TUKWILA—Senator Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle) will be the new Senate Majority Leader in the Washington State Senate, following a vote among Senate Democrats on Monday, November 11.
Pedersen will take over immediately as Sen. Andy Billig (D-Spokane) prepares to retire after 14 years of service in the Legislature, including six years (2018-2024) as leader of the Senate Democrats.
Pedersen has served in the Senate since 2013 and was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2006. In the Legislature, he has chaired both the House Judiciary and Senate Law and Justice committees. He has served as Majority Floor Leader in the Senate since 2022.
Pedersen has been a leading voice on reducing gun violence, funding public education, and protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community. While chairing the board of the national civil rights organization Lambda Legal, he served as Lambda’s lead volunteer lawyer on the state’s marriage equality litigation.
Although some 2024 election results are still too close to call, Pedersen will likely inherit a larger majority of Democrats in the Senate next year.
“I’m eager to build on the bipartisan progress we have made since Democrats took back control of the Senate in 2018. I am humbled to lead this diverse and talented group of senators,” Pedersen said. “We are excited to see our majority grow. I am confident this new energy and passion will help Senate Democrats continue to put people first and tackle the issues Washingtonians care about most – affordable housing, great public schools, behavioral health, gun violence prevention, climate change, and more.”
Pedersen’s election marks a historic milestone as Washington becomes the first state in the nation to have two members of the LGBTQ community serving as legislative leaders at the same time. He joins Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, who became the first woman and first lesbian to hold that position in 2020.
A graduate of Puyallup High School, Pedersen worked at McDonald’s to help put himself through Yale, where he also earned his law degree. He is currently Executive Vice President and General Counsel for McKinstry, a Seattle-based construction and engineering firm that specializes in green building. He lives on Capitol Hill with his husband, Eric Pedersen, and their sons Trygve, Leif, Erik and Anders. All four of his children attend Seattle Public Schools.
Senate Democrats also re-elected Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Tukwila) to serve as Majority Caucus Chair. Hasegawa has served in that role since 2018. Hasegawa was first elected to the Senate in 2013 after serving eight years in the House of Representatives.
The 105-day 2025 legislative session begins on Jan. 13.
SOURCE: Washington Senate Democrats
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
