Deb Mell
Encyclopedia
Deborah L. "Deb" Mell is an American politician
from Chicago
. She is a Democrat
and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
representing the 40th district, elected in 2008 and taking office on January 14, 2009.
Richard Mell
. Her sister Patti
is married to former Governor
Rod Blagojevich
.
Mell attracted considerable media attention when she was arrested in 2004 while protesting her inability to get a same-sex marriage
license from the Cook County
clerk's office.
Mell was educated in Chicago, at St John Berchman’s Elementary School and St Scholastica High School. She then attended Cornell College
with a dual major in political science and history, before earning a culinary arts degree from California Culinary Academy
.
Mell returned to Chicago in 2000 and began working at Christy Webber Landscape, Chicago’s largest landscaping company owned by prominent lesbian Christy Webber.
prior to 2008. Bradley decided not to seek re-election in 2008 after Mell announced that she was running, choosing instead to challenge Sen. Iris Martinez
for a seat in the Illinois Senate
. Mell's campaign had the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
. She won 75% of the vote in the general election of November 4, 2008; her opponents, Republican Christine Nere-Foss and Green Party candidate Heather Benno, garnered 15% and 10% respectively.
On January 14, 2009, in one of her first votes in the Illinois House of Representatives, Mell cast the lone vote opposed to impeaching her brother-in-law, then-Governor Rod Blagojevich. This was the second time the House had voted to impeach Blagojevich, and the tally was 117–1.
In November 2008, Mell expressed interest in running in the special election to replace Rahm Emanuel
, who would be resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as President Obama's
White House Chief of Staff
. Several weeks later, she withdrew from the race.
lesbian
. Her partner is Christin Baker. She and Baker have announced their plans to marry in Iowa sometime in the fall of 2011. She is one of three openly LGBT
members of the Illinois General Assembly
, along with Reps. Greg Harris
and Kelly Cassidy
, both Democrats from Chicago.
Mell serves on Mayor Richard M. Daley
's Advisory Council for Human Relations and is active in Equality Illinois. She has received a National Organization for Women
award for her activism, as well as the Howard Brown Cornerstone Award for community excellence.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. She is a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
representing the 40th district, elected in 2008 and taking office on January 14, 2009.
Early life, education and career
Mell is the daughter of long-time AldermanChicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
Richard Mell
Richard Mell
Richard F. "Dick" Mell is an American politician and long-time member of the Chicago City Council. He is a Democrat. Mell is the chairman of the Rules Committee and has a history of feuding with former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley....
. Her sister Patti
Patricia Blagojevich
Patricia Mell "Patti" Blagojevich , née Mell, was the First Lady of Illinois from January 2003 to January 2009. Her husband is former Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and removed from office. She was a contestant on the NBC reality show I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here in...
is married to former Governor
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
.
Mell attracted considerable media attention when she was arrested in 2004 while protesting her inability to get a same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
license from the Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
clerk's office.
Mell was educated in Chicago, at St John Berchman’s Elementary School and St Scholastica High School. She then attended Cornell College
Cornell College
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally called the Iowa Conference Seminary, the school was founded in 1853 by Reverend Samuel M. Fellows...
with a dual major in political science and history, before earning a culinary arts degree from California Culinary Academy
California Culinary Academy
The California Culinary Academy is an affiliate of Le Cordon Bleu, and is located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1977, the academy has trained more than 15,000 people for restaurant careers through its 30-week baking and pastry chef program and 16-month culinary arts degree program...
.
Mell returned to Chicago in 2000 and began working at Christy Webber Landscape, Chicago’s largest landscaping company owned by prominent lesbian Christy Webber.
In politics
The 40th district, located on Chicago's northwest side, was represented by Rep. Rich BradleyRichard T. Bradley
Richard T. Bradley is a Democratic politician from Chicago who served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1997 to 2009.-Political career:...
prior to 2008. Bradley decided not to seek re-election in 2008 after Mell announced that she was running, choosing instead to challenge Sen. Iris Martinez
Iris Martinez
Iris Y. Martinez is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 20th district since 2003. She is also the Assistant Majority Leader in the State Senate.- Early life :...
for a seat in the Illinois Senate
Illinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
. Mell's campaign had the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
. She won 75% of the vote in the general election of November 4, 2008; her opponents, Republican Christine Nere-Foss and Green Party candidate Heather Benno, garnered 15% and 10% respectively.
On January 14, 2009, in one of her first votes in the Illinois House of Representatives, Mell cast the lone vote opposed to impeaching her brother-in-law, then-Governor Rod Blagojevich. This was the second time the House had voted to impeach Blagojevich, and the tally was 117–1.
In November 2008, Mell expressed interest in running in the special election to replace Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
, who would be resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as President Obama's
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
. Several weeks later, she withdrew from the race.
Personal
Mell is openlyComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. Her partner is Christin Baker. She and Baker have announced their plans to marry in Iowa sometime in the fall of 2011. She is one of three openly LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
members of the Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
, along with Reps. Greg Harris
Greg Harris (Illinois)
Gregory S. Harris is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, having represented the state's 13th district since 2007. He was elected in November 2006, having been selected by the 13th district's Democratic ward committeemen to replace Larry McKeon as the party's nominee on the...
and Kelly Cassidy
Kelly Cassidy
Kelly Cassidy is an American politician from Chicago. She is a Democrat and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives. She was selected to represent the 14th district, on Chicago's North Side, in April 2011 following incumbent Harry Osterman's election to the Chicago City Council...
, both Democrats from Chicago.
Mell serves on Mayor Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
's Advisory Council for Human Relations and is active in Equality Illinois. She has received a National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
award for her activism, as well as the Howard Brown Cornerstone Award for community excellence.
External links
- Representative Deborah Mell (D) 40th District official IL House website
- Rep. Deborah Mell at Illinois House Democrats