Jamie Pedersen
Encyclopedia
Jamie Pedersen is an American
lawyer
and politician
from the state
of Washington who has served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives
since January 2007. During the 2009–10 biennium, he chairs the House Judiciary Committee.
A Democrat
, he was elected to the House from the reliably Democratic 43rd District in downtown Seattle
in 2006. He won a very competitive six-way Democratic primary election on September 19, 2006 with 23% of the vote. His nearest competitor, former Seattle City Council President Jim Street, was only 229 votes behind with 22%. The race was the most expensive House contest in Washington state history, with the six Democratic candidates raising almost $500,000 among them. In the general election, he faced only nominal Republican
opposition, defeating his opponent by a margin of more than four-to-one. He was re-elected in 2008 and ran unopposed in 2010.
Having grown up in Puyallup, Washington
, Jamie Pedersen attended Puyallup High School before graduating summa cum laude
from Yale
. He then went to Yale Law School
and has been a lawyer ever since. Pedersen was an active member of the Yale Russian Chorus
while an undergraduate and law student, and remains active in the Alumni of the Yale Russian Chorus.
Pedersen is openly
gay
and is one of six LGBT
members of the Washington State Legislature
, alongside Sen. Ed Murray (D–Seattle) and Reps. Jim Moeller
(D–Vancouver
), Dave Upthegrove
(D–Des Moines
), Laurie Jinkins
(D–Tacoma
) and Marko Liias
(D–Mukilteo
).
He was Lambda Legal
's lead volunteer lawyer on the state's same-sex marriage
case – Andersen v. King County
. He replaced openly gay Rep. Ed Murray in the House – Murray having moved up to the state senate
. His election campaign won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
, which provided financial and strategic assistance. Pedersen's partner is Eric Cochran Pedersen, a high-school assistant principal. Pedersen and his partner have four sons: Trygve Cochran Pedersen is the eldest, as well as a set of triplets born in early 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington who has served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives
Washington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, the legislature of the U.S. State of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 districts, each of which elects two members. All members of the House are elected to a two-year term without...
since January 2007. During the 2009–10 biennium, he chairs the House Judiciary Committee.
A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he was elected to the House from the reliably Democratic 43rd District in downtown Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in 2006. He won a very competitive six-way Democratic primary election on September 19, 2006 with 23% of the vote. His nearest competitor, former Seattle City Council President Jim Street, was only 229 votes behind with 22%. The race was the most expensive House contest in Washington state history, with the six Democratic candidates raising almost $500,000 among them. In the general election, he faced only nominal Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opposition, defeating his opponent by a margin of more than four-to-one. He was re-elected in 2008 and ran unopposed in 2010.
Having grown up in Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 37,022 at the 2010 Census. Named after the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans, Puyallup means "the generous people."-History:...
, Jamie Pedersen attended Puyallup High School before graduating summa cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
from Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He then went to Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
and has been a lawyer ever since. Pedersen was an active member of the Yale Russian Chorus
Yale Russian Chorus
The Yale Russian Chorus is a tenor-bass choral ensemble at Yale University, established in 1953 by Denis Mickiewicz, a student at the Yale Music School, and George Litton, president of the Yale Russian Club. The group sings a variety of secular and sacred Slavic choral pieces, from the 12th century...
while an undergraduate and law student, and remains active in the Alumni of the Yale Russian Chorus.
Pedersen is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and is one of six LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
members of the Washington State Legislature
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
, alongside Sen. Ed Murray (D–Seattle) and Reps. Jim Moeller
Jim Moeller
James C. "Jim" Moeller is an American politician and mental health professional from Washington State and a member of the Washington State House of Representatives representing the 49th Legislative District...
(D–Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
), Dave Upthegrove
Dave Upthegrove
Dave Upthegrove is an American politician from the state of Washington. He is currently a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 33rd legislative district. His district encompasses part of Burien, SeaTac as well as Normandy Park, Des Moines and large parts of...
(D–Des Moines
Des Moines, Washington
Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 29,673 at the 2010 census. Property within the city has been the subject of land buyouts because of noise from aircraft landing or taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport two miles to the north of...
), Laurie Jinkins
Laurie Jinkins
Laurie Jinkins is a public health official from Tacoma, Washington who serves as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 27th district...
(D–Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
) and Marko Liias
Marko Liias
Marko Liias is an American politician from Washington. He is currently a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 21st legislative district...
(D–Mukilteo
Mukilteo, Washington
Mukilteo , which means "good camping ground", is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,254 at the 2010 census. It is on the shore of the Puget Sound, and is the site of a Washington State Ferries terminal linking it to Clinton, on Whidbey Island.Mukilteo is...
).
He was Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.Lambda's founder William J. Thom, Esq...
's lead volunteer lawyer on the state's same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
case – Andersen v. King County
Andersen v. King County
Andersen v. King County, 138 P.3d 963 — formerly Andersen v. Sims — is a case filed by eight Washingtonian lesbian and gay couples, who sued King County and the state of Washington for denying them marriage licenses under the state’s 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between...
. He replaced openly gay Rep. Ed Murray in the House – Murray having moved up to the state senate
Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia....
. His election campaign won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
, which provided financial and strategic assistance. Pedersen's partner is Eric Cochran Pedersen, a high-school assistant principal. Pedersen and his partner have four sons: Trygve Cochran Pedersen is the eldest, as well as a set of triplets born in early 2009.
External links
- Elect Jamie Pedersen official campaign website
- Washington State Legislature - Rep. Jamie Pedersen official WA House website
- Project Vote Smart - Representative Jamie Pedersen (WA) profile
- Follow the Money - Jamie D. Pedersen
- http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=107790 2008 campaign contributions