Jennifer Conlin

American politician

Jennifer Conlin

Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 48th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2023
Preceded by	David Martin (redistricting)

Personal details
Born	Washtenaw County, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Daniel Rivkin (m. 1990)
Children	3
Residence(s)	Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Education	University of Michigan (BA) Northwestern University (MA)
Signature

Jennifer Conlin is an American journalist and politician who is serving as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing the 48th district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, her district covers parts of Washtenaw, Livingston, and Jackson counties, including northern Ann Arbor as well as the townships of Genoa, Hamburg, and Northfield.^[1]

Early life and education

Conlin was born and raised in Washtenaw County, Michigan. She attended the University of Michigan where she earned a bachelor's degree in English, and earned her graduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University.^[2]

Career

Conlin held a career in journalism for over three decades, living abroad to write news articles and feature stories from around the world, primarily writing for The New York Times. She works alongside her husband, Daniel Rivkin, whom she met in college and is a fellow journalist. Since 2010, they settled in Ann Arbor to care for Conlin's parents and continued writing about stories throughout Michigan, including for Hour Detroit.^[2]^[3] Topics of her stories include small businesses, healthcare, culture, and economic development. She was one of the first reporters to cover the 2021 Oxford High School shooting.^[4]

Michigan House of Representatives

In the 2022 elections for the Michigan House of Representatives, redistricting created an open seat in part of the City of Ann Arbor, some suburbs, and parts of rural Livingston County. Conlin announced her candidacy for the swing district, facing general election opposition from Republican nominee Jason Woolford, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Howell.^[5] In one of the closest races in the chamber, Conlin defeated Woolford with 53.1% of the vote.^[6]

Conlin took office to the 102nd Michigan Legislature on January 1, 2023.^[7] She chairs the Military, Veterans, and Homeland Security committee, and is a member of the committees on Education, Health Policy, and Transportation.^[1]

Personal life

Conlin married Daniel Rivkin in 1990 after they met in college. They have three children and currently reside in Ann Arbor.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b "Meet Rep. Conlin". Michigan House Dems.
^ ^a ^b "Candidate Q&A: Jennifer Conlin, State Rep District 48". The Sun Times News. July 25, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "About Jennifer". Jennifer Conlin.
^ Alvord, Patricia (November 1, 2022). "Redistricting Commission creates 48th district, State House will see new legislator". Livingston Daily.
^ "This could be one of Michigan's closest state House races in 2022 election". MLive. October 1, 2022.
^ "2022 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022.
^ Matthews, Jessica (December 13, 2022). "New 48th District State Representative Jennifer Conlin Sworn In". WHMI-FM.