Jahana Hayes

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

§2Who they are

Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Jahana Hayes taught history for 15 years at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury and was named the 2016 National Teacher of the Year.^5,6 She is a graduate of Naugatuck Valley Community College, Southern Connecticut State University, the University of Saint Joseph and the University of Bridgeport, with a bachelor's degree in history and secondary education, a master's degree in curriculum and instruction, and a sixth-year degree in administrative leadership.⁵ She was elected to the U.S. House in November 2018, her first public office, becoming the first African American woman to represent Connecticut in Congress.^5,6 She serves on the House Education and Workforce and Agriculture committees and is ranking member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.⁵

Why they say they're running

Her campaign website says she is fighting to make sure every voice in the district is heard and for a future where everyone has health care, no one goes hungry and every child has an excellent public education.^6,7

Service in Congress since 2023

• 2025–nowU.S. Representative, CT-5⁴
• 2023–2025U.S. Representative, CT-5⁴

Websites and accounts

• Official websitehayes.house.gov⁴
• X (Twitter)x.com/RepJahanaHayes⁸
• Facebookfacebook.com/RepJahanaHayes⁸
• YouTubeyoutube.com/UCXngpVME5LZjcdXxZQxSDQA⁸
• Instagraminstagram.com/repjahanahayes⁸
• Campaign websitejahanahayes.com^7,9

§3What they've said on the issues

Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.

§4Popular bills that never got a vote

Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.

While Jahana Hayes served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. Jahana Hayes sponsored or cosponsored 37 of the 52. How bills die without a vote.

§5Money

Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.

Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.⁷⁴

Where the money came from

Outside spending

Groups spending independently reported $0 supporting and $47,830 opposing Jahana Hayes this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through October 19, 2026.⁷⁵

Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.

§6Financial disclosures

Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.

• Annual financial disclosure report⁷⁶filed May 11, 2026
• Annual financial disclosure report⁷⁷filed May 15, 2025