Slotkin, Elissa, 1976-

SLOTKIN, Elissa, a Representative from Michigan; born in Holly, Oakland County, Mich., July 10, 1976; graduated from the Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 1994; A.B., Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., 1998; M.A., Columbia University, New York, N.Y., 2003; staff, nonprofit organization; consultant; analyst, Central Intelligence Agency, 2003-2005, 2006-2007; staff, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2005-2006; staff, National Security Council, 2007-2009; staff, United States Department of State, 2009-2011; staff, United States Department of Defense, 2011-2015; Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense, 2015-2017; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixteenth and to the succeeding Congress (January 3, 2019-present).

<p> Representative Elissa Slotkin is honored to serve the residents of Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, a district that includes Ingham, Livingston, and North Oakland Counties. </p>

<p> Rep. Slotkin has spent her career in national service. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which took place during her first week of graduate school in New York City, Rep. Slotkin knew that national service would define her career. She was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be a Middle East analyst and went on to devote her career to protecting the United States from national security threats. In her role at the CIA, Rep. Slotkin worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a militia expert. In between her tours in Iraq, Rep. Slotkin held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2011, Rep. Slotkin took a senior position at the Pentagon and, until January 2017, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this role, Rep. Slotkin oversaw policy on Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the Pentagon and participated in negotiations on some of the country’s most pressing national security issues. </p>

<p> It is this same mission-focus that Rep. Slotkin brings to issues affecting citizens of Michigan’s 8th congressional district. For Rep. Slotkin, this means ensuring that everyone has access to healthcare they can afford, lowering the price of prescription drugs, protecting access to clean water and Michigan’s Great Lakes, and returning decency and integrity to politics. Rep. Slotkin’s background in national security contributes to the urgency and passion she brings to increasing government integrity and accountability and passing campaign finance reform. To learn more about Rep. Slotkin’s legislative priorities, click here. </p>

<p> A third-generation Michigander, Rep. Slotkin spent her early life on her family farm in Holly, Michigan. The generations of Slotkins before her worked in the family business, Hygrade Foods, which was headquartered in Detroit and produced iconic foods loved by Michiganders, like the Ballpark Frank first sold at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium. The values that made the family business successful instilled in Rep. Slotkin an enduring commitment to integrity, decency, and hard work that guided her to a career of service. The Slotkin family business is well represented in Rep. Slotkin’s office, with hot dog figurines and artwork proudly displayed. Rep. Slotkin attended Cornell University (BA) and Columbia University in the City of New York (MA). </p>

<p>Elissa Blair Slotkin (born July 10, 1976) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 8th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst and Department of Defense official. Her district is based in Lansing, and stretches into the outer northern and western suburbs of Detroit.</p>

<p>Slotkin was born on July 10, 1976, in New York City, the daughter of Curt Slotkin and Judith (née Spitz) Slotkin. She is Jewish. Slotkin spent her early life on a farm in Holly, Michigan. She attended Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills. Her family farm was part of Hygrade Meat Company, founded by her grandfather, Hugo Slotkin. Hygrade is the original company behind Ball Park Franks, a brand now owned by Tyson Foods.</p>

<p>Slotkin received a BA in sociology from Cornell University (1998) and an MIA from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (2003).</p>