Elected Experience: Washington State House of Representatives 1989-1992 representing Yakima Valley; U.S. House of Representatives 1993-1994 representing Eastern Washington; U.S. House of Representatives 1999-2012 representing Kitsap, King and Snohomish Counties; Washington State Governor 2013–present.

Other Professional Experience: Attorney; Author, Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy.

Education: Ingraham High School, Seattle, WA; graduated University of Washington with a B.A. in economics, 1972; graduated Magna Cum Laude from Willamette University Law School, 1976.

Community Service: Charter member of Hoopaholics to raise money for Childhaven; coached youth sports; served as honorary board member of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.

Statement: Over the last three years I’ve worked hard as governor to help build a stronger economy. We’ve created over 250,000 jobs, been recognized as the nation’s best economy by Business Insider and seen the lowest unemployment rate since 2008.

When tragedy struck, we reopened the Skagit River I-5 Bridge in 27 days. We worked with courageous people devastated by the Oso slide, comforting victims and rebuilding communities. We took action to assist those impacted by wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington.

As a state we need to give our children access to a world-class education in an economy that demands new skills - I’m confident we can do this. Every child now has access to all-day kindergarten, we have smaller class sizes in early grades, and better paid and trained teachers. And we made an unprecedented tuition cut at all public colleges and universities across Washington.

We know we need big improvements in our transportation system. That’s why I was adamant the legislature pass a bipartisan package that creates 200,000 jobs, repairs bridges, creates new lanes, expands bus service and opens the door to expanding light rail. While it will not fix everything overnight, it puts us on the right path while we address bottlenecks and find practical solutions.

When it comes to basic Washington values, we will not waiver. We’ll protect children from the ravages of carbon pollution that cause asthma and climate change. We will work for an economy that builds a stronger middle class by raising the minimum wage, ensuring paid sick leave and advancing policies that allow working families to thrive.

I’m proud of our progress. With your vote, I’m confident we can harness our state’s unique innovative spirit, and build a stronger economy and more prosperous future for every Washingtonian.