Janeese Lewis George facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janeese Lewis George
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| Member of the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 4 |
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| Assumed office January 2, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Brandon Todd |
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| Born | April 30, 1988 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | St. John's University (BA) Howard University (JD) |
Janeese Lewis George (born April 30, 1988) is an American lawyer and politician from Washington, D.C.. She is a member of the Council of the District of Columbia. This council helps run the city. Janeese represents a part of D.C. called Ward 4. She belongs to the Democratic Party.
In November 2020, she was elected to the Council. She was the first person who calls herself a "democratic socialist" to be on the Council since 1998. A democratic socialist believes that everyone should have a fair chance. They also think the government should help people with things like healthcare and education.
Early Life and School
Janeese Lewis George was born in Washington, D.C. Her father worked for the postal service. She went to the School Without Walls in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.
After high school, she went to St. John's University. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. This degree was in politics and government. Later, she studied law at Howard University School of Law. She worked as a waitress to help pay for her law school tuition.
Her Career Journey
After finishing law school, Janeese Lewis George worked as a prosecutor in Philadelphia. A prosecutor is a lawyer who works for the government. They try to prove that someone has broken the law.
In 2014, she came back to D.C. to help care for her father. She then worked for the Attorney General of the District of Columbia. The Attorney General is the main legal officer for the city. While working there, she was part of a union.
As a lawyer for young people in D.C., she used her own life experiences. She had seen friends affected by violence when she was growing up. This helped her understand and guide her colleagues. Before running for the Council, George also worked for the District of Columbia State Board of Education.
Running for Council in 2020
In 2019, Janeese Lewis George started her campaign. She wanted to become a member of the Council of the District of Columbia. During her campaign, some groups created ads against her. These ads claimed she would "defund the police." This means taking money away from the police.
However, many groups supported her. These included Black Lives Matter and the Working Families Party. The Democratic Socialists of America also endorsed her.
George was the first candidate to get the most matching funds. This was through the District's public financing program. This program helps candidates by matching small donations. It limits donations to $50 per person. By March 2020, she had almost 1,200 supporters.
On June 2, she won the primary election. She defeated the person who was already in office, Brandon Todd. She won by a good margin. Then, in November 2020, she was officially elected to the Council.
Personal Life
Janeese Lewis George is married to Kyle George. They met at a high school graduation party.
