Jamie Pedersen
State Senator LD 43/Senate Majority Leader
Seattle, Washington
What are the major issues that are getting you into public service as a politician?
My original motivation for running for the legislature in 2006 was to win marriage equality. I was very lucky to be able to play a role in accomplishing that goal! My main motivations for continuing to serve are amply funding our public schools, building enough homes of all types to make housing affordable, and making our tax system fair and adequate for the state’s needs. I am proud to have championed an additional $1.4 billion investment in school districts; passed legislation to limit rent increases; and served as the prime sponsor of the Millionaires Tax to make our tax system more equitable while improving affordability and investing in essential services.
What is the core of your platform that represents you today?
I’m very proud that our work over the last 20 years has made Washington a safe space for LGBTQ+ people, with marriage equality, strong antidiscrimination protections; anti-bullying and hate crimes protections, privacy protections for trans folks, and broad and inclusive parentage laws. These days I see most of my work through the lens of being a parent and thinking about the world I want to leave my kids. That means great public schools; housing that is affordable; and a clean environment.
What is the thing you are most proud of achieving thus far, and how will it help you as an elected official?
I have been lucky to work on several pieces of major legislation, including marriage equality and the Millionaires Tax. But the bill that I am personally most proud of is the Uniform Parentage Act. As a member of the national Uniform Law Commission, I chaired the drafting committee that rewrote the act to make it inclusive of LGBTQ+ families. Washington was the first state to enact the revised version in 2018; since then, it has been enacted in 11 other states and we are working on another six for 2027.
This work was deeply personal to me because my four children were born with the help of a gestational surrogate. My husband and I had to go through that process in California, because it was a Class C felony in Washington state at the time.
What goals are you trying to accomplish?
My top priority is to build a fully funded, world-class education system. As a parent of four Seattle Public Schools students, I know the challenges that our public schools are facing. I will continue fighting for better funded classrooms, increased support for special education, more reliable student transportation, and expanded access to extracurricular programs. Washington should be the best place in the country to grow up and get an education, and I am committed to making that a reality.
As the prime sponsor of the Millionaires Tax, I strongly support progressive, sustainable revenue to fund the services that people rely on. I would like to replace the B&O tax with a tax on corporate net income, eliminate the uniformity clause for property taxes to tax commercial property at higher rates than residential property, and potentially replace a significant portion of the sales tax with taxes on high incomes.
Finally, I support increasing the supply of all types of housing, especially social housing, public housing, and transitional housing for those exiting homelessness. I am committed to legislation that cuts red tape, lowers construction costs, and increases density to boost housing and lower prices.
What are your political ambitions?
As Senate Majority Leader, I have an extraordinary opportunity to uplift the lives of people across our state and deliver meaningful, positive change for our communities. I expect that this will be my last elected office, but as long as I am serving I will work hard to solve the problems that our state faces and not shy away from the major structural reform that we need.
Who inspires you to keep fighting even when the battles seem too much?
The legislature is a place where we have a chance to do good at scale, solving large problems that affect tens or hundreds of thousands of people. Keeping in mind the stories of people facing challenges inspires me to keep working until we get those problems solved.
Who is your role model from history in public service?
I have huge admiration for Jim Ellis, one of the fathers of modern Seattle. As a young lawyer, he led the effort to clean up Lake Washington and stop cities from dumping untreated sewage into the lake. He established the Metro bus system and led a series of voter initiatives called Forward Thrust that significantly improved the community. He led the effort to build Freeway Park, the Convention Center, and the Mountains to Sound Greenway. And though he did not always succeed (for example, his efforts to create a subway in 1968 and 1970 failed), he always regrouped and kept working to improve Seattle.
What advice do you have for the community to help make change happen, beyond voting?
I believe deeply in the power of volunteering and community involvement to create positive change. I have seen firsthand how people working together make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
For example, I serve as a councilmember and treasurer of my church, Central Lutheran on Capitol Hill. I helped establish a non-profit community lunch program that feeds hundreds of people a week. I am also a proud Eagle Scout and adult leader of Scout Troop 15. All four of my children are Eagle Scouts, and I am proud of the ways they used their projects to benefit our community. For example, my son Anders constructed a tiny home through Sound Foundations NW to help people experiencing homelessness.
When people give their time to make their communities better, it creates waves of positive change.
