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Jennifer Conlin

From Ballotpedia
Jennifer Conlin
Michigan House of Representatives District 48
Tenure
2023 - Present
Term ends
2027
Years in position
3
Predecessor:David Martin (R)
Compensation
Base salary
$71,685/year
Per diem
No per diem is paid.
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Education
High school
Greenhills School
Bachelor's
University of Michigan, 1983
Bachelor's
University of Michigan
Graduate
Northwestern University, 1984
Graduate
Northwestern University
Personal
Profession
State representative
Contact

Jennifer Conlin (Democratic Party) is a member of theMichigan House of Representatives, representingDistrict 48. She assumed office on January 1, 2023. Her current term ends on January 1, 2027.

Conlin (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to theMichigan House of Representatives to representDistrict 48. She won in the general election onNovember 5, 2024.

Conlin completed Ballotpedia'sCandidate Connection survey in 2024.Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jennifer Conlin was born in Washtenaw County, Michigan.[1] She graduated from Greenhills School.[2] Conlin earned a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan in 1983 and an M.A. from Northwestern University in 1984. Her career experience includes working as a freelance journalist, editor, and media consultant.[3]

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according toBillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Committee assignments

2025-2026

Conlin was assigned to the following committees:

2023-2024

Conlin was assigned to the following committees:


Elections

2024

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

IncumbentJennifer Conlin defeatedBrian Ignatowski andEric Borregard in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jennifer Conlin
Jennifer Conlin (D) Candidate Connection
 
51.5
 
31,153
Image of Brian Ignatowski
Brian Ignatowski (R)
 
47.1
 
28,471
Image of Eric Borregard
Eric Borregard (G)
 
1.4
 
863

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 60,487
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

IncumbentJennifer Conlin advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jennifer Conlin
Jennifer Conlin Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
11,329

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 11,329
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Brian Ignatowski defeatedTawn Beliger in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Brian Ignatowski
Brian Ignatowski
 
67.8
 
6,206
Image of Tawn Beliger
Tawn Beliger Candidate Connection
 
32.2
 
2,954

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 9,160
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Green convention

Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Eric Borregard advanced from the Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on June 15, 2024.

Candidate
✔
Image of Eric Borregard
Eric Borregard (G)

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Conlin received the following endorsements.

  • Michigan League of Conservation Voters

2022

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Jennifer Conlin defeatedJason Woolford andEric Borregard in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jennifer Conlin
Jennifer Conlin (D)
 
53.1
 
27,376
Image of Jason Woolford
Jason Woolford (R)
 
45.8
 
23,622
Image of Eric Borregard
Eric Borregard (G)
 
1.1
 
579

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 51,577
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Jennifer Conlin advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on August 2, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jennifer Conlin
Jennifer Conlin
 
100.0
 
11,854

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 11,854
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Jason Woolford defeatedJason Negri in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on August 2, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jason Woolford
Jason Woolford
 
53.4
 
6,541
Jason Negri
 
46.6
 
5,697

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 12,238
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Green convention

Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Eric Borregard advanced from the Green convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on April 23, 2022.

Candidate
✔
Image of Eric Borregard
Eric Borregard (G)

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Campaign finance


Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Jennifer Conlin completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Conlin's responses.

Expand all |Collapse all

My name is Jennifer Conlin and I am currently serving my first term as State Representative in Michigan’s House District 48.

As a wife, mother, daughter, and caregiver to my 90-year-old mother, I am committed to finding solutions to better the daily lives of Michiganders, particularly around education, health care, the environment, and transportation. Though I was raised in Ann Arbor, my family has long lived all over Washtenaw County going back seven generations. I also have a number of relatives who have served in city, county, and state government. I am honored to carry on their legacy and give back to my home state, where I attended college, and where I have lived for the past 14 years since moving back after living abroad as a journalist for two consecutive decades.

As State Representative, I have worked tirelessly on legislation that directly benefits my district and home state. This includes safeguarding reproductive rights, passing gun safety laws, working to protect the environment, and introducing two bills that would lower the cost of insulin in Michigan. I also believe in working across the aisle as someone representing a swing district on important nonpartisan infrastructure issues such as clean drinking water, affordable housing and increasing public transportation.
  • I know how to listen and respect viewpoints that are different from my own. To that end, I have worked on a bipartisan bill package as chair of the House Committee on Military, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. And as the only Democratic state representative in Livingston County, I work well with my Republican colleagues in the county from the township supervisors to the county commissioners.
  • I believe in working on legislation that truly betters the lives of my constituents. In my first 18 months in office I have:

    - Quintupled the Working Families Tax Credit to put money back in the pockets of our families- Restored workers' rights by repealing the "right to work" law and reinstating prevailing wage laws- Sponsored the Michigan Family Protection Act which gives legal protection to children born through surrogacy- Passed a bill to provide free breakfast and lunch for K-12 students- Increased funding for housing veterans- Expanded the Michigan National Guard Tuition Assistance Program

    - Got $5 million in funding for Freedom River, a full-service outdoor recreation center for veterans and their families
  • My priorities moving forward include:-Increasing funding for public transit-Finding solutions to PFAS contamination in our lakes and farms-Lowering the cost of prescription drugs-Supporting small businesses and farmers-Investing in affordable housing-Retaining and mentoring teachers-Investing in school safety and mental health initiatives
As a daughter taking care of an aging parent, a mother to young daughters of reproductive age, and a resident of Washtenaw County, I care deeply about elder care, reproductive rights, and taking care of our beautiful lakes and natural/recreation areas. I believe that we can make Michigan a place that caters to all of its citizens both young and old, and that we can continue to nurture the things that already make Michigan such a wonderful place to live.
I admire a number of women but, in particular, Eleanor Roosevelt for her work with the United Nations and her role in supporting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She set a new norm for what First Ladies can do in office and the affect they can have on the country and world in that position.
I saw the documentary "Pelosi in the House" about Nancy Pelosi and felt very inspired by her leadership and bipartisanship. Not only is she brilliant at pulling the caucus together, she can also effectively whip votes to accomplish something, even when she needed votes on the other side of the aisle. I also appreciate her lifetime of public service and her ability as a wife, daughter, mother, and now grandmother to succeed in both her public and private life.
Someone who is able to represent ALL constituents regardless of party affiliations. Someone who can respect both sides in order to get things done and who can work across party lines to pass legislation that is maximally beneficial to those they represent and to all Michiganders.
My integrity, my compassion, my strong work ethic, and my curiosity have served me well in this office. I care deeply about my constituents (including those who did not vote for me), and I strive always to find the best solutions to problems facing my district and my state.
To listen to the concerns of their constituents, to find innovative ways to address those concerns, and to work to ensure that those solutions have the greatest positive impact they can.
I remember John F. Kennedy getting shot and my parents being glued to the television in tears.
I worked at a summer camp as a counselor for two summers. It was a camp I had attended so it was particularly fun to be in charge of campers there in my late teens.
The governor and state legislature should be partners in negotiating budget priorities, as well as enacting desirable legislation.
Environmental issues, from water quality to climate change, will be a great challenge over the next decade. Michigan's executive and legislative branches have been working hard over the past several years to address some of our most serious concerns.
I came into politics from a journalism career with no previous experience in politics. My work as a journalist was very beneficial to stepping into the role of state representative because to be an effective journalist you need to be able to listen to multiple perspectives and to learn quickly when reporting on a new subject in which you have little background . Now that I have served as a state rep. for two years, I have had the opportunity to meet many of my constituents and to work with my fellow representatives, and have built a deep understanding of issues my district faces such as PFAS contamination, affordable housing shortages, and rising healthcare costs. My ability to absorb information from multiple stakeholders quickly has helped me to navigate this role and to work across party lines in order to ensure that we make progress for our priorities. I can now say that I am a seasoned state rep. with a track record of getting things done for Michigan and for District 48.
I think it is very important to build relationships with other legislators, including legislators across the political aisle. While we may disagree about the best way to move forward, one thing we have in common is the desire to serve our constituents and our state. If we can keep that common goal in mind, we can pass more legislation that benefits the most people in our great state.
I personally knew Gov. Bill Milliken as a child growing up in Michigan and always admired his moderate views, ability to work across the aisle, and his community engagement when it came to helping the youth in our state succeed.
I remember one woman suffering from breast cancer telling me that other women she knew with the same disease could not undergo treatment as it would mean they would miss too much work, lose their job, and then lose their health insurance. So they went without life saving treatment. She cried as she told me that story.
Having already been elected to a first term in the state legislature, one of the first bills I introduced (and that was later passed into law) allows National Guard members' spouses and dependents to use tuition assistance funds.
I have been endorsed by

- Michigan Nurses Association
- EMILY's List
- Michigan Democratic Party Veterans Caucus
- MEA
- IBEW
- AFSCME
- LiUNA
- Michigan League of Conservation Voters
- Planned Parenthood
- SEIU
- United Steelworkers
- UAW
- MPFFU (Firefighters)
- Climate Cabinet

-Country Road Association of Michigan
I am the chair of the House Military, Veterans and Homeland Security Committee. I believe that taking care of our veterans is one of the core priorities of holding office. I also sit on the Education, Agriculture, Transportation and Health Policy committees. I care deeply about all the issues we deal with on these committees.
Financial transparency and government accountability are crucial components of democratic governance. Elected officials should be required to disclose certain aspects of their finances, and policies should be enacted that prevent conflicts of interest and other ethically questionable practices within government and the electoral process.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Jennifer Conlin did not completeBallotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

Ballotpedia LogoNote: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.

Jennifer Conlin campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024Michigan House of Representatives District 48Won general$506,474 $0
2022Michigan House of Representatives District 48Won general$584,063 $0
Grand total$1,090,537 $0
Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Scorecards

See also:State legislative scorecards andState legislative scorecards in Michigan

Ascorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Michigan scorecards, email suggestions toeditor@ballotpedia.org.


2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].   

In 2024, theMichigan State Legislature was in session from January 10 to December 23.

Legislators are scored on labor issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.


2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].   

In 2023, theMichigan State Legislature was in session from January 11 to November 14.

Legislators are scored on labor issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.










See also


External links

Candidate

Michigan House of Representatives District 48

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    • Footnotes

    1. ↑Michigan House Democrats, "Meet Rep. Conlin," accessed May 3, 2023
    2. ↑Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 8, 2024
    3. ↑LinkedIn, "Jennifer Conlin," accessed May 3, 2023

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    David Martin (R)    		Michigan House of Representatives District 48
    2023-Present    		Succeeded by
    -


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