Jamie Pedersen

Pedersen grew up in Puyallup, Washington and attended Puyallup High School.{{cite web |title=Jamie Pedersen's Biography |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/66760/jamie-pedersen |website=Vote Smart |access-date=19 January 2025}} He graduated summa cum laude in American Studies from Yale and received his J.D. degree from Yale Law School.{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Bob |title=Outlaws to In-laws |url=https://www2.sos.wa.gov/legacy/love-equally/exhibit/jamie_pedersen/jamie_pedersen.pdf |publisher=Washington Secretary of State |access-date=19 January 2025}}{{cite news |last1=McGann |first1=Chris |title=For Jamie Pedersen, being gay an asset in 43rd District race |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/for-jamie-pedersen-being-gay-an-asset-in-43rd-1212821.php |access-date=19 January 2025 |work=Seattle Post Intelligencer |date=August 27, 2006}} 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. He clerked for Judge Stephen Williams on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Pedersen joined Preston Gates & Ellis in 1995, working on corporate mergers.{{cite news |first=Jim |last=Brunner |title=District 43's Democratic hopefuls are 6 of a kind |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060914/43rdlegislative/district-43s-democratic-hopefuls-are-6-of-a-kind |work=Seattle Times |location=Seattle |date=14 September 2006 |access-date=19 November 2013 }} His pro bono work during this time focused on gay rights issues and he was Lambda Legal's lead attorney on the state's same-sex marriage case – Andersen v. King County. In 2012 he was hired by McKinstry, a Seattle-headquartered construction firm, as General Counsel.{{cite web |url = http://www.mckinstry.com/about/leaders |title = Leaders |website = McKinstry |access-date= 19 November 2013 }}

Pedersen was elected to the Washington House of Representatives from Washington's 43rd legislative district in downtown Seattle in 2006. He won a very competitive six-way Democratic primary election on September 19, 2006, with 23 percent of the vote, defeating former Seattle City Council President Jim Street by 229 votes.{{cite web |title=Primary and Special Election |url=https://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/200609/resPage10.htm |publisher=King County Elections |access-date=19 January 2025 |date=September 26, 2006}} The primary was the most expensive House contest in Washington state history at the time, with the candidates raising almost $500,000 among them.{{cite news |last1=McGann |first1=Chris |last2=Lathrop |first2=Daniel |title=Seattle legislative district fund raising sets record |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/seattle-legislative-district-fund-raising-sets-1214453.php |access-date=19 January 2025 |work=Seattle Post Intelligencer |date=September 12, 2006}} His election campaign won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which provided financial and strategic assistance. 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 unopposed in 2008,{{cite web |url = http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/200811/Respage11.aspx |title = November 4, 2008 General Election |website = King County Elections |access-date= 19 November 2013 }} 2010{{cite web |url = http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/elections/201011/Respage11.aspx |title = November 2, 2010 General Election |website = King County Elections |access-date = 19 November 2013 |archive-date = 3 December 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203010721/http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/elections/201011/Respage11.aspx |url-status = dead }} and 2012.{{cite web |url = http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2012nov-general/results/legislative/leg43-rep1.aspx |title = November 6, 2012 General Legislative District 43 : Rep Position 1 |website = King County Elections |access-date= 19 November 2013 }}

Pedersen was one of a number of Washington legislators who were briefly the subject of controversy in 2013 over expense claims uncovered in an Associated Press investigation. Pedersen had used $384 in tax funds to purchase art for his office; Pedersen explained that legislators receive an allowance for furnishing their offices and he had, typically, not used his entire allotment.{{cite web |url = http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Tax-dollars-go-to-dry-cleaning-arts-188865691.html |title = Tax dollars go to dry cleaning, arts for state lawmakers |website = KOMO News |access-date = 19 November 2013 |archive-date = 10 June 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150610230053/http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Tax-dollars-go-to-dry-cleaning-arts-188865691.html |url-status = dead }}

Pedersen has been a supporter of increased firearms regulation in Washington. In 2013, he introduced legislation that would require private gun dealers to request a background check from a local law-enforcement agency.{{cite news | first=Brian | last=Rosenthal| title= Lawmakers introduce bill to require background checks for all gun sales | url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/01/30/house-democrats-introduce-bill-to-require-background-checks-for-all-gun-sales/ | work=Seattle Times | location=Seattle | date=13 January 2013 | access-date=19 November 2013 }}

In the legislature, Pedersen has been a key proponent for the replacement of the Evergreen Point floating bridge and has introduced legislation to block the state's department of transportation from capping spending on the project.{{cite web | first=Josh | last=Feit | title= Compromise 520 Bill Passes House Transpo Committee | url=http://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-profiles/publicola/articles/the-worst-nightmare | work=Seattle Metropolitan | location=Seattle | date=24 February 2012 | access-date=19 November 2013 }}

In 2012, Pedersen publicly endorsed both Washington Initiative 502 and Washington Referendum 74, which legalized the retail sale of marijuana and same-sex marriage, respectively.{{cite web |url = http://shoreline.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/sen-chase-rep-ryu-endorse-i-502-marijuana-legalizatio8cb1adc382 |title = Sen. Chase, Rep. Ryu Endorse I-502, Marijuana Legalization Initiative |website = Shoreline Patch |date = 4 May 2012 |access-date= 19 November 2013 }}

In January 2020, Pedersen introduced a bill to mandate local school districts create individualized learning programs for students who are selected to participate in gifted programs before those programs are terminated.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-15|title=New bill in Washington state Legislature would intervene in Seattle's plan to change gifted education|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/new-bill-in-washington-state-legislature-would-intervene-in-seattles-plan-for-gifted-education-reform/|access-date=2021-12-24|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US}}

Pedersen is openly gay and is one of several LGBT members of the Washington State Legislature, alongside Sen. Marko Liias (D–Mukilteo) and Reps. Jim Moeller (D–Vancouver), Nicole Macri (D–Seattle), Christine Kilduff (D–University Place), Joan McBride (D–Kirkland), Laurie Jinkins (D–Tacoma) and Skyler Rude (R-Walla Walla).{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Pedersen is married to Eric Cochran Pedersen, a high school assistant principal{{Cite news |url=http://www.housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/pedersen/index.asp |title=Rep. Jamie Pedersen |periodical=Washington House Democrats |access-date=2007-11-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110221103/http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/pedersen/index.asp |archive-date=2007-11-10 }} whom he met in 2004 while attending Seattle's Central Lutheran Church.{{cite news | first=Eli | last=Sanders | title=Boring, Traditional, Religious Marriage |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/boring-traditionalreligious-marriage/Content?oid=13970276 | work=The Stranger | location=Seattle | date= November 19, 2013 | access-date= November 16, 2013 }} Pedersen and his husband have four sons: Trygve Cochran Pedersen, and a set of triplets — Leif, Anders, and Erik (born 2009).{{cite news|url=http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews35_33/page3.cfm |title=Two Men having a Baby |work=Seattle Gay News |access-date=2008-08-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830005422/http://sgn.org/sgnnews35_33/page3.cfm |archive-date=2008-08-30 }} The children were all given traditional Norwegian names by Pedersen, who has Norwegian descent.

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.peopleforpedersen.org/ Elect Jamie Pedersen] official campaign website
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100304062836/http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/representatives/pages/Pedersen.aspx Washington State Legislature - Rep. Jamie Pedersen] official WA House website
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101001002545/http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=66760 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

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|us-wa-sen}}

{{s-bef|before=Andy Billig}}

{{s-ttl|title=Majority Leader of the Washington Senate|years=2025–present}}

{{s-inc}}

{{s-end}}

{{Current statewide political officials of Washington}}

{{U.S. State Senate Floor Leaders}}

{{Washington State Senators}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedersen, Jamie}}

Category:1968 births

Category:21st-century members of the Washington State Legislature

Category:American gay politicians

Category:Democratic Party members of the Washington House of Representatives

Category:Democratic Party Washington (state) state senators

Category:LGBTQ state legislators in Washington (state)

Category:Living people

Category:Politicians from Puyallup, Washington

Category:Politicians from Seattle