Gwen Graham was born in Miami Lakes and raised in a family devoted to public service. A proud product of Florida’s school system and a mother of three, Gwen built her early career around education, serving as a PTA president and school advisory council chair before working for the Leon County school district, where she focused on supporting teachers and students.
Gwen represented Florida’s 2nd Congressional District, serving alongside David Jolly. They worked together to protect Florida’s coastline, co-sponsoring legislation with Senator Bill Nelson to oppose oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. While in Congress, Gwen focused on public education, veterans, and the environment, and built a bi-partisan reputation for getting things done for Floridians, from rallying the state’s congressional delegation behind restoring Apalachicola Bay to standing up for veterans and farmers through her service on the Armed Services and Agriculture Committees. She was proud to join Congressman John Lewis in his sit-in against gun violence and at the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama.
From 2021 to 2025, Gwen served as Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from American University. Gwen and her husband Steve live in Tallahassee.
