Jennifer Jenkins

Jennifer Jenkins is the Democratic nominee for Florida's 8th Congressional District. A speech-language pathologist and former Brevard Public Schools board member, she briefly sought the 2026 U.S. Senate special election before running for this House seat. In her candidate survey she describes a career in public education and campaigns on housing affordability, including homeowners insurance costs.[1]

Jenkins describes herself as the daughter of a corrections officer and a mother who became disabled when Jenkins was young, and says she was raised in a working-class family. She earned a bachelor's degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2009 and a graduate degree from the University of Central Florida in 2014.[1] She worked as a speech-language pathologist and says she built her career in public education, working with children and families, particularly students with disabilities and developmental needs.[1]

In 2020, Jenkins was elected to the Brevard Public Schools school board, District 3, defeating incumbent Tina Descovich. She served from November 2020 to November 2024 and did not seek re-election.[1] She also filed to run in the 2026 U.S. Senate special election in Florida before running for this U.S. House seat; she did not appear on the special Democratic primary ballot.[1] Jenkins says her husband is a public school teacher and their daughter attends Brevard Public Schools.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.