Jennifer Conlin

Jennifer Conlin

Democratic Party

Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

David Martin

Compensation

Base salary

$71,685/year

Per diem

No per diem is paid. Legislators receive an expense allowance of $10,800/year for session and interim.

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Greenhills School

Bachelor's

University of Michigan, 1983

Graduate

Northwestern University, 1984

Personal

Profession

State representative

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

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

Conlin (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 48. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Jennifer Conlin was born in Washtenaw County, Michigan. She graduated from Greenhills School. 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.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 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

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Conlin was assigned to the following committees:

• Education Committee
• Health Policy Committee
• Military, Veterans and Homeland Security Committee (decommissioned), Chair
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Elections

2024

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

Incumbent Jennifer Conlin defeated Brian Ignatowski and Eric Borregard in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on November 5, 2024.

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

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 60,487
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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

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

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Conlin	100.0	11,329

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,329
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

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

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Brian Ignatowski	67.8	6,206
		Tawn Beliger	32.2	2,954

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,160
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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 June 15, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Eric Borregard (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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.

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 defeated Jason Woolford and Eric Borregard in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 48 on November 8, 2022.

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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 51,577
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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
✔		Jennifer Conlin	100.0	11,854

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,854
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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

• Martin L. Cousineau (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 48

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

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Woolford	53.4	6,541
	Submit photo	Jason Negri	46.6	5,697

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,238
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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
✔		Eric Borregard (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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 themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jennifer Conlin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Conlin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

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.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• 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

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

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.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

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.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

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.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

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.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

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.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

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.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember John F. Kennedy getting shot and my parents being glued to the television in tears.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

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.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The governor and state legislature should be partners in negotiating budget priorities, as well as enacting desirable legislation.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

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.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

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.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

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.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

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.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

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.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

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.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

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

What committees interest you?

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.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

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 complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: 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 the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Jennifer Conlin campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Michigan House of Representatives District 48	Won general	$506,474	$0
2022	Michigan House of Representatives District 48	Won 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).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Michigan

A scorecard 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 to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2024

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

In 2024, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 10 to December 23. Michigan AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan Chamber Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Michigan Farm Bureau Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to agriculture. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. National Federation of Independent Business 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, the Michigan State Legislature was in session from January 11 to November 14. Michigan AFL-CIO Advocates Legislators are scored on labor issues. Michigan League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

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Michigan House of Representatives District 48

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Michigan House of Representatives District 48

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Footnotes

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

[show]

Current members of the Michigan House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Matt Hall

Minority Leader:Ranjeev Puri

Representatives

District 1

Tyrone Carter (D)

District 2

Tullio Liberati (D)

District 3

Alabas Farhat (D)

District 4

Karen Whitsett (D)

District 5

Regina Weiss (D)

District 6

Natalie Price (D)

District 7

Tonya Myers Phillips (D)

District 8

Helena Scott (D)

District 9

Joseph Tate (D)

District 10

Veronica Paiz (D)

District 11

Donavan McKinney (D)

District 12

Kimberly Edwards (D)

District 13

Mai Xiong (D)

District 14

Mike McFall (D)

District 15

Erin Byrnes (D)

District 16

Stephanie Young (D)

District 17

Laurie Pohutsky (D)

District 18

Jason Hoskins (D)

District 19

Samantha Steckloff (D)

District 20

Noah Arbit (D)

District 21

Kelly Breen (D)

District 22

Matt Koleszar (D)

District 23

Jason Morgan (D)

District 24

Ranjeev Puri (D)

District 25

Peter Herzberg (D)

District 26

Dylan Wegela (D)

District 27

Rylee Linting (R)

District 28

Jamie Thompson (R)

District 29

James DeSana (R)

District 30

William Bruck (R)

District 31

Reggie Miller (D)

District 32

Jimmie Wilson (D)

District 33

Morgan Foreman (D)

District 34

Nancy Jenkins-Arno (R)

District 35

Jennifer Wortz (R)

District 36

Steve Carra (R)

District 37

Brad Paquette (R)

District 38

Joey Andrews (D)

District 39

Pauline Wendzel (R)

District 40

Matt Longjohn (D)

District 41

Julie Rogers (D)

District 42

Matt Hall (R)

District 43

Rachelle Smit (R)

District 44

Steve Frisbie (R)

District 45

Sarah Lightner (R)

District 46

Kathy Schmaltz (R)

District 47

Carrie Rheingans (D)

District 48

Jennifer Conlin (D)

District 49

Ann Bollin (R)

District 50

Jason Woolford (R)

District 51

Matt Maddock (R)

District 52

Mike Harris (R)

District 53

Brenda Carter (D)

District 54

Donni Steele (R)

District 55

Mark Tisdel (R)

District 56

Sharon MacDonell (D)

District 57

Thomas Kuhn (R)

District 58

Ron Robinson (R)

District 59

Douglas Wozniak (R)

District 60

Joseph Aragona (R)

District 61

Denise Mentzer (D)

District 62

Alicia St. Germaine (R)

District 63

Jay DeBoyer (R)

District 64

Joseph Pavlov (R)

District 65

Jaime Greene (R)

District 66

Josh Schriver (R)

District 67

Phil Green (R)

District 68

David Martin (R)

District 69

Jasper Martus (D)

District 70

Cynthia Neeley (D)

District 71

Brian BeGole (R)

District 72

Mike Mueller (R)

District 73

Julie Brixie (D)

District 74

Kara Hope (D)

District 75

Penelope Tsernoglou (D)

District 76

Angela Witwer (D)

District 77

Emily Dievendorf (D)

District 78

Gina Johnsen (R)

District 79

Angela Rigas (R)

District 80

Phil Skaggs (D)

District 81

Stephen Wooden (D)

District 82

Kristian Grant (D)

District 83

John Fitzgerald (D)

District 84

Carol Glanville (D)

District 85

Bradley Slagh (R)

District 86

Nancy De Boer (R)

District 87

William Snyder (D)

District 88

Greg VanWoerkom (R)

District 89

Luke Meerman (R)

District 90

Bryan Posthumus (R)

District 91

Pat Outman (R)

District 92

Jerry Neyer (R)

District 93

Tim Kelly (R)

District 94

Amos O'Neal (D)

District 95

Bill Schuette (R)

District 96

Timothy Beson (R)

District 97

Matthew Bierlein (R)

District 98

Gregory Alexander (R)

District 99

Mike Hoadley (R)

District 100

Tom Kunse (R)

District 101

Joseph Fox (R)

District 102

Curt VanderWall (R)

District 103

Betsy Coffia (D)

District 104

John Roth (R)

District 105

Ken Borton (R)

District 106

Cameron Cavitt (R)

District 107

Parker Fairbairn (R)

District 108

David Prestin (R)

District 109

Karl Bohnak (R)

District 110

Gregory Markkanen (R)

Republican Party (58)

Democratic Party (52)