Joyce Marie Beatty ( , née Birdsong, March 12, 1950), is an American politician serving as U.S. representative for Ohio's 3rd congressional district since 2013 and as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Beatty represented the 27th district in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1999 to 2008, serving for a time as minority leader. She was also previously senior vice president of outreach and engagement at Ohio State University<!--Wikipedians do not use "The" as part of Ohio State's name; it is considered a marketing gimmick, and routinely deleted.-->.
In 2012, Beatty ran in the newly redrawn Ohio's 3rd congressional district, based in Columbus, and won the Democratic primary, defeating former U.S. representative Mary Jo Kilroy. She went on to defeat Republican Chris Long in the general election. Beatty was married to Otto Beatty Jr., who was a former Ohio state representative.
Early life, education, and early political career
Beatty was born on March 12, 1950, in Dayton, Ohio. She has a Bachelor of Arts in speech from Central State University and a 1975 Master of Science in counseling psychology from Wright State University, and has studied at the University of Cincinnati. Beatty served as Montgomery County health and human services director by administering the county's health levy and area public nursing homes, including Stillwater Nursing Home. In 2003, she received an honorary doctorate from Ohio Dominican University. Beatty served as a delegate for John Kerry on the Ohio delegation to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.
left|thumb|Beatty receives the [[Dayton, Ohio|Dayton NAACP Leadership Award, 2019]]
Beatty was married to attorney and former state representative Otto Beatty Jr. She has been a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She served on the Columbus American Heart Association Board, Ohio Democratic Committee, Women's Fund, NAACP, and Delta Sigma Theta sorority. In addition, she was a legislative chair of The Links and chair of the Columbus Urban League Board. She won the 2002 YWCA Woman of Achievement Award, Ohio Health Speaking of Women Health Award, NAACP Freedom Award, Woman of Courage Award, Urban League Leadership Recognition Award, and Dayton NAACP 2019 Leadership Award.
Ohio House of Representatives
Elections
In 1999, longtime state representative Otto Beatty Jr. of Ohio's 21st House district decided to resign early to begin an opportunity in the private sector. His wife, Joyce Beatty, was appointed to his seat. She won a full term in 2000 with 82% of the vote. After redistricting, she decided to run in the newly redrawn Ohio's 27th House district and was reelected in 2002, with 82% of the vote. In 2004, she was reelected to a third term unopposed. In 2006, she was reelected to a fourth term, with 87% of the vote. Term limits kept Beatty from seeking another term in 2008.
Tenure
After Chris Redfern left to become chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, Beatty was named minority leader. She served in that capacity during the Ohio 127th General Assembly. She was the first female Democratic House leader in Ohio history.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2012
thumb|Beatty with the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives Democratic Women of the 113th Congress]]
On March 6, 2012, Beatty defeated former congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, Columbus city councilwoman Priscilla Tyson, and state representative Ted Celeste 38%–35%-15%-12% to win the Ohio 3rd congressional district Democratic primary.
thumb|right|Beatty in 2013
2020
thumb|[[Ohio's 3rd congressional district|Ohio 3rd district, based in Columbus, election results, 2020|upright]]
Starting in late 2019 and into early 2020, Beatty was campaigning for her fifth term as representative of Ohio's 3rd congressional district. She faced her first primary challenge since she was elected in 2012, with The Columbus Dispatch writing that the "winner of the Democratic primary almost certainly will go to Washington representing the heavily Democratic district." At the end of 2019, it was reported she had $1.7 million in her campaign account. In February 2020, she was criticized for accepting campaign contributions from financial services PACs while also overseeing the House Financial Services Committee.
In March 2020, The Intercept reported that Beatty and her husband sold one of their Columbus properties in 2013
On April 28, 2020, Beatty won the Democratic primary, defeating challenger Morgan Harper, a self-described progressive. Harper, who had been backed by the Sunrise Movement, a group that backed Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, lost with 32% of the vote to Beatty's 68%. Beatty defeated Republican nominee Mark Richardson with 71% of the vote.
Tenure
thumb|Beatty discusses why she voted in support of the [[Article of impeachment|articles of impeachment in the first impeachment of Donald Trump]]From 2013 to 2020, 5 of the 88 bills Beatty sponsored became law, all of them wrapped into broader bills.
Beatty supported both the first and second impeachments of Donald Trump.
On July 15, 2021, Beatty was one of nine protesters the United States Capitol Police arrested for illegally demonstrating in the Hart Senate Office Building. She and approximately 20 other voting rights protesters sought to push the Senate to support the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. After multiple warnings from the police, Beatty was arrested for violating a Washington, D.C., law against "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding".
On June 12, 2025, Beatty was one of the four Democrats who did not vote on the $9-billion spending cuts put forward by the Department of Government Efficiency; house Republicans passed the rescission package by 2 votes.
Committee assignments
thumb|Beatty speaks in support of an amendment while on the [[House Financial Services Committee]]
- Committee on Financial Services (113th Congress – present)
- Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, Chair
- Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Joint Economic Committee (116th Congress – present)
Caucus memberships
- Black Maternal Health Caucus
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Equality Caucus
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption
- Rare Disease Caucus
Political positions
Abortion
thumb|Beatty speaks in support of reproductive healthcare, 2024
Beatty is pro-choice.
Cannabis
At one point, Beatty opposed legalizing cannabis for recreational use,
Immigration
Beatty voted for a defense bill that included $1.3 billion for fencing at the United States–Mexico border.
Economy
thumb|Beatty shows support for the [[Child tax credit (United States)|Child Tax Credit, 2021|upright]]
Beatty opposes decreasing corporate taxes.
Health care
Beatty supported the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) and opposed its repeal. In 2019, she introduced the End Price Gouging for Insulin Act bill, which would lower insulin prices nationwide. Beatty's father was diabetic, as was her husband. She has supported efforts in Ohio by Hearcel Craig and Beth Liston to regulate insulin prices. In 2019, she supported "some of" the "health-care fixes that focus on smaller changes to the Affordable Care Act rather than a complete overhaul of the system." Beatty sued Trump and members of the board over the name change, calling the vote a "thinly veiled sham" and claiming the name change violates federal law. On May 29, 2026, US District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled in favor of Beatty's lawsuit, requiring the Trump name to be taken off the building plus also stopping the Center's announced two-year closure for Trump's planned renovations.
Federal electoral history
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
References
External links
- Congresswoman Joyce Beatty official U.S. House website
- Joyce Beatty for Congress
|-
|-
|-