Maria Jukic

Maria Jukic had two paper routes at thirteen and later waited tables at Croatian Lodge fish fries.¹ She grew up in Cleveland in a Croatian immigrant family, with a mother who sewed Cadillac seat covers at Fisher Body and belonged to the United Auto Workers.¹

Jukic earned an American studies degree at Notre Dame, helping pay for college through dining hall and university archives work.¹ At thirty five, she attended Cleveland State law school while raising her daughter and working part time.¹ She later earned a master's in theology and religious studies from John Carroll University.¹

Her career included twenty four years at the Cleveland Clinic, where her work included executive leadership in its Arts and Medicine Institute.¹² She also served four years on Euclid City Council and worked with nonprofit organizations.¹ She pursued an independent House campaign in 2024 and is now the Democrat challenging Republican Representative David Joyce.¹³

Jukic supports moving toward universal health coverage, beginning with steps such as lowering Medicare eligibility from sixty five to sixty two.⁴ Her proposals include addressing health industry consolidation, negotiating prescription prices and limiting patients' costs for essential medicines.⁴ She also favors more support for rural hospitals, community health centers and telehealth, along with stronger protections against unfair medical bills.⁴