Lauren Reinhold

Reinhold was born in Missouri and, according to her Ballotpedia survey, spent most of her life in Kansas as her parents, both public servants, moved between the two states. The Kansas Reflector reports she was raised in Topeka, Kansas City, and St. Louis.[1][2] She earned a bachelor's degree from Northeast Missouri State University in 1992 and a law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1996.[3]

Reinhold began her legal career in 1996 and describes nearly 30 years of public service as a Legal Aid attorney, immigration attorney, disability advocate, union leader, and federal government administrator, including 16 years of federal experience. Before her federal roles, she specialized in immigration law in private practice, according to the Kansas Reflector.[1][2] She worked for several years at the U.S. Social Security Administration in Kansas, first as an attorney and then as a human resources administrator, until the position was eliminated in 2025 during Department of Government Efficiency cuts; she also served two years as an officer in her federal employee union chapter.[2] Reinhold won the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary for the 1st District over Colin McRoberts, 64.2% to 35.8%, per Ballotpedia.[1][3] During the campaign, she emphasized affordability, health care, and workers' rights.[1][2][3] She received 37.9% of the vote to Tracey Mann's 59.4%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]