Jay Inslee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jay Inslee
Jay Inslee

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 1st district
In office
1993-1995
1999-Present
Preceded by Sid Morrison (1993-1995)
Rick White (1999-Present)
Succeeded by Doc Hastings (1993-1995)
Incumbent

Born February 09, 1951 (age 56)
Seattle, Washington
Political party Democratic
Spouse Trudi Inslee
Religion Non-denominational Protestant

Jay Robert Inslee (born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, currently serving as U.S. Representative from Washington's First Congressional District (north of Seattle, including parts of King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties). He is a Democrat. He lives on Bainbridge Island.

Born in Seattle, Washington, he graduated from Seattle's Ingraham High School and the University of Washington (B.A., Economics) and Willamette University College of Law. After a decade working as an attorney in Selah, Washington, Inslee was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1988, where he served until 1992, when he was elected to Congress representing Washington's Fourth Congressional District (central Washington). He lost his bid for re-election in the Republican Revolution of 1994 (to Doc Hastings), a defeat often attributed in large part to his vote in favor of a 1994 ban on semi-automatic firearms.

Inslee moved to western Washington and briefly resumed the practice of law before running for governor in 1996 and losing in the Democratic primary to Gary Locke. President Bill Clinton subsequently appointed him Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a position he shortly left to again run for Congress in 1998, this time in the First Congressional District against two-term incumbent Rick White. His campaign attracted national attention when he became the first Democratic candidate to air television ads attacking his opponent, and the Republican congressional leadership, for the impeachment of President Clinton. He narrowly won, with 49.8% to White's 44.1%, aided by the presence of a religious right third party candidate, Bruce Craswell (the husband of 1996 GOP gubernatorial nominee Ellen Craswell).

Though Washington's first district is historically a swing district (changing hands twice in the 1990s), Republicans have had a difficult time fielding a serious challenger to Inslee, who was re-elected in 2000 (54.6%), 2002 (55.6%), and 2004 (62.3%). In July 2003, after then-Governor Gary Locke announced his retirement, Inslee briefly flirted with a gubernatorial bid before deciding to remain in Congress. An anti-Inslee campaign slogan, "Inslee is Outslee" was used briefly in 2002, but it did not catch on with more mainstream voters.

A member of the Clintonian New Democrat Coalition,[1] Inslee has accumulated a progressive voting record, and has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq. He sits on the Resources Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee. He has been a supporter of the Apollo Alliance.

[edit] Elections

Date Position Status Opponent Result Vote share Opponent vote share
1988 WA Representative Elected
1990 WA Representative Incumbent Re-elected
1992 U.S. Representative Open seat Doc Hastings (R) Elected
1994 U.S. Representative Incumbent Doc Hastings (R) Defeated 47% 53%
1996 WA Governor Open seat primary Gary Locke (D), others Defeated
1998 U.S. Representative Challenger Rick White (R) Elected 50% 44%
2000 U.S. Representative Incumbent Dan McDonald (R) Re-elected 55% 43%
2002 U.S. Representative Incumbent Joe Marine (R) Re-elected 56% 41%
2004 U.S. Representative Incumbent Randy Eastwood (R), others Re-elected 62% 36%
2006 U.S. Representative Incumbent Larry W. Ishmael (R) Re-elected 69% 31%

[edit] References

  1. ^ New Democrat Coalition membership

[edit] External links


Political offices
Preceded by
Sid Morrison
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 4th congressional district

1993–1995
Succeeded by
Doc Hastings
Preceded by
Rick White
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 1st congressional district

1999–Present
Incumbent