Heather Mizeur
Encyclopedia
Heather R. Mizeur is an American politician
from Maryland
. A Democrat
, she is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates
, representing the state's 20th district in Montgomery County
.
councilwoman, Mizeur's district includes Takoma Park, Silver Spring
, Hillandale
, White Oak
and parts of Colesville
– see map. The entirety of the district is located within Montgomery County
.
Educated at Blue Mound
High School and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
, Mizeur won a Truman Scholarship
in 1994.
She then moved to Maryland to work in Washington, D.C.
, first in the office of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
(D-PA) then in those of U.S. Reps Sheila Jackson Lee
(D-TX) and Joseph P. Kennedy II
(D-MA). After five years as Director of State Affairs at the National Association of Community Health Centers, she became U.S. Sen. John Kerry's
(D-MA) Director of Domestic Policy from 2003 to 2006.
She was elected to the Takoma Park City Council in 2003 but resigned her seat in 2005 after relocating from the ward of her election, prior to her legislative run. She served as Maryland's State Director for the Kerry-Edwards campaign
in the 2004 presidential election
and, since 2005, has been a member of the Democratic National Committee
. As a DNC member, she was a superdelegate
to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
in Denver, Colorado
. After remaining uncommitted during the primary season, she endorsed Barack Obama
on 2008-06-03, the day of the final contests in the Democratic presidential nominating calendar. Her experience as a superdelegate was profiled in a front page story in the Washington Post.
A lesbian
, she lives with her partner Deborah Mizeur (née Veres), their two cats Tito and Ophie, as well as a dog named Chester. Her election campaigns have both won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
.
in District 20. In the Democratic primary on September 12, she was the top vote-getter in a seven-candidate field for three places, receiving 8,176 votes. In so doing, she defeated two incumbent delegates and won almost 1,800 votes more than she would have needed to defeat the fourth placed finisher. She then went on to the general election, where the three Democratic nominees faced only nominal Republican
opposition. All three were elected by a wide margin. This victory was in part due to a grassroots effort that was undertaken by the campaign and volunteer teams. Close to 15,000 households were reached by an aggressive canvassing effort that was spearheaded by volunteer activists Partick Metz, Christian Price, and Matt Wilhelm.
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 Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. 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...
, she is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
, representing the state's 20th district in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
.
Background
A former Takoma ParkTakoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
councilwoman, Mizeur's district includes Takoma Park, Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, Hillandale
Hillandale, Maryland
Hillandale is an unincorporated area located on the boundary between Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland.-Geography:As an unincorporated area, Hillandale's boundaries are not officially defined...
, White Oak
White Oak, Maryland
White Oak is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States.-Geography:As an unincorporated area, White Oak's boundaries are not officially defined...
and parts of Colesville
Colesville, Maryland
Colesville is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland in the USA.-Geography:As an unincorporated area, Colesville's boundaries are not officially defined. Also, many residents consider the town to be one of the many neighborhoods of Silver Spring, Maryland...
– see map. The entirety of the district is located within Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
.
Educated at Blue Mound
Blue Mound, Illinois
Blue Mound is a village in Macon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,129 at the 2000 census, and 1,017 at a 2009 estimate. It is included in the Decatur, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
High School and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, Mizeur won a Truman Scholarship
Truman Scholarship
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive federal scholarship granted to U.S. college juniors for demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to public service. The scholarship is in the amount of $30,000 toward a graduate education...
in 1994.
She then moved to Maryland to work in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, first in the office of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and a women's right activist. She is a former journalist and a former politician for the Democratic Party. From 1993 to 1995 she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing...
(D-PA) then in those of U.S. Reps Sheila Jackson Lee
Sheila Jackson Lee
Sheila Jackson Lee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. The district includes most of inner-city Houston. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life and education:...
(D-TX) and Joseph P. Kennedy II
Joseph Patrick Kennedy II
Joseph Patrick Kennedy II is an American businessman and Democratic politician.He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 8th congressional district of Massachusetts from 1987 to 1999. In 1979 he founded and led until election to the U.S...
(D-MA). After five years as Director of State Affairs at the National Association of Community Health Centers, she became U.S. Sen. John Kerry's
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
(D-MA) Director of Domestic Policy from 2003 to 2006.
She was elected to the Takoma Park City Council in 2003 but resigned her seat in 2005 after relocating from the ward of her election, prior to her legislative run. She served as Maryland's State Director for the Kerry-Edwards campaign
John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004
The Presidential Campaign of John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and the nominee of the Democratic Party challenged Republican incumbent President George W. Bush in the U.S. presidential election on November 2, 2004. Ultimately, Kerry conceded defeat in the race in a telephone call to Bush...
in the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
and, since 2005, has been a member of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
. As a DNC member, she was a superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. After remaining uncommitted during the primary season, she endorsed Barack Obama
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...
on 2008-06-03, the day of the final contests in the Democratic presidential nominating calendar. Her experience as a superdelegate was profiled in a front page story in the Washington Post.
A 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...
, she lives with her partner Deborah Mizeur (née Veres), their two cats Tito and Ophie, as well as a dog named Chester. Her election campaigns have both won the backing 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...
.
Election to the Legislature
In 2006, she ran for the Maryland House of DelegatesMaryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
in District 20. In the Democratic primary on September 12, she was the top vote-getter in a seven-candidate field for three places, receiving 8,176 votes. In so doing, she defeated two incumbent delegates and won almost 1,800 votes more than she would have needed to defeat the fourth placed finisher. She then went on to the general election, where the three Democratic nominees faced only nominal Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opposition. All three were elected by a wide margin. This victory was in part due to a grassroots effort that was undertaken by the campaign and volunteer teams. Close to 15,000 households were reached by an aggressive canvassing effort that was spearheaded by volunteer activists Partick Metz, Christian Price, and Matt Wilhelm.