Samantha Rae Steckloff (born 1984) is an American politician serving as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 37th district. Elected in 2020, she assumed office on January 1, 2021.Michigan Committee Statement of Organization

Michigan Secretary of State The Michigan Department of State is administered by the Secretary of State, who is elected on a partisan ballot for a term of four years in gubernatorial elections. The Secretary of State is the third-highest official in the State of Michigan. A ...

, March 16, 2021. Prior to that, Steckloff served 8 years on the Farmington Hills City Council.

Early life and education

Steckloff was born around 1984 in Farmington Hills, Michigan to mother

Vicki Barnett Vicki Barnett (born July 8, 1954) is an American politician serving as the mayor of Farmington Hills, Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Barnett previously served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2009 ...

. Steckloff graduated from Farmington Public Schools. As a teenager, Steckloff got involved with community activism through the Farmington Hills After School program and as a charter member of the Mayor's Youth Council. In 2006, Steckloff earned a bachelor's degree in foreign policy from

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...

. During her time at Purdue University, Steckloff became the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns' youngest youth coordinator.

Career

Steckloff was first elected to the Farmington Hills City Council in 2013. During her time on the council, she successfully advocated for the creation of a city community health commission, the first of its kind in Michigan. On November 3, 2020, Steckloff was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, where she has represented the 37th district since January 1, 2021. She resigned from the city council to serve in the state legislature. In the Michigan House, Steckloff serves on the Appropriations Committee and is Vice-Chair of the Transportation Subcommittee. She also is a member of the Joint Capital Outlay and Licensing & Regulatory Affairs/Insurance & Financial Services Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.

Personal life

In 2015, Steckloff was diagnosed with

invasive ductal carcinoma Invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST) also known as invasive ductal carcinoma or ductal NOS and previously known as invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified (NOS) is a group of breast cancers that do not have the "specific different ...

, the most common form of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...

. Due to the diagnosis, Steckloff experienced bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts. Her experiences were featured in the 2016 Public Broadcasting Service documentary ''Death Is Not the Answer''. In September 2020, Steckloff married Brandon Sundheimer. Steckloff is

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steckloff, Samantha Living people 1980s births Jewish American state legislators in Michigan Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives People from Farmington Hills, Michigan Purdue University alumni Women city councillors in Michigan Women state legislators in Michigan 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American Jews