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Valerie Jean Foushee ( ; née Paige; born May 7, 1956) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for
Foushee ran for the
119th Congress:
* House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
** Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
** Subcommittee on Aviation
* House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
** Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (
Congresswoman Valerie Foushee
official U.S. House website
Valerie Foushee for Congress
campaign website * , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Foushee, Valerie 1956 births 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American women politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians African-American members of the United States House of Representatives African-American state legislators in North Carolina Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Democratic Party North Carolina state senators Female members of the United States House of Representatives Living people Women state legislators in North Carolina 21st-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives
North Carolina's 4th congressional district
North Carolina's 4th Congressional District (NC-CD4) is located in the central region of the state. The district includes all of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County and Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County as well as northern Ch ...
since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...
for the 50th district in 2012 and was appointed to represent the 23rd senatorial district in 2013. She is the first African American and the first woman to represent the district in Congress.
Early life and education
Foushee was born inChapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, Orange and Durham County, North Carolina, Durham counties, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 United States census, making Chapel Hill the List of municipa ...
. She graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1974. She later attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in political science and African-American studies in 2008.
Early career
In 1987, Foushee began working as an administrative officer for the Chapel Hill Police Department, a position she held until 2008. While raising her children, she became involved in their education and joined the School Governance Council. In 1997, she was elected to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, serving until 2004, including a term as chair from 2001 to 2003. She was subsequently elected to the Orange County Board of Commissioners in 2004 and served until 2012, chairing the board from 2008 to 2010.State legislature
Foushee was elected to theNorth Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...
in 2012. Local Democrats selected her to fill a vacancy in the North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...
caused by the resignation of Eleanor Kinnaird in 2013. During the legislative session beginning in 2015, Foushee was one of 12 African Americans serving in the North Carolina Senate.
Committees
During the 2021–22 session, Foushee served on the following Standing and Select Committees: *Appropriations on Education/Higher Education *Appropriations/Base Budget *Commerce and Insurance *Education/Higher Education *Finance *Select Committee on Nominations *State and Local GovernmentU.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2022
Foushee ran for the U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
for North Carolina's 4th congressional district
North Carolina's 4th Congressional District (NC-CD4) is located in the central region of the state. The district includes all of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County and Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County as well as northern Ch ...
in 2022. She won the primary against progressive Nida Allam. On November 8, she defeated Republican nominee Courtney Geels with 67% of the vote to her 33%.
2024
On November 5. 2024, Foushee won reelection to Congress with 74.9% of the vote, defeating Republican Eric Blankenburg, who received 23.61%, and Libertarian Guy Meillur, who earned 1.49%.Committee assignments
119th Congress:
* House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
** Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
** Subcommittee on Aviation
* House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
** Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (ranking member
In United States politics, a ranking member is the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party. On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the Chair, serve as ''ex officio'' members ...
)
** Subcommittee on Energy
Caucus memberships
*Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is made up of Black members of the United States Congress. Representative Yvette Clarke from New York, the current chairperson, succeeded Steven Horsford from Nevada in 2025. Although most members belong ...
* Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
* Congressional Equality Caucus
* Congressional Progressive Caucus
* New Democrat Coalition
Political positions
Healthcare
Foushee supports a Medicare for all plan for healthcare. During her time as a state senator, she sponsored legislation to expandMedicaid
Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...
coverage.
Foreign affairs
Foushee voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. In March 2024, she flew to Israel as part of a trip organized by AIPAC to meet withBenjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
. Additionally, AIPAC supported her campaigns for congress. In December, she signed a letter with other congress members urging President Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and re ...
to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza to prevent further loss of life and address the humanitarian crisis
A humanitarian crisis (or sometimes humanitarian disaster) is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well-being of a community or large group of people. It may be an internal or exter ...
.
Redistricting reform
In 2023, Foushee co-sponsored the Redistricting Transparency and Accountability Act alongside Representatives Deborah Ross and Wiley Nickel. This legislation aims to increase transparency in the redistricting process to address partisan gerrymandering.Personal life
Valerie is married to Stan Foushee. They have two sons.Electoral history
2024
2022
2020
2018
2016
2014
2012
See also
* List of African-American United States representatives * Women in the United States House of RepresentativesReferences
External links
Congresswoman Valerie Foushee
official U.S. House website
Valerie Foushee for Congress
campaign website * , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Foushee, Valerie 1956 births 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American women politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians African-American members of the United States House of Representatives African-American state legislators in North Carolina Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Democratic Party North Carolina state senators Female members of the United States House of Representatives Living people Women state legislators in North Carolina 21st-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives