Pramila Jayapal
| Pramila Jayapal | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Pramila Jayapal, 2015 | |
| Member of the Washington State Senate from the 37th district | |
|
Assumed office January 12, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Adam Kline |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 21, 1965 India |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Steve Williamson |
| Children | Janak |
| Residence | Seattle, Washington |
| Alma mater |
Northwestern University (M.B.A.) Georgetown University (B.A.) |
| Profession | activist, author, politician |
| Website | Official |
Pramila Jayapal is an American activist and politician. A Democrat, she has represented District 37 in the Washington State Senate since January 2015. Before her election in 2014, she was a Seattle-based civil rights activist, serving until 2012 as the founder and executive director of OneAmerica, a pro-immigration advocacy group.[1]
After Senator Adam Kline announced his retirement in early 2014, Jayapal was one of several Democrats to enter the race to succeed him. She was endorsed by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray.[2] She won more than 51% of the vote in Washington's open primary on August 5, 2014, out of a field of six candidates.[3] She went on to defeat fellow Democrat Louis Watanabe in November.[4]
Advocacy work
Jayapal founded Hate Free Zone after the September 11 attacks in 2001 as an advocacy group for Arab, Muslim, and South Asian Americans targeted in the wake of the attacks. The group went on to become a political force in the state of Washington, registering new American citizens to vote and lobbying lawmakers on immigration reform and related issues. It changed its name to OneAmerica in 2008.[2][5] Jayapal stepped down from leadership in the group in May 2012. A year later, she was recognized by the White House as a "Champion of Change" for her work on behalf of the immigrant community.[6]
Personal life
Jayapal was born in India and raised in Indonesia and Singapore.[6] She came to the United States in 1982, at the age of 16, to attend college, earning a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a master's in business administration from Northwestern University in Chicago.[1] She became a U.S. citizen in 2000.[5]
Jayapal is a published author. She lives in the Seattle neighborhood of Columbia City with her husband Steve and their son.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 "Pramila's Story". Pramila Jayapal for State Senate. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- 1 2 Turnbull, Lornet (March 10, 2014). "Seattle activist Pramila Jayapal seeks state Senate seat". Seattle Times. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Pramila Jayapal wins six-candidate primary race for WA state senate". Nri Pulse. August 13, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Democrats trailing in state Senate races". Seattle Times. November 5, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- 1 2 Shephard, Aria (June 30, 2008). "Hate Free Zone gets new name, OneAmerica, With Justice for All". Seattle Times. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- 1 2 "About". Pramila Jayapal. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pramila Jayapal. |