U.S. House of Representatives – Ohio’s 3rd District

On November 6, 2012, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty was elected to Congress to represent the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District of Ohio that is wholly contained within Franklin County and represents 29 municipalities including Columbus, Bexley, Whitehall, Reynoldsburg and Gahanna.

As a freshman Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Beatty was appointed to the Financial Services Committee and serves on the Subcommittees on Housing & Insurance and Oversight & Investigations. Additionally, for her first term, she was selected to serve as a Democratic Caucus Regional Whip for Region 10 that includes Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky.

Prior to her service in the U.S. House of Representatives, in 1999, Rep. Beatty was selected by her peers to serve in the 27th House District of the Ohio House of Representatives. She went on to serve 5 terms in the Ohio General Assembly. During her tenure, she rose to become the first female Democratic House Leader in Ohio’s history and was instrumental in passing legislation that improved the climate for economic development in the state.  She supported local home ownership; fought foreclosures; championed STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), passed groundbreaking financial literacy legislation and worked to help women without insurance receive lifesaving cancer screenings.

After leaving the Ohio House in 2008, Rep. Beatty joined The Ohio State University as Senior Vice President of Outreach and Engagement where she promoted community, business and economic development; advocated for healthcare collaborations; and led the University’s global initiatives.

Congresswoman Beatty graduated with a B.A. from Central State University, received her M.S. degree from Wright State University, and completed all but her dissertation for a doctorate at the University of Cincinnati. In addition, she has received two honorary doctorate degrees from Ohio Dominican University and Central State University.

Rep. Beatty is a native Ohioan with a strong history of working across the spectrum to fuse people, public policy and politics to make a difference.  She is a small business owner who established a successful management consulting company and later opened a small retail business in downtown Columbus that is still in operation today.  A strong proponent and advocate for empowerment, she also founded an organization that focused on developing business ownership among women to create economic opportunities.

Congresswoman Beatty is a sought after public speaker and Ebony Magazine named her one of the 150 most powerful African-Americans in the United States.  Beatty is active in The Links, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the National American Heart Association, where she serves on the board.

Rep. Beatty is married to Otto Beatty, Jr., an attorney, businessman and former Ohio State Representative. He currently practices law in Columbus, Ohio.