As a passionate advocate for both members’ rights and quality patient care, Ida Davis believes political action is crucial to improving the lives of working people.

“No one can prepare you 100 percent for being a Delegate—you’ve got to go out there and do the work,” said Davis. “The more you do, the more you get involved. If you don’t go to the meetings and you don’t participate, you’ll never learn. It’s like on-the-job training.”

Davis, a clerical specialist at the University of Maryland Capital Region, has served as a 1199 Delegate for nearly 15 years. When her organizer first asked her to consider running, she was intrigued by the opportunity to help both herself and her coworkers better understand what the union had to offer. At the time, she said, there was a gap in understanding between workers and hospital management, particularly around the nuances of the contract.

Once elected, Davis immersed herself in the role, holding daily meetings with coworkers to help address their concerns and explain how 1199SEIU could support them. She takes the responsibility seriously, noting that because members pay dues, she owes it to them to be knowledgeable, accessible, and prepared.

In 2024, Davis transitioned from Delegate to member political organizer after years of closely following politics and staying informed about current events. Much like her work as a Delegate, she saw the role as an opportunity to educate members and encourage them to make their voices heard at the polls.

“A lot of people are engaged and do want to know about things that affect them—they just need the right tools,” Davis said. “I consider myself a tool to the community, letting them know things they probably weren’t aware of.”

As the only member political organizer from Prince George’s County at the time, Davis played a key role in mobilizing support for Angela Alsobrooks’ successful U.S. Senate campaign in 2024. Drawing on her deep local knowledge, she helped organize Weekend Warriors canvassing efforts and encouraged members to contribute to the Political Action Committee.

“Because I knew so much about Angela from living here in Prince George’s County, I was able to bring that to Baltimore, and we were successful in getting her elected,” Davis said. “I love being a part of change.”

Last May, Davis delivered a passionate speech at a rally in Washington, D.C., calling on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign as Secretary of Health and Human Services following his 40 percent budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health. She criticized his actions as a betrayal of his family’s legacy and accused him of spreading misinformation that makes it harder for people to access healthcare.

“He is going against everything that the Kennedy family stands for,” Davis said. “Instead, he’s spreading false information and trying to make it harder for people to access and keep healthcare. I don’t know how he sleeps at night. But we can stop him—if we come together.”

Davis also works closely with elected officials to help them better understand healthcare workers’ priorities. Recently, she led Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy and her staff on a tour of the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, where they heard directly from frontline workers about how short staffing affects patient care.

Through her work as both a Delegate and member political organizer, Davis has become a confident public speaker and a strong advocate for member involvement in the union’s political action program. She encourages others to follow her lead and get involved.

“If you want to be a part of change, if you don’t like what’s going on, if you want your great-grandchildren to have a future, then you’ve got to get involved with politics,” Davis said.