Jamila Taylor

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Jamila Taylor

| party = Democratic

| education = Virginia State University (BA)
University of Oregon (JD)

| state_house = Washington

| district = 30th

| alongside = Kristine Reeves

| termstart = January 11, 2021

| preceded = Mike Pellicciotti

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|12|9}}

| birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

|signature=Jamila Taylor Signature.png

}}

Jamila E. Taylor (born December 9, 1975) is an American attorney, activist, and politician who is a representative for District 30 in the Washington House of Representatives. Elected in 2020, she assumed office on January 11, 2021.{{Cite web|title=Jamila Taylor|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Jamila_Taylor|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}}

Early life and education

Jamila Taylor was born on December 9, 1975.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/jamila-taylor-1975/|title=Jamila Taylor (1975- ) •|date=9 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://historylink.org/file/10121|title=Taylor, Quintard, Jr. (b. 1948)|work=HistoryLink|date=2012-06-05|access-date=2021-12-10}} She is the only daughter of Quintard Taylor Jr. and his wife Carolyn. Taylor has a twin brother, William, and another brother, Quintard III.{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Quintard |title=The Forging of a Black Community: Seattle's Central District from 1870 through the Civil Rights Era (Emil and Kathleen Sick Book Series in Western History and Biography) |publisher=University of Washington |date=June 7, 2022 |isbn=978-0295750415 |edition=One |location=Seattle |pages=7(Acknowledgement), 190}} Taylor earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Oregon School of Law.{{Cite web|title=Jamila Taylor|url=https://auburnexaminer.com/vote-2020/jamila-taylor/|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Auburn Examiner|language=en-US}}

Career

Since graduating from law school, Taylor has worked as a public interest attorney and owner of the NW Prosper Law.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-15|title=Forum Highlights Opportunity for More Black Representation in Olympia|url=https://southseattleemerald.com/2020/10/15/forum-highlights-opportunity-for-more-black-representation-in-olympia-as-candidates-push-for-progressive-taxes-police-accountability-and-housing-protections/|access-date=2020-11-10|website=South Seattle Emerald|language=en-US}}

Prior to her campaign for the Washington House, Taylor was a candidate for the Federal Way, Washington City Council in 2019, and was one of three nominees of the 30th Legislative District Democrats to be appointed to the seat of former representative Kristine Reeves.{{Cite web|last=Mirror|first=For the|date=2020-02-13|title=Attorney and community volunteer Jamila Taylor running for state House seat|url=https://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/attorney-and-community-volunteer-jamila-taylor-running-for-state-house-seat/|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Federal Way Mirror|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Villeneuve |first=Andrew |date=2020-01-04 |title=Jesse Johnson, Jamila Taylor and Sam Rise nominated to succeed Kristine Reeves in 30th |url=https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2020/01/jesse-johnson-jamila-taylor-and-sam-rise-nominated-to-succeed-kristine-reeves-in-30th.html |access-date=2020-11-10 |website=NPI's Cascadia Advocate}} After Mike Pellicciotti announced that he would not seek re-election to the Washington House of Representatives and instead run for Washington State Treasurer, Taylor declared her candidacy to succeed him.{{Cite web|date=2020-02-13|title=Attorney and Community Leader Jamila Taylor Running for State House of Representatives|url=https://auburnexaminer.com/attorney-and-community-leader-jamila-taylor-running-for-state-house-of-representatives/|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Auburn Examiner|language=en-US}} Taylor placed first in the August 2020 Democratic primary and defeated Republican nominee Martin Moore in the November general election. She assumed office on January 11, 2021.{{Cite web|title=August 4, 2020 Primary Results - Legislative District 30 - State Representative Pos. 1 County Breakdown|url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20200804/legislative-district-30-state-representative-pos-1_bycounty.html|access-date=2020-11-10|website=results.vote.wa.gov}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin | title=Washington's 30th Legislative District State Representative, Pos. 1, General Election 2020{{cite web|url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20201103/legislative-district-30-state-representative-pos-1.html |title=Washington Secretary of State, 2020 General Election Results - Legislative District 30 |publisher=vote.wa.gov |date=November 3, 2020 |accessdate=January 1, 2021}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link||

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Jamila Taylor

|votes = 36,338

|percentage = 57.86

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Martin Moore

|votes = 26,406

|percentage = 42.04

}}