Gwen Graham
Gwendolyn “Gwen” Graham is a public servant, attorney, and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives who has dedicated her career to education, public policy, and civic leadership. Most recently, she served from 2021 to 2025 in the Biden-Harris Administration as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education, where she advanced federal education policy and strengthened relationships with Congress.
Graham represented Florida’s 2nd congressional district—which included Tallahassee, Marianna, and Panama City—in the 114th Congress from 2015 to 2017. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, she co-sponsored and supported legislation to strengthen Florida’s agricultural sector and its extensive network of military bases. The Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School ranked her as the ninth most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives during her term. Following her service in Congress, she sought the 2018 Democratic nomination for governor of Florida on a platform focused on protecting the environment and improving public schools, narrowly losing to Andrew Gillum.
Earlier in her career, Graham practiced law and worked for the Leon County School District as director of employee relations and later as chief of labor and employee relations, reflecting her long-standing commitment to education and public service. She has also played active roles in national politics, working on her father Bob Graham’s 2004 presidential campaign, serving as Florida’s liaison for John Kerry’s 2004 campaign, and campaigning for Joe Biden in 2020.
Born in Miami, Florida, Graham is the eldest daughter of former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham and his wife, Adele. She graduated from Leon High School in Tallahassee, earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Juris Doctor from American University’s Washington College of Law. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1989.