The daughter of working-class Guatemalan immigrants, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez is an accomplished legislator, social service director, community leader, and coalition builder who has dedicated her life and career to advocating for working families. She proudly represents IL’s 3rd Congressional District as the first Latina elected to Congress in Illinois and the entire Midwest. She currently serves on the Committee for Veterans Affairs and is the Vice-Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security.
In Congress, Rep. Ramirez is building on the bold and people-centered agenda she championed during her time in the IL General Assembly. As the only member of Congress in a mixed-status family, she is leading the fight for comprehensive immigration reform and finally making a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers like her husband, Boris. Having spent nearly two decades in the nonprofit sector, Rep. Ramirez understands the challenges working people face every day, which is why she is a staunch advocate of housing as a human right, healthcare for all, climate justice, and the fight to preserve and protect our democracy.
Rep. Ramirez’s commitment to her community and working families was shaped by her lived experiences as a lifelong resident of Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Both of her parents worked low-wage jobs to give their children a fighting chance to escape poverty. The Congresswoman witnessed firsthand how important social services were as she grew up watching neighbors come to her church for housing assistance, food, and services for the undocumented. These experiences ignited a fire, a passion, and a deep commitment to public service.
Rep. Ramirez spent the next 18 years as a non-profit leader fighting for housing justice as the Executive Director for the Center for Changing Lives, advocating for good government as the Campaign Manager at Common Cause IL, and championing racial and economic justice initiatives as the Deputy Director of Community Renewal Society. She also served as board chair for both the Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) and Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA), organizations leading the fight for affordable housing, immigration reform, and public education.
In 2018, Rep. Ramirez was recruited by community leaders to run for a vacant State Representative seat in the IL 4th House District. She was elected to the Illinois General Assembly, where she served two terms successfully passing legislation expanding Medicaid coverage to IL senior citizens regardless of immigration status, securing over $450 million to build affordable housing, protecting abortion rights, and creating an elected school board in the City of Chicago. She co-founded the Illinois House Progressive Caucus and rose to become an Assistant Majority Leader during her second term.
Delia is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University and lives in Chicago with her husband, Boris, and their golden retrievers, Lola and Milo.
