Patricia Lynn "
Patty"
Murray (née
Johns, born October 11, 1950) is the
senior United States SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Washington and a member of the
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Murray was first elected to the Senate in
1992The 1992 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 3, 1992. Serving one term, incumbent U.S. Senator Brock Adams was strongly supportive of his party's leadership...
, becoming Washington's first female senator. She was re-elected in
1998The 1998 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Patty Murray won re-election to a second term.-Results:-References:...
, 2004 and
2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S...
.
Murray has served as the Senate
MajorityThe Senate Democratic Caucus is the formal organization of the current 51 Democratic Senators in the United States Senate. In the 112th Congress, the Democratic Caucus additionally includes two independent senators who formally caucus with the Democrats for the purpose of committee assignments...
Conference Secretary since 2007, making her the fourth-highest-ranking Democrat and the highest-ranking woman in the Senate.
Chairman of the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign CommitteeThe Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
from 2001 to 2003, Murray assumed the role again in early 2011, for a term ending in 2013. She is also the Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 112th Congress:The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, and the Ranking Member is Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina.Source: -Chairmen of the Senate...
.
On August 9, 2011,
Senate Majority LeaderThe Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive...
Harry ReidHarry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
appointed Murray to co-chair the
United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit ReductionThe Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, colloquially referred to as the Supercommittee, is a joint select committee of the United States Congress, created by the Budget Control Act of 2011 on August 2, 2011...
.
Early life
One of seven children, Murray was born in
Bothell, WashingtonBothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
, to Beverly A. McLaughlin and David L. Johns. Her mother was an
accountantAn accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
. Her father fought in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was awarded a
Purple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
.
Murray received her
Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in physical education from
Washington State UniversityWashington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
in 1972. She was a preschool teacher for several years and taught a parenting class at
Shoreline Community CollegeShoreline Community College is a community college in Shoreline, north of Seattle, Washington. It is located in a residential area east of Shoreview Park. The college contains 83 acres and continuously serves 12,000 full and part-time students....
from 1984 to 1987.
Early career
As a citizen-lobbyist for environmental and educational issues, she says she was once told by a state representative that she couldn't make a difference because she was just a "mom in tennis shoes." The phrase stuck, and she later used it in her successful campaigns for
Shoreline School DistrictThe Shoreline School District 412 is the school district in an established residential community north of Seattle and includes the cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park in the U.S. state of Washington...
Board of Directors (1985–1989),
Washington State SenateThe Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia....
(1989–1993), and United States Senate (1993 – present). Murray was successful in gathering grassroots support to strike down proposed preschool program budget cuts.
.
Her 1988 State Senate campaign was successful and she unseated incumbent Republican Bill Kiskadden. She was commended by the
Seattle Post Intelligencer.
United States Senator
Committee Assignments
- Committee on Appropriations
The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
- Subcommittee on Defense
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. Military defense spending is the largest individual component of federal discretionary spending, making the Defense Subcommittee one of the more powerful...
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Homeland Security
U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. It was formally established in 2003 in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to oversee national security programs and the newly created...
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Chairwoman)
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 112th Congress:The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, and the Ranking Member is Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina.Source: -Chairmen of the Senate...
(Chairwoman)
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions generally considers matters relating to health, education, labor, and pensions...
- Subcommittee on Children and Families
The Senate Health Subcommittee on Children and Families is one of the three subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Health-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee's jurisdiction includes Head Start, the Family Medical Leave Act, child care and child support, and other issues involving children, youth,...
- Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
The Senate Health Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety is one of the three subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Health-Jurisdiction:...
(Chairwoman)
- Committee on the Budget
The United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
- Committee on Rules and Administration
The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration is responsible for the rules of the United States Senate, with administration of congressional buildings, and with credentials and qualifications of members of the Senate, including responsibility for dealing with contested elections.The committee...
- Joint Committee on Printing
The Joint Committee on Printing is a joint committee of the United States Congress devoted to overseeing the functions of the Government Printing Office and general printing procedures of the federal government of the United States...
- United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, colloquially referred to as the Supercommittee, is a joint select committee of the United States Congress, created by the Budget Control Act of 2011 on August 2, 2011...
(Co-chair)
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
In October 2002, Murray was one of 21 Democrats in the Senate to vote against the War Authoritization for
invading IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Quoted from her Senate speech:
Mr. President, if we do take action in Iraq, there is no doubt that our armed forces will prevail. We will win a war with IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
decisively, and, God willing, we will win it quickly. But what happens after the war? That will have as big an impact on our future peace and security. Will we be obligated to rebuild Iraq? If so, how? Our economy is reeling, our budget is in deficit, and we have no estimate of the cost of rebuilding. And with whom? As New York Times columnist Tom FriedmanThomas Lauren Friedman is an American journalist, columnist and author. He writes a twice-weekly column for The New York Times. He has written extensively on foreign affairs including global trade, the Middle East, and environmental issues and has won the Pulitzer Prize three times.-Personal...
points out, there's a retail store mentality that suggests to some — if "you break it, you buy itThe Pottery Barn rule is American jargon alluding to a "you break it, you buy it" policy, by which a retail store holds a customer responsible for damage done to merchandise on display....
."
In December 2002, while speaking to students at
Columbia River High SchoolColumbia River High School is a public high school in Vancouver, Washington, United States. It is part of the . The school was opened to students in 1964. Columbia River has over 1,300 students...
in
VancouverVancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, Murray made a number of remarks about
Osama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, as she attempted to explain why the US had such problems winning hearts and minds in the Muslim world, and how bin Laden had garnered support among some in the Middle East. Among other things, she had stated that bin Laden has "been out in these countries for decades, building schools, building roads, building infrastructure, building daycare facilities, building health care facilities, and the people are extremely grateful. He's made their lives better. We have not done that." This attracted attention from political opponents, who argued that this constituted support for bin Laden. Republican state chairman Chris Vance was outraged, and said it was "despicable to imply that the American government should learn a lesson from the madman who murdered thousands of American citizens".
Global Trade Exchange
Senator Patty Murray put the controversial intelligence ports-data project
Global Trade ExchangeThe Global Trade Exchange is, or was, a controversial Homeland Security intelligence project, related to maritime-ports data-mining, being one of three pillers of the Safe Ports Act-related Secure Freight Initiatives. The Global Trade Exchange has a mysterious history dating from conception in...
into the Homeland security budget.
Other
In May 2006, Murray, along with 38 of 44 Senate Democrats, voted in favor of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S. 2611). The bill includes provisions to improve border security, increases fines and other punishments for employers of
illegal immigrantsIllegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
, creation of a
guest worker programThe Guest Worker Program is a program that has been proposed many times, including by U.S. President George W. Bush's administration as a way to permit U.S. employers to sponsor non-U.S. citizens as laborers for approximately three years, to be deported afterwards if they have not yet obtained a...
(which includes an almost doubling of the number of
H-1B visaThe H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101. It allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations...
s), and creates a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country. The bill, with support from some in the GOP leadership, passed 62-36.
Murray repeatedly cosponsored legislation to create the
Wild Sky WildernessThe Wild Sky Wilderness is a wilderness area in the western Cascade Range of Washington state. The wilderness is within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest north of the U.S. Highway 2 towns of Index and Skykomish. The wilderness flanks, but does not include, the North Fork Skykomish River...
area in the Washington
Cascade RangeThe Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. She eventually succeeded, with the bill being signed by President
BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on May 8, 2008. Murray has also supported legislation to increase the size of the
Alpine Lakes WildernessThe Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large wilderness area spanning the Cascade Range of Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is located in parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest, and is approximately bounded by Interstate 90 and Snoqualmie Pass to the south...
, also in the Washington Cascades.
1992
In 1992, Murray announced her intention to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate following the publication of a series of articles by
The Seattle Times alleging that incumbent Democrat
Brock AdamsBrockman "Brock" Adams was an American politician and member of Congress. Adams was a Democrat from Washington and served as a U.S. Representative, Senator, and United States Secretary of Transportation before retiring in January 1993.Adams was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended the public...
had
sexually assaultedSexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
a number of women. When Adams dropped out of the election before the primary, Murray defeated Representative
Don BonkerDon Leroy Bonker is an American former congressman for the state of Washington and a Democrat. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1989, representing Washington's third Congressional district.He is a resident of Bainbridge Island, Washington.Bonker...
to win the Democratic nomination. In the general election she faced
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
RepresentativeThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Rod ChandlerRodney Dennis "Rod" Chandler was a U.S. Representative from Washington. He is the great-great-grandnephew of long-time U.S. Senator Zachariah Chandler of Michigan....
, whom she defeated 54 percent to 46 percent despite being outspent by a wide margin. On August 2, 2006, the
New York Times said, "In 1994, Senator
Strom ThurmondJames Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
of
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
was said to have engaged in excessive touching of his then-freshman colleague Patty Murray of Washington. Ms. Murray later asked for and received an apology from Mr. Thurmond,
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported at the time. Through a spokeswoman, Ms. Murray declined to comment."
1998
In 1998 she won reelection against Representative Linda Smith, 58 percent to 42 percent.
2004
Murray faced another Republican Representative,
George NethercuttGeorge R. Nethercutt, Jr. is an American politician, and is the founder and chairman of The George Nethercutt Foundation. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2005, representing ....
, whom she defeated 55 percent to 43 percent.
2008
On January 30, 2008, Murray endorsed Hillary Clinton in the
2008 Democratic presidential primariesThe 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
. One month later, the
Washington Democratic caucusThe 2008 Washington Democratic caucuses were a series of events held by the Washington State Democratic Party to determine the delegates that the Party sent to the 2008 Democratic National Convention...
awarded two-thirds of its delegates to
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and one-third to Clinton. After Clinton's June 7 concession, Murray switched her endorsement to Obama.
2010
Murray was challenged by Republican nominee
Dino RossiDino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
. Leading up to the election, Murray was endorsed by several prominent Washington State newspapers.
Murray's challenger, Dino Rossi, conceded the election to Murray on November 4, 2010, two days after election day. The final tally showed Murray with 52% to Rossi's 48%, enabling Murray to go on to serve a fourth term in the United States Senate.
Criticism
Patty Murray has been criticized for denouncing the Koch brothers and then leaving a voicemail soliciting donations from them.
Electoral history
Washington Senator (Class III) results: 1992–2010
| Year |
|
Democrat |
Votes |
Pct |
|
Republican |
Votes |
Pct |
|
3rd Party |
Party |
Votes |
Pct |
|
3rd Party |
Party |
Votes |
Pct |
|
| 1992 The 1992 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 3, 1992. Serving one term, incumbent U.S. Senator Brock Adams was strongly supportive of his party's leadership...
|
|
|
1,197,973 |
54% |
|
|
1,020,829 |
46% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1998 The 1998 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Patty Murray won re-election to a second term.-Results:-References:...
|
|
Patty Murray |
1,103,184 |
58% |
|
Linda Smith |
785,377 |
42% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2004 |
|
Patty Murray |
1,549,708 |
55% |
|
|
1,204,584 |
43% |
|
J. Mills |
LibertarianThe Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
|
34,055 |
1% |
|
Mark B. Wilson |
GreenThe Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
|
30,304 |
1% |
|
|
| 2010 The 2010 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S...
|
|
Patty Murray |
1,314,930 |
52% |
|
Dino Rossi Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
|
1,196,164 |
48% |
|
|
|
Personal life
Murray is married to Rob Murray and has two grown children, Sara and Randy. Murray is a lifelong resident of
Bothell, WashingtonBothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
.
External links