Katie Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Katie Hill
House Democratic Freshman Class Leadership Representatives
In office January 3, 2019 – November 3, 2019
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Veronica Escobar
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 25th district
In office January 3, 2019 – November 3, 2019
Preceded by	Steve Knight
Succeeded by	Mike Garcia
Personal details
Born	Katherine Lauren Hill (1987-08-25) August 25, 1987 (age 37) Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Kenny Heslep ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2019)​ Alex Thomas ​ (m. 2024)​
Children	1
Education	College of the Canyons California State University, Northridge (BA, MPA)

Katherine Lauren Hill (born August 25, 1987) is an American former politician. She also works as a social services administrator. Katie Hill is the CEO of Union Station Homeless Services. She is also a member of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

As a member of the Democratic Party, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives. She represented California's 25th congressional district from January to November 2019. Before this, Hill was the executive director of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). This is a non-profit group that helps end homelessness in California.

She won her seat by defeating the Republican politician Steve Knight. This happened in the 2018 midterm elections. On October 27, 2019, she announced her resignation from Congress. She stepped down from her role on November 3, 2019.

Early Life and Education

Katie Hill was born in Abilene, Texas. She grew up in the Saugus area of Santa Clarita, California. Her mother, Rachel, was a registered nurse. Her father, Michael Hill, was a police lieutenant.

Hill went to public schools in the Santa Clarita Valley. She graduated from Saugus High School in 2004. She then attended California State University, Northridge. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in English. She also earned a Master of Public Administration degree.

Helping People in Her Career

Hill started her career helping people at People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). This group creates affordable housing and support for people experiencing homelessness in California. She later became the Executive Director for PATH.

Under her leadership, PATH grew into one of the largest groups helping homeless people in California. Hill also helped pass a special vote called Measure H in 2017. This measure provided $1.2 billion to help homeless services in Los Angeles County.

Serving in the U.S. House

Running for Office

2018 Election

Hill speaking at the California Democratic Party State Convention (2019).

On March 8, 2017, Katie Hill announced she would run for the United States House of Representatives. She aimed to represent California's 25th congressional district. This was her home district. She challenged the Republican politician Steve Knight. He had held the office since 2014.

In the 2018 primary election, Hill came in second place. This allowed her to move on to the general election on November 6, 2018. In that election, she defeated Knight. She won with 54% of the votes compared to his 46%.

Her campaign was featured in a series on the HBO show Vice News Tonight. The series called her campaign the "most millennial campaign ever" for Congress. Before the election, former President Barack Obama supported Hill. He also attended a campaign event in Southern California.

Her Political Ideas

During her campaign, Hill said her main goals were to improve healthcare. She also wanted to rebuild the middle class. This included policies to address differences in income and make housing more affordable. She also aimed to reduce the influence of large amounts of money in politics.

Hill supported a plan called Medicare for All. This plan would provide healthcare for everyone. She ran a campaign that did not accept money from large company groups. In early 2018, she raised over $400,000. Her total raised was over $1 million from many individual supporters.

Hill supported changes to immigration laws. She also wanted more funding and security at the southern border. ..... She also supported some type of physical barrier in certain border areas.

Hill also shared her views on gun ownership. She noted that many people in her district own guns. This is because many law enforcement officers and veterans live there. Also, a quarter of the district is rural, where gun ownership is common.

Her Time in Congress

Before the 116th Congress began, Hill was chosen for an important role. She and Colorado Representative Joe Neguse became the freshman class representatives. They represented the new members of the Democratic Caucus.

Committee Work

While in Congress, Katie Hill served on several important committees:

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
  • Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
• Committee on Oversight and Reform (Vice Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy
  • United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Environment
• Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Group Memberships

She was also a member of several groups in Congress:

• Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus (Co-Chair)
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• New Democrat Coalition

Resignation from Congress

In October 2019, a conservative blog published claims about Katie Hill's personal life. Hill denied some of these claims. She said her estranged husband was trying to embarrass her. She also stated that her political opponents were using private matters against her.

On October 23, 2019, Hill sent an email to her constituents. In it, she admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a campaign staffer. This relationship happened before she became a member of Congress. The House Ethics Committee announced it would investigate. This was to see if any rules were broken while she was in Congress.

On October 27, 2019, Hill announced she would resign from Congress. She shared this news on Twitter. She said, "This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents and our country." Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Hill made "errors in judgment." These errors made it difficult for her to continue serving.

In her final speech to Congress on October 31, 2019, Hill spoke about unfair treatment. She mentioned a "double standard" and a "misogynistic culture." She felt these factors led to her decision to step down.

After Congress

On December 7, 2019, Katie Hill wrote an article for The New York Times. In it, she described the events that led to her resignation. She also shared that she felt very distressed during that time.

In the special election in 2020, Hill supported State Assemblywoman Christy Smith. Smith ultimately lost the election. Hill's political action committee, HER Time, contributed $200,000 to Smith's campaign.

Hill released a book called She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior for True Equality in August 2020. In her book, she shares her experiences from her time in politics. After her resignation, Monica Lewinsky reached out to her. Lewinsky offered to talk about their similar experiences with public scrutiny.

In December 2020, Hill filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband and some media outlets. A judge ruled in favor of one media outlet in April 2021. The judge found that the published photos were protected as a "matter of public issue or public interest." Hill's lawyers planned to appeal this decision. The judge also ordered Hill to pay about $220,000 in legal fees. In July 2022, Hill declared bankruptcy. This allowed her to avoid paying these fees.

On April 5, 2021, Hill wrote an opinion piece for Vanity Fair. In it, she called for Matt Gaetz to resign from Congress. This was after reports about his alleged behavior. Gaetz had supported Hill after her own personal challenges became public. Hill had called him an "unlikely friend" during their time in Congress.

Hill's HER Time PAC was active during the 2022 midterms. However, it was not active during the 2024 elections.

The Washington Post published an article by Hill in September 2023. In it, Hill discussed the rise of people creating personal content. She also talked about the lack of responsibility for those who use this content to harm others politically. She used her own experience in Congress as an example.

In November 2024, County Supervisor Hilda Solis appointed Hill to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. In December 2024, Hill became the CEO of Union Station Homeless Services. Hill stated she would not be involved in decisions about Union Station's funding. This is to avoid any conflict of interest.

Personal Life

Katie Hill shared that she is bisexual after high school. She was the first openly bisexual person from California elected to Congress.

Hill had a tattoo on her lower groin. She got it after a difficult experience as a teenager. The tattoo has since been covered.

In July 2010, Hill married Kenny Heslep. They had started dating after high school. They lived in Agua Dulce, California, on their farm. There, they cared for rescue animals. Heslep filed for divorce in 2019. Their divorce was finalized in October 2020. In December 2020, a judge granted Hill a restraining order against her ex-husband.

Hill also shared an apartment in Washington, D.C., with fellow Representative Lauren Underwood.

On January 19, 2020, her half-brother, Daniel Bennett, passed away at age 20.

Hill's book, She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior in the Battle for True Equality, was published in 2020. In it, she shares her experiences from her time in politics.

By July 2019, Hill was in a relationship with Alex Thomas, a reporter and writer. In October 2021, Hill announced they were expecting a child. She had COVID-19 during her pregnancy. She gave birth to her son in early January 2022, seven weeks early. Hill and Thomas married in March 2024.

See also

• List of LGBT members of the United States Congress
• Women in the United States House of Representatives