Chris Reykdal

Chris Reykdal is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He is a member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 22nd district.^[1]

Born to Mervyn and Arlene Reykdal of Snohomish, WA on September 12, 1972, Chris grew up in poverty. As a child, he found success in the classroom and in athletics. While attending Snohomish High School, Chris was elected Student Body President in 1989.

After High School, Chris attended Washington State University from 1990-1994. He majored in social studies and received a minor in political science and geology. Chris also obtained his secondary teaching certificate at WSU. Chris graduated WSU Summa Cum Laude and as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

After graduating, Chris taught United States History and World History at Mark Morris High School in Longview, WA between 1994 and 1997. From there, he went to graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill. Following his MPA, he worked for the Washington State Senate as a fiscal analyst on the Senate Transportation Committee.

In 1999, Chris became the Operating Budget Director for the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. In 2002, he was promoted to Deputy Director - Administration. By 2005, the Finance Division and the Administration Division merged and Chris became the Agency Deputy Executive Director over Administration and Finance.

In December 2009, Chris announced his run for the Washington State House of Representatives. In his run for the legislature, Chris with the leading Democratic vote getter in the Fall primary. He faced Jason Hearn, a Lacey City Council member in the November 2010 General Election. Chris won election to the State House with 61% of the vote. Chris’ 2010 campaign focused on three critical things the state would need to do ensure long-term economic stability, growth, and health: Tax reform, fully funding basic education, and a relentless focus on clean air and clean water.

Reykdal’s initial assignments in the House included the Transportation Committee, Higher Education Committee, Education Appropriations, and he served as vice chairman of the Labor and Workforce Development Committee.

In 2012, Chris ran unopposed for a 2nd term to the State House. His second –term committee assignments included Higher Education, vice-chair of Labor and Workforce Development, and he was assigned to the reformed House Finance Committee that focuses on tax and fee revenue and reforms. Chris was also appointed to the House Rules Committee, a key committee for determining which bills come to the House floor for a vote.

In the fall of 2013, Washington Governor Jay Inslee called a special session of the Legislature to adopt an $8.7 billion tax incentive package for the Boeing Company. The session lasted 72 hours and the Boeing tax incentives were passed overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate. Reykdal was one of only 13 “no” votes in the legislature. Reykdal stated that the tax incentives were not by themselves necessarily a bad thing but they came with no job growth guarantees from the company. The Boeing company was required to maintain the Boeing 777x line if it started up in Washington State, but no other lines of production (747, 787, 767, 757, or 737) were required to stay in Washington. Reykdal concluded that the Boeing tax incentives put at risk billions of dollars for schools, higher education, and other vital services without guarantees from the company that there would be net job growth.

Within a few months of the Legislature’s actions, the Boeing Company forced a vote of IAM Local 751 (machinists) that eliminated defined benefit plans, slowed down wage gains, and asked the employees to make a greater contribution to their share of health care premiums. The “yes” vote was pressed by elected officials at the local, state, and federal level. They took the unusual step of intervening in a local bargaining issue between the Boeing Company and its employees because they feared that Boeing would cite the 777x outside of Washington following a multi-state solicitation by the company. With an unusually low turnout due to a large number of senior machinists on holiday leave, the new contract was approved at just over 50% of those who voted.

Reykdal made news when he appeared on KING 5 T.V. holding a copy of Webster’s Dictionary claiming that the Boeing tax package and IAM pressure was an act of extortion. Reykdal read the definition of extortion on air – “to get from someone by force or threat.” Reykdal stated that request for proposals put out to other states while the contract was being negotiated constituted a clear and legitimate threat to the machinists’ job security.

Reykdal is running for his 3rd term in the State House of Representatives.

References