{{Short description|American politician (born 1971)}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Leslie Love |state_house = Michigan |district = 10th |term_start = January 1, 2015 |term_end = December 31, 2020 |predecessor = Phil Cavanagh |successor = Mary Cavanagh |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|7|8}} |birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |education = Siena Heights University (BA)<br>Wayne State University (MFA)<br>Marygrove College (MA) |website = {{URL|010.housedems.com|Official website}} }} '''Leslie N. Love'''<ref name="committee_love">{{cite web |url=https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/committees/516888 |title=Michigan Committee Statement of Organization |publisher=Michigan Secretary of State |access-date=November 15, 2019}}</ref> (born July 8, 1971)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(jqdogsdezhbqkellcvzvggvs))/documents/2015-2016/michiganmanual/2015-MM-P0208-p0208.pdf |title=State Representative LESLIE LOVE |publisher=Michigan Legislature}}</ref> is an American politician and government official. A member of the Democratic Party, Love served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2014 to 2020.<ref name="ballot">{{cite web |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Leslie_Love|title=Leslie Love|publisher=Ballotpedia |access-date=January 10, 2021}}</ref> Love represented the 10th District, which encompasses parts of northwest Detroit and Redford Township.<ref name="mlive1114">{{cite news |url=http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/11/2014_live_michigan_election_re_3.html | title=2014 Live Michigan election results: State House Districts 1-110 | work=MLive | date=November 4, 2014 | access-date=November 28, 2014}}</ref>
After leaving the state legislature, Love was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, becoming the first African-American to serve on the commission.<ref name=":1" /> She was a candidate to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate in the 2024 election.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Vaughn |first=Jerome |date=2023-05-16 |title=Former Michigan lawmaker Leslie Love announces bid for Stabenow's US Senate seat |url=https://wdet.org/2023/05/16/former-michigan-lawmaker-leslie-love-announces-bid-for-stabenows-us-senate-seat/ |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=WDET 101.9 FM |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Education== Love attended Detroit Public Schools and graduated from Thomas M. Cooley High School. She received a bachelor's degree from Siena Heights University and master's degrees from Marygrove College and Wayne State University.<ref name="marygrove_bio">{{Cite web| title = Leslie Love| work = Marygrove College| access-date = 2015-01-11| url = http://dance.marygrove.edu/faculty/leslie-love.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150111105509/http://dance.marygrove.edu/faculty/leslie-love.html| archive-date = 2015-01-11}}</ref><ref name="wxyz2012ask">{{Cite web| title = Ask the Candidates - Leslie Love| work = WXYZ| date = 2012| access-date = 2015-01-11| url = http://elections.wxyz.com/candidates/leslie-love| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://archive.today/20150117152550/http://elections.wxyz.com/candidates/leslie-love| archive-date = 2015-01-17}}</ref> She lives in Detroit.
==Early career== In 1998, she worked as the campaign assistant for California Assemblywoman Marguerite Archie-Hudson and for California Governor Gray Davis as a field organizer.
Love previously worked as the director of theater operations at Marygrove College and served as an adjunct professor for Marygrove College and the Wayne County Community College District.<ref name="home1014">{{Cite web |date=16 October 2014 |title=Elect Leslie Love to represent Redford in state House |url=http://www.hometownlife.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/10/16/elect-leslie-love-represent-redford-state-house/17201437/ |access-date=2015-01-11 |work=hometownlife.com}}</ref>
== Political career == In 2014, Love ran for the Michigan House of Representatives and was elected.<ref name="home1014" /> She served in the body until she was term-limited in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gibbons |first=Lauren |date=2021-01-05 |title=Who’s new in the Michigan House of Representatives |url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/01/whos-new-in-the-michigan-house-of-representatives.html |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=MLive |language=en}}</ref>
Love went on to be appointed to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-01-07 |title=Governor Whitmer makes appointments to Natural Resources Commission |url=https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/01/07/governor-whitmer-makes-appointments-natural-resources-commission/ |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=WLUC |language=en}}</ref> Upon her appointment, she became the first African-American to serve on the board. Love additionally served assistant deputy director in the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Metro-Region.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Melissa Nann |date=2023-06-05 |title=Ex-state Rep. Love joins U.S. Senate race in Michigan |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2023/05/15/ex-state-rep-love-joins-us-senate-race-in-michigan/70220432007/ |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=The Detroit News |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2023, Love announced she would run in the 2024 election for U.S. Senate.<ref name=":0" /> If elected, Love would be the first Black Senator from Michigan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cappelletti |first=Joey |date=2023-05-15 |title=Former Detroit lawmaker joins race for Michigan seat in US Senate |url=https://apnews.com/article/senate-michigan-democrat-love-17af2544eaa2f384c2f5e32fe8e69a5f |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://010.housedems.com}} * [http://www.repleslielove.com Re-election Site] * [https://ballotpedia.org/Leslie_Love Leslie Love at ballotpedia.org]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Love, Leslie N.}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Category:Politicians from Detroit Category:African-American state legislators in Michigan Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:Siena Heights University alumni Category:Marygrove College alumni Category:Wayne State University alumni Category:Women state legislators in Michigan Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American people Category:20th-century American women Category:21st-century members of the Michigan Legislature