Delegate Heather Mizeur is from Blue Mound, IL, a small town with a population of 1,100. She moved to the D.C. Metropolitan area in 1994, to work in Congress.
Since 2006, Rep. Mizeur has been an out member of the Maryland House of Delegates. She currently lives in Takoma Park, MD, with her wife, Deborah, and their dog, Chester.
She recently announced her run for governor of that state. If elected, Mizeur would become Maryland’s first female governor, as well as the first openly gay governor in the United States.
Even with a hectic schedule, Mizeur appreciates “time with family and an opportunity to reflect inward”—not only during the holidays, but also throughout the year.
She spoke with Tagg and shared her thoughts about the holidays, family, and her career.
What’s on your holiday gift list this year?
Deborah and I have an unconventional philosophy regarding holiday gift giving. We buy each other a gift when we see something that is so perfectly meant for the other person, regardless of the season. It takes the pressure off finding a perfect holiday gift and allows us to focus instead on our spiritual and family traditions. Though I must say, we do enjoy spoiling our nieces and nephews.
The gift of time is a big one for us this year. I don’t get many days off during the campaign, and [this year] we’ll have several days together, which hasn’t happened since last Christmas. We’re very excited.
Do you and Deborah have any holiday traditions?
We typically spend Thanksgiving with Deborah’s family in Northern California and try to work in an extra day or two in wine country. For Christmas, we load up the truck with our dog, Chester, and drive 800 miles non-stop to rural Illinois to spend a week with my family.
Do you have a special Thanksgiving dish you absolutely can’t live without?
Yes! Egg noodles cooked in turkey broth – a Midwestern tradition. I usually have to fight my mother-in-law for enough turkey broth, which she likes to use for the stuffing. But she more than makes up for it by baking amazing pies and fruit cobblers.
How much is family a part of your Thanksgiving and/or Christmas celebration?
Spending time with family is the definition of our holiday traditions. At Thanksgiving, Deborah’s brothers and their families typically join us in cooking and sharing the feast. On Christmas Eve, we attend church services as an extended family and go to the home of one of my aunts and uncles to eat and share stories. My sister and her husband and their three children live across the street from my parents in the tiny town where I was raised. On Christmas morning, we parade over to their house in our pajamas with coffee and gifts and watch the children open their presents.
Deborah and Heather Mizeur — Photo by Cedric Terrell
Have your friends and family been supportive of your marriage?
Deborah and I have been together for 10 years, married for eight, and our family and friends have been extraordinarily supportive. They see the unconditional love we share and celebrate it. We often hear that others wish everyone could be in love the way we are.
You celebrate your birthday in December. Any special plans?
I hear there is a birthday fundraiser in the works!
Who is your biggest influence? And why?
At this stage of my life, it has to be my wife, Deborah. Our relationship is deeply and spiritually grounded. We are each other’s coaches helping to live up to our greatest potential, knowing our calling and how to share our gifts, and supporting each other along life’s amazing journey. We are both incredibly blessed.
What’s a little known fact that people would be surprised to know about you?
I own a small sailboat and some day intend to have enough free time to sail it again. There are few things I love more than being on the Chesapeake Bay.
You have a great relationship with Melissa Etheridge. How did your friendship begin?
We met in 2008 when I was an undeclared superdelegate. The Obama campaign asked her to call and try to win me over to support him. She and I had an immediate rapport as two Midwestern girls who loved politics. She invited me and Deborah to meet her before one of her upcoming concerts. I spent time with her again at the Democratic National Convention later that summer. We really bonded over several days there and stayed in touch via phone and e-mail. She and her family stayed at our house for 10 days during the Obama inauguration in 2009, and the rest is history. We are like sisters now. We text each other loving and supportive messages frequently. She is an incredible human being.
What led you to get involved in your community and politics?
I’ve always said that I got my start in politics in the labor movement. My father was a member of the United Auto Workers and I learned a lot growing up in a union family. When I was 9, my father and his co-workers went on strike for six months, fighting for fair wages and benefits for their families. On the picket lines, I learned what it truly means to have the courage of your convictions. I also learned a lot about what it means to bring sides together and reach an agreement. I was born an activist but I was raised to be a leader.
