Jahana Hayes | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2018 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromConnecticut's5th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth Esty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jahana Flemming (1973-03-08)March 8, 1973 (age 52) Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Milford Hayes |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Naugatuck Valley Community College (AA) Southern Connecticut State University (BA) University of Saint Joseph (MA) University of Bridgeport (SYC) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Hayes on student mental health following theCOVID-19 pandemic. Recorded September 29, 2022 | |
Jahana Hayes (néeFlemming: born March 8, 1973)[1] is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative forConnecticut's 5th congressional district since 2019. The district, once represented byU.S. SenatorChris Murphy, comprises much of the state's northwestern portion, includingNew Britain,Danbury, andWaterbury. A member of theDemocratic Party, Hayes became the first Black woman elected to represent Connecticut inCongress.[2][3] She was recognized as theNational Teacher of the Year in 2016.[4]
Hayes was born on March 8, 1973,[5] inWaterbury, Connecticut, and grew up inpublic housing projects in that city. Hayes became a teen mother prior to graduating from high school.[6] She earned an associate degree atNaugatuck Valley Community College and a bachelor's degree atSouthern Connecticut State University.[7] In 2012, Hayes earned a master's degree in curriculum and instruction at theUniversity of Saint Joseph.[8] In 2014, she earned her Sixth-Year Diploma from theUniversity of Bridgeport School of Education.[9]
Hayes's first job was at theSouthbury Training School in Connecticut.[10] She went on to teach government and history atJohn F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury. She also chaired the Kennedy SOAR Review Board, a "school within a school" that provided advanced instruction for gifted students, and was a co-adviser of HOPE, a student-service club at Kennedy.[9] In 2015, she was John F. Kennedy Teacher of the Year and then the Waterbury School District Educator of the Year.[9] In 2016 she was named National Teacher of the Year.[11]
After winning the award, Hayes toldThe Washington Post: "I really think that we need to change the narrative, change the dialogue about what teaching is as a profession. We've spent a lot of time in the last few years talking about the things that are not working. We really need to shift our attention to all the things that are working."[12] Appearing onEllen DeGeneres's talk show, Hayes said she "teaches kindness."[13] After receiving the award, she addressed the annual meeting of theNational Education Association.[14]
In 2018, Hayes ran for the Democratic nomination for Connecticut's 5th congressional district.[7]
Hayes won the primary on August 14, beating SimsburyFirst Selectman Mary Glassman, who was endorsed by theConnecticut Democratic Party, 62% to 38%.[15] In the November general election, she faced Republican Manny Santos, a former mayor ofMeriden.[13]
Hayes supports public education and teachers' unions, and has credited her "union brothers and sisters" with playing a role in her success.[10] In the 2018 election, she was endorsed by theConnecticut Education Association.[16] Her candidacy was also supported by theConnecticut Working Families Party (CTWFP).[13]
On November 6, Hayes declared victory, becoming the first black Democratic House member from Connecticut.[2][3][4] She andAyanna Pressley ofMassachusetts's 7th congressional district[17] were the first womenof color to be elected to Congress fromNew England.[6][18]
Hayes was reelected, defeating the Republican nominee, former federal prosecutor David X. Sullivan, with 55.1% of the vote.[19]
Hayes ran for reelection in2022 and faced the most competitive election of her career.[20] She narrowly defeated Republicanstate SenatorGeorge Logan in the general election.[21]
She was questioned during the campaign about the ethics of hiring two of her children to work and receive a salary as campaign staffers.[22][23]
In 2024, Hayes defeated Republican nomineeGeorge Logan in a rematch of the 2022 election.[24]
Hayes was sworn into office on January 3, 2019, as theU.S. representative forConnecticut's 5th congressional district.[25] During the116th Congress, she was appointed to theEducation and Labor andAgriculture committees.[25] In December 2019, she voted for thefirst impeachment of Donald Trump. A year later, she voted forTrump's second impeachment following theattack on the U.S. Capitol.[26]
After the2020 elections, Hayes was reported to be on the shortlist forSecretary of Education in the incomingBiden administration,[27] though the role eventually went to ConnecticutState Commissioner of EducationMiguel Cardona. At the start of her second term, Hayes circulated a letter to the Republican House leadership urging it not to place RepresentativeMarjorie Taylor Greene on the House Education Committee, citing Greene's claims that mass school shootings, including theSandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which occurred in Hayes's district, were false flag operations.[28]
In May 2023, during her third term, Hayes was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[29] The following month, during theUnited States House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearings on a proposed federal ban on transgender athletes, she criticized the bill, stating, "We are talking about a very small percentage ... So this hearing, this legislation, these conversations further put a target on the backs of these students who are already in the scariest times of their lives."[30]
For the119th Congress:[31]
Hayes'scaucus memberships include:[32]
Hayes is married to her husband, Milford, who is a police detective.[32] They live inWolcott, north of Waterbury, with their four children.[35]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jahana Hayes | 24,693 | 62.27% | |
| Democratic | Mary Glassman | 14,964 | 37.73% | |
| Total votes | 39,657 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jahana Hayes | 142,901 | 52.80% | |
| Working Families | Jahana Hayes | 8,324 | 3.08% | |
| Total | Jahana Hayes | 151,225 | 55.87% | |
| Republican | Manny Santos | 115,146 | 42.54% | |
| Independent Party | Manny Santos | 4,280 | 1.58% | |
| Total | Manny Santos | 119,426 | 44.12% | |
| Write-in | 13 | 0.01% | ||
| Total votes | 270,664 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jahana Hayes | 183,797 | 52.58% | |
| Working Families | Jahana Hayes | 8,687 | 2.49% | |
| Total | Jahana Hayes (incumbent) | 192,484 | 55.07% | |
| Republican | David X. Sullivan | 151,988 | 43.48% | |
| Independent Party | Bruce W. Walczak | 5,052 | 1.45% | |
| Total votes | 349,524 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jahana Hayes | 123,818 | 48.81% | |
| Working Families | Jahana Hayes | 4,020 | 1.58% | |
| Total | Jahana Hayes (incumbent) | 127,838 | 50.39% | |
| Republican | George Logan | 123,342 | 48.62% | |
| Independent Party | George Logan | 2,492 | 0.98% | |
| Total | George Logan | 125,834 | 49.61% | |
| Total votes | 253,672 | 100% | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jahana Hayes | 170,243 | 50.72% | ||
| Working Families | Jahana Hayes | 8,886 | 2.65% | ||
| Total | Jahana Hayes (incumbent) | 179,129 | 53.36% | ||
| Republican | George Logan | 156,470 | 46.61% | ||
| Write-in | 79 | 0.02% | |||
| Total votes | 335,678 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromConnecticut's 5th congressional district 2019–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 210th | Succeeded by |
| People | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
