There are two types of Hill staffers: Those who come to Washington aching to join a congressional office, and those who find their way there almost by accident.
Nnemdilim “Nd” Ubezonu falls squarely in the latter group.
Fresh out of Furman University, the Tampa, Fla., native was jobless in Washington when a sorority sister suggested she intern on Capitol Hill.
“And since I had no job prospects at the time, I said, ‘Why not?'” she explained.
“I had never envisioned myself previously working in politics. But when I got here, I was hooked, and I have obviously never left,” she added. “So it’s been a wild ride.”
Indeed.
In less than a decade, Ubezonu has worked under some of the most powerful lawmakers in Congress, beginning with Rep. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), the former assistant Democratic leader, while gaining experience with rank-and-file members in both chambers, including Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) and former Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).
It was during a second stint with Clyburn that Ubezonu got her first deep dive into the whirling world of the House chamber, serving as deputy floor director for the third-ranking Democrat. From there, she ascended in 2023 to become the head floor director for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), just as he was replacing former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the top Democrat in the lower chamber.
That position puts the 32-year-old Ubezonu in the thick of the action during floor votes, when staffers are frequently in charge of herding the cats on behalf of their leadership bosses. The role also puts her in close and frequent contact with the floor staff on the Republican side, forging a level of bipartisan cooperation that’s increasingly rare in a Congress practically defined by its partisan divisions.
“The great thing about my current position is that I do get to have a lot of interaction with my Republican counterparts, and I think what sustains those relationships is just being very honest and forthcoming,” she said. “We all know that we have bosses that we need to effectuate their priorities. … But getting to know people on a personal level kind of … reduces the temperature a little bit.”
When she’s not neck deep in politics, Ubezonu finds escape in honing her talents as an amateur DJ. The gigs right now are limited to her house and friends’ gatherings — but she’s not ruling anything out.
“It’s been nice to have [an outlet] to be passionate about. That helps me to unwind,” she said. “So we’ll see what other gigs I get, but that’s my hobby for now.”
