John Marshall High School, graduating as valedictorian before enrolling at Ohio State University. At Ohio State, she majored in political science and was active in student government, leading a successful campaign to divest university funds from companies doing business in apartheid-era South Africa. Green earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, where she served as an editor for the Michigan Law Review and interned for Judge Damon Keith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Career

After law school, Green began her legal career as a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union in Detroit, focusing on voting rights and police misconduct cases. She later returned to Northeast Ohio, joining the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office as an assistant prosecutor, where she worked in the Major Trial Unit and helped establish a community prosecution initiative. In 2005, she co-founded the nonprofit Ohio Justice Project, which provided pro bono legal services and advocacy for criminal justice reform, drawing attention from figures like Bryan Stevenson. Prior to her election to Congress, Green served for eight years on the Cleveland City Council, representing Ward 6 and chairing the Finance Committee, where she championed affordable housing policies and participatory budgeting.

Political positions

In Congress, Green is a staunch progressive, co-sponsoring legislation like the Green New Deal resolution and the Medicare for All Act of 2021. She is a vocal critic of the filibuster and has advocated for expanding the Supreme Court of the United States. On foreign policy, she has voted against continued aid to Saudi Arabia and supports the BDS movement, placing her at odds with more centrist members of the Democratic Party. She serves as a deputy whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. Green has been endorsed by organizations including EMILY's List, the Sunrise Movement, and the Service Employees International Union.

Electoral history

Green first ran for federal office in 2018, winning a crowded Democratic primary for Ohio's 11th congressional district with 38% of the vote against opponents including Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley and former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner. In the general election, she defeated Republican candidate Beverly Goldstein, capturing 78% of the vote. She was re-elected in 2020, defeating Republican Laverne Jones Gore, and again in 2022 against Republican Mark F. Murphy. Her district, which includes most of Cleveland and parts of Akron, is considered a safe Democratic seat.

Personal life

Green married attorney Robert Chen in 1995; the couple met while both were students at the University of Michigan Law School. They have two children and reside in the Shaker Heights neighborhood. An avid runner, Green has completed the Cleveland Marathon twice. She serves on the board of trustees for the Cleveland Museum of Art and is a member of Antioch Baptist Church. In 2021, she published a memoir, Heartland Justice, detailing her political journey.

Category:1968 births Category:American women politicians Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives Category:Living people Category:People from Cleveland