Marilyn Strickland (WA-0010)

Marilyn Strickland is a Democratic U.S. Representative for Washington's 10th Congressional District, which includes Pierce County, Thurston County, and parts of Mason County.

Biography

Marilyn Strickland was born on September 25, 1962, in Seoul, South Korea, to an African American father who served in World War II and the Korean War, and a Korean mother; she grew up in Tacoma, Washington. She is the first member of Congress of both Korean and African-American heritage, the first African-American elected to represent Washington state at the federal level, and one of the first three Korean-American women in Congress. As a political moderate, she serves as Whip of the New Democrat Coalition and Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, and sits on the House Armed Services and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. Notable achievements include securing a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers, nearly $120 million in infrastructure funding for her district, and advancing military families, children's nutrition, and APIA history education. Previously, as Tacoma's mayor , she attracted over $1 billion in investments, created 40,000 jobs, raised the high school graduation rate from 55% to 89%, increased the minimum wage, and supported LGBTQ rights and gun background checks.

Education and Political Experience

Strickland's early political roles included serving on the Tacoma City Council before becoming the city's 38th mayor , where she was the first Asian-born and first African-American woman in that position. She was elected to the U.S. House in 2020 and took office on January 3, 2021, continuing to represent WA-10. Specific details on her formal education are not detailed in available records.