Jacky Rosen facts for kids

"Senator Rosen" redirects here. For other uses, see Senator Rosen (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Jacky Rosen
Official portrait, 2022

United States Senator from Nevada
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019 Serving with Catherine Cortez Masto
Preceded by	Dean Heller
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 3rd district
In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Joe Heck
Succeeded by	Susie Lee

Personal details
Born	Jacklyn Sheryl Spektor (1957-08-02) August 2, 1957 (age 67) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Lloyd Dean Neher (divorced) Larry Rosen (m. 1993)
Children	1
Education	University of Minnesota (BA) Clark County Community College (AAS)
Signature

Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen (born August 2, 1957) is an American politician. She is currently a U.S. Senator for Nevada. She has served in this role since 2019.

Before becoming a senator, she was a U.S. Representative for Nevada's 3rd district. She held that position from 2017 to 2019. Rosen is a member of the Democratic Party.

In 2018, Rosen won her election to the Senate. She defeated the Republican senator at the time, Dean Heller. She was the only candidate that year to beat a Republican senator. She was reelected in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Jacky Rosen was born on August 2, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother, Carol, was a homemaker. Her father, Leonard Spektor, owned a car dealership. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Rosen's family has different backgrounds. Her mother's family came from Ireland, Germany, and Austria. Her father's family were Jewish immigrants from Russia and Austria.

She went to the University of Minnesota. In 1979, she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. After college, she moved to Las Vegas to join her parents.

Rosen worked for Summa Corporation. She also worked as a waitress at Caesars Palace during the summers. She later attended Clark County Community College. In 1985, she earned a degree in computing and information technology. From 1990 to 1993, she worked for Southwest Gas.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Jacky Rosen during the 115th Congress as a U.S. Representative

Jacky Rosen was a computer programmer before she entered politics. In 2016, she was asked to run for the U.S. House seat in Nevada's 3rd district. This seat was open because Joe Heck was leaving.

She announced her candidacy on January 26, 2016. Rosen won the Democratic primary election with 60% of the votes. She then narrowly defeated Republican Danny Tarkanian in the main election. She officially started her job on January 3, 2017.

House Committee Roles

While in the House, Rosen served on important committees. These committees help make decisions on different topics.

Committee on Armed Services: This committee deals with military and defense matters.
- Subcommittee on Military Personnel
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: This committee focuses on science, space, and new technologies.
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Subcommittee on Research and Technology

House Group Memberships

Rosen was also part of several groups in Congress called caucuses. These groups bring together members of Congress who share common interests.

Congressional Arts Caucus
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
Problem Solvers Caucus
Congressional Coalition on Adoption

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Jacky Rosen's U.S. Senate campaign logo

Senate Elections

2018 Election

Jacky Rosen was elected to the U.S. Senate on November 6, 2018. She defeated Republican Senator Dean Heller. This made her the junior senator from Nevada.

Her campaign began on July 5, 2017. She received support from former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden. During her campaign, Rosen talked about her support for the Affordable Care Act (often called Obamacare). She disagreed with Heller's vote to cancel it.

Rosen won the election with 50.4% of the votes. She won in the two largest counties in Nevada: Clark County (where Las Vegas is) and Washoe County (where Reno is). She won Clark County by a large number of votes.

She was one of only two new Democrats to win a Senate seat in 2018. She was also the first woman to move from the U.S. House to the Senate as a first-time House member.

2024 Election

Rosen successfully won a second term in 2024. She ran against Republican Sam Brown.

Time in the Senate

Rosen was in Washington D.C. during the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. She was in her office building and was safely moved to a secure place. She later said the event was "reprehensible" and called for the nation to "come together and denounce hate and violence."

Senate Committee Roles

As a U.S. Senator, Jacky Rosen serves on several important committees:

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: This committee handles topics like transportation, communication, and consumer protection.
- Subcommittee on Aviation and Space
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade and Consumer Protection
- Subcommittee on Security
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: This committee works on issues related to health, education, and jobs.
- Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
- Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: This committee deals with national security and how the government works.
- Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
- Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: This committee supports small businesses.
Special Committee on Aging: This committee focuses on issues affecting older Americans.

Political Views

Jacky Rosen is sometimes called a liberal Democrat and sometimes a moderate. This means her views are often aligned with the Democratic Party, but sometimes she works across the aisle.

Foreign Policy Views

In April 2019, Rosen and 33 other senators wrote a letter to President Trump. They asked him to continue helping countries in Central America. They believed that foreign aid helps improve conditions in those countries. This, in turn, could reduce migration to the U.S.

Gun Policy Views

Rosen supports a ban on certain types of weapons, often called assault weapons.

Health Care Views

Rosen supports the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). She believes it helps people get insurance. It also stops insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more based on age or existing health problems. She also supports allowing people to buy into Medicaid. This would give them another health insurance option.

In early 2019, during a government shutdown, Rosen signed a letter to the FDA. The letter expressed concern about how the shutdown affected public health. It also worried about the safety of food and medical products.

In February 2019, she signed a letter to insulin makers. The letter questioned why insulin prices were so high. She said high prices stop patients from getting important medicine.

In August 2019, Rosen and other senators asked for data from the Trump administration. They wanted to understand what would happen if a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act succeeded. They worried it would hurt people's finances and state budgets.

Housing Views

In April 2019, Rosen signed a letter supporting a housing program. This program helps local community groups improve their areas. The senators hoped this program would continue to receive funding.

Immigration Views

Rosen supports "comprehensive immigration reform." This means she wants to update and improve immigration laws. However, she does not believe the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency should be ended.

Jobs and Economy Views

In 2018, Rosen voted to make individual tax cuts permanent. She was one of only three House Democrats to do so. She also supports a $15 hourly minimum wage.

Personal Life

Jacky Rosen lives in Henderson, Nevada. Her husband, Larry, is a radiologist. They have one daughter.

Before she became a politician, Rosen was the president of a Jewish synagogue in Henderson. She has said that the idea of tikkun olam (a Hebrew phrase meaning "repairing the world") helped her decide to enter politics.

Images for kids

Jacky Rosen's signature