Washington State Democratic Party
Encyclopedia
The Washington State Democratic Party is the local Democratic Party branch in the State of Washington, headquartered in the Broderick Building in Downtown
Seattle
. It is also commonly referred to as the Washington State Democrats and the Washington Democratic Party.
, is a member of the WSDCC. He represents Southwest Washington.
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
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...
. It is also commonly referred to as the Washington State Democrats and the Washington Democratic Party.
Washington State Democratic Central Committee (WSDCC)
- Chair: Dwight Pelz
- Vice-Chair: Valerie Brady Rongey
- Treasurer: Habib M. Habib
- Secretary: Rob Dolin
Notable Central Committee members
Former Nirvana bassist and co-founder, Krist NovoselicKrist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
, is a member of the WSDCC. He represents Southwest Washington.
County party organizations
Each of Washington's 39 counties has a local party organization, which operates within that county and sends two delegates to the State Central Committee.Legislative district organizations
Each of Washington's 49 Legislative Districts has a local party organization, which operates within that district and sends delegates to the State Central Committee. Each district is defined by the State Redistricting Commission and elects one Senator and two Representatives to the State Legislature. Each district also sends two representatives to the state central committee.Members of Congress
Democrats make up seven of Washington's 11-member Congressional delegation:U.S. Senate
Since 2001, Democrats have controlled both of Washington's seats in the U.S. Senate:- Class I: Maria CantwellMaria CantwellMaria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....
(Junior Senator) - Class III: Patty MurrayPatty MurrayPatricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
(Senior Senator, Majority Conference SecretaryDemocratic Conference Secretary of the United States SenateThe United States Senate Democratic Conference Secretary, also called the Caucus Secretary, is a ranking leadership position within the Democratic Party in the United States Senate...
, DSCCDemocratic Senatorial Campaign CommitteeThe Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
Chair - 2012 Cycle )
U.S. House of Representatives
Democrats control five of the nine seats Washington is apportioned in the U.S. House following the 2000 census:- WA-01: Jay InsleeJay InsleeJay Robert Inslee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes many of Seattle's northern suburbs in King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties...
- WA-02: Rick LarsenRick LarsenRichard Ray "Rick" Larsen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
- WA-06: Norm Dicks
- WA-07: Jim McDermottJim McDermottJames Adelbert "Jim" McDermott is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The 7th District includes most of Seattle and Vashon Island, and portions of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Tukwila, SeaTac, and Burien.He serves on the House Ways and Means...
- WA-09: Adam SmithAdam Smith (politician)David Adam Smith , American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing Washington's 9th congressional district.-Biography:...
Statewide officeholders
Democrats hold seven of the nine elected statewide offices:- Governor: Christine GregoireChristine GregoireChristine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
- Lieutenant Governor: Brad OwenBrad OwenBradley Owen is an American politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party and currently serves as the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Washington. Owen is the longest currently serving Lieutenant Governor...
- Treasurer: Jim McIntireJim McIntireJames McIntire was a gunfighter and Texas Ranger in the old west of the United States. He is best known for his autobiography, written in 1902 following a near death experience....
- Auditor: Brian SonntagBrian SonntagBrian Sonntag is the State Auditor for Washington and a Democrat.Sonntag was first elected to public office in 1978 as Pierce County Clerk, working as the administrative officer for the Superior Courts. On November 4, 1986, he was elected to the office of Pierce County Auditor, an office his...
- Commissioner of Public Lands: Peter J. GoldmarkPeter J. GoldmarkPeter James Goldmark is the Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands and heads the Washington Department of Natural Resources. He is a Democrat from a rural part of Okanogan County, Washington, outside of the town of Okanogan....
- Insurance Commissioner: Mike KreidlerMike KreidlerMyron Bradford "Mike" Kreidler is an American politician who currently serves as the Washington Insurance Commissioner. He is a Democrat....
- Superintendent of Public Instruction: Randy Dorn (this is a nonpartisan office)