In 2004, Jen was paralyzed in a random drive-by shooting, changing the trajectory of her life. Before the shooting, Jen was a successful businesswoman and family provider. After the shooting, she struggled to stay afloat, losing her health insurance while lying in a hospital bed in a coma and confronting poverty head-on. But in the face of such adversity, Jen triumphed.
Upon her recovery, Jen became a force for good in our community. Jen worked to raise awareness and improve the lives of people with disabilities and increase opportunities and access for other marginalized groups. She also focused significant energy on gun violence prevention, spearheading grassroots efforts and advancing policy change at the local, state, and national levels. Since first elected as state representative for Arizona LD24 in 2018, Jen has worked tirelessly to build a stronger, healthier community and improve the lives of all people in our community. Jen became the first Democrat appointed to chair an Ad Hoc committee in more than 60 years in her first term. Upon her 2020 reelection, Jen’s peers elected her to serve as Assistant Leader. In 2021, more bills introduced by Democrats were passed than in the prior six years combined.