Katie Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katie Hill
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|---|---|
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| House Democratic Freshman Class Leadership Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – November 3, 2019 |
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| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Veronica Escobar |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 25th district |
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| In office January 3, 2019 – November 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Steve Knight |
| Succeeded by | Mike Garcia |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Katherine Lauren Hill
August 25, 1987 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 who used to be a politician. She also worked as a leader in social services. She is from Agua Dulce, California.
Katie Hill is a member of the Democratic Party. She served as a U.S. representative for California's 25th congressional district. She held this job from January to November 2019.
Before becoming a politician, Hill was the leader of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). This is a non-profit group that helps people without homes in California. She won her seat in Congress by beating the current Republican representative, Steve Knight, in the 2018 elections.
In October 2019, Katie Hill announced she would leave Congress. She resigned on November 3, 2019.
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Growing Up and School
Katie Hill was born in Abilene, Texas. She grew up in Saugus, a part of Santa Clarita, California. Her mom, Rachel, was a nurse. Her dad, Mike, was a police lieutenant.
Katie went to public schools in the Santa Clarita Valley. She finished Saugus High School in 2004. She then went to California State University, Northridge. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in English. She also earned a master's degree in Public Administration.
Helping People: Early Career
Katie Hill started her career helping people at People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). This group works to create affordable homes and services for people without homes in California.
Later, she became the Executive Director for PATH. She helped the group grow a lot. It became one of the biggest non-profit groups helping the homeless in California. Hill also helped pass something called Measure H in 2017. This plan provided $1.2 billion to help homeless services in Los Angeles County.
Serving in Congress
How She Was Elected
Winning in 2018
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On March 8, 2017, Katie Hill announced she wanted to run for the United States House of Representatives. She ran for California's 25th congressional district, which was her home district. She challenged Steve Knight, a Republican who had been in office since 2014.
In the 2018 primary election, Hill came in second place. This meant she could move on to the main election on November 6, 2018. In the general election, she beat Knight. She won with 54% of the votes, while Knight received 46%.
Her campaign was featured in a documentary series on the HBO show Vice News Tonight. The show called her campaign the "most millennial campaign ever." Former President Barack Obama supported Hill. He even attended a campaign event to help her.
What She Believed In
During her campaign, Katie Hill talked about her main goals. She wanted to improve healthcare for everyone. She also aimed to help the middle class by dealing with differences in income and making housing more affordable. Another important goal was to reduce the influence of large amounts of money in politics. She also supported a plan called "Medicare for All," which would provide healthcare for everyone.
Hill ran a "grassroots" campaign. This means she got support from many ordinary people, not just big companies. Her campaign did not accept money from corporate political groups. She raised over $1 million from many individual donors.
She also supported building some kind of physical barrier in certain areas along the southern border of the U.S.
Time in Office
Before the 116th Congress began, Hill was chosen for a leadership role. She and Joe Neguse from Colorado became the freshman class representatives for the Democratic Party.
Working on Committees
While in Congress, Katie Hill worked 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 (She was the 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
Being Part of Groups
She was also a member of several groups within Congress:
- Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus (She was a Co-Chair)
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
Resignation from Congress
In October 2019, Katie Hill faced public discussion about her personal life. She said that her estranged husband was trying to embarrass her. She also said that her political opponents were using private matters against her.
On October 23, 2019, Hill admitted to a past relationship with a campaign staffer. This relationship happened before she became a member of Congress. She stated that the U.S. Capitol Police began an investigation into who might have shared private photos.
On October 27, 2019, Katie Hill announced she would resign from Congress. She said it was the hardest thing she had to do, but it was best for her community and the country. The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said that Hill made "errors in judgment." These errors made it difficult for her to continue serving in Congress. Hill left her office on November 3, 2019.
After Congress
After leaving Congress, Katie Hill continued to be involved in public life. In the special election for her old congressional district in 2020, Hill supported Christy Smith. Smith was a State Assemblywoman.
In August 2020, Hill released a book called She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior for True Equality. In the book, she shared her experiences from her time in politics. She mentioned that Monica Lewinsky reached out to her. Lewinsky offered to talk about their similar experiences of being publicly criticized.
In June 2021, a judge ordered Hill to pay about $220,000 to the Daily Mail and other media companies. This was to cover their legal costs in a case where Hill had made accusations against them. Hill's lawyers said they planned to appeal this decision.
In September 2023, The Washington Post published an article written by Hill. In it, she talked about how private content can be used against people in politics. She used her own experience in Congress as an example.
Personal Life
In July 2010, Katie Hill married Kenny Heslep. They lived in Agua Dulce, California, on their farm. They often took care of rescue animals. Heslep filed for divorce in 2019, and their divorce was finalized in October 2020.
Hill also rented an apartment in Washington, D.C., with fellow representative Lauren Underwood.
In July 2019, Hill began a relationship with Alex Thomas, a reporter and writer. In October 2021, Hill announced that she and Thomas were expecting a child. She gave birth to her son in early January 2022. Hill and Thomas got married in March 2024.
See also
- List of LGBT members of the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
Images for kids
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Official portrait of Katie Hill
