SEATTLE– The National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington (NWPC-WA) is ecstatic at the historic election of Representative Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) as the next Speaker of the House in Washington State, and first female Speaker in state history.
Representative Jinkins is a longtime advocate for women, reproductive freedom, and working families. Jinkins is an active member of NWPC-WA, and earned the Caucus’s endorsement in previous campaigns. She has also championed NWPC-WA’s mission by working to elect more women to public office in Tacoma and across the state.
“Today is herstoric. We are thrilled to see Rep. Jinkins become Washington’s next Speaker of the House,” said Samantha Casne, President of NWPC-WA. “We have stood with Rep. Jinkins in her campaigns for state legislature, and we look forward to working with her hand-in-hand as we continue to advance women in elected office and protect reproductive rights in Washington State.”
Jinkins will officially be elected as Speaker by the full House in January when the legislature convenes for the 2020 session. The 2019 Washington State Legislature is the most diverse legislature in state history and is made up of 41.5% women, including a majority of the Democratic Caucus. Washington State is currently ranked third in the nation for the proportion of women in the state legislature.
NWPC-WA is a multi-partisan grassroots membership organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in elected and appointed office at all levels of government through recruitment, training and PAC support for endorsed women candidates. Its mission is to identify, mentor, educate and support women leaders in our community who demonstrate a commitment to reproductive freedom and women’s economic and social equality and equity. NWPC-WA is part of a national network of Caucus chapters. For more information on NWPC-WA and endorsements, visit www.nwpcwa.org.
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