Frank Vana Chopp (born May 13, 1953) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the

Washington House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...

, representing the 43rd district since 1995. His district covers the neighborhoods of Montlake, Fremont, Wallingford, the University District, Madison Park, and part of Capitol Hill, all of which are in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

. Chopp served as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

from 2002 to 2019.

Biography

Frank Chopp was born on May 13, 1953 in

Bremerton Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremer ...

, Washington.Garber, Andrew
"Chopp melds strategy, clout as he leads battle for House."

Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington st ...

. July 23, 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2009. His father was a coal miner who moved to the shipyards and found employment as a union electrical worker and his mother, Anne, worked in a school cafeteria.Thomas, Ralph
"Chopp takes helm of House today – Rough times face Seattle Democrat."

. January 14, 2002. Retrieved February 28, 2017. He attended East High School in Bremerton and graduated top of his class in 1971. While still in high school, Chopp led a protest against the Elks Club's refusal to allow black members. He later attended the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

, graduating ''magna cum laude'' in 1975."Frank Chopp Voter Guide Statement."
2016 Voter's Guide,

Secretary of State of Washington The secretary of state of Washington is an independently elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Washington. Fifteen individuals have held the office of Secretary of State since statehood. The ...

. Retrieved March 1, 2017. As a student at the University of Washington, he organized efforts to preserve low-income housing in Seattle. To protest the demolition of low-incoming housing, Chopp lived in a geodesic dome situated in a parking lot in

South Lake Union South Lake Union (sometimes SLU) is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, so named because it is at the southern tip of Lake Union. The official boundaries of the City of Seattle Urban Center are Denny Way on the south, beyond which is Denny ...

.Burkhalter, Aaron
"43rd Legislative District: Round Two."

Real Change ''Real Change'' is a weekly progressive street newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, USA written by professional staff and sold by self-employed vendors, many of whom are homeless. The paper provides them with an alternative to panhandling ...

. October 29, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2017. He is married to Nancy Long and has two children. He lives in the Wallingford neighborhood of

, Washington.

Early career

After graduating from the University of Washington, Chopp began his career as a community organizer focused on social services and education. From 1976–1983, Chopp held various managing and directorial positions for the Cascade Community Center, the Pike Market Senior Center, and the North Community Service Center before becoming executive director of the Fremont Public Association, now known as Solid Ground, in 1983.Corr, O. Casey
"Helping Hand Has Muscle – Lawmaker’s Activism Is Potent Force."

. May 26, 1997. Retrieved February 28, 2017. As executive director of the FPA, Chopp promoted services such as an emergency food bank, a clothing bank, and an employment program."Our History."
Solid Ground. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp later served as the organization's president, and has served as senior advisor since 2006."Frank’s Biography."
Frank Chopp for State Representative. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp has been involved with a number of groups, service agencies, and programs including the Coalition for Survival Services, King County Housing Opportunity Fund, Cascade Shelter Project, the Food Resources Network, the Workers Center, Lettuce Link, Community Voice Mail, the Sand Point Community Housing Association, PortJOBS, the Committee for Economic Opportunity, and the Low Income Housing Institute. Chopp co-founded the Seattle Tenant's Union in 1977 and has been involved in efforts to organize three collective bargaining units for office workers, home care workers, and public transit drivers. From 1992–1995, he held a part-time lecturer position at the University of Washington Graduate School of Public Affairs. Since 1972, Chopp has served on over twenty nonprofit boards.

Politics

Chopp was first elected to the House in 1994. He served as House Minority Leader from 1997–1998. In 1999–2001, Democrats and Republicans split the House and Chopp served as Co-Speaker in the 1999-2001 legislative sessions alongside Clyde Ballard.Oldham, Kit
"Clyde Ballard and Frank Chopp are elected co-Speakers of the state House of Representatives on January 11, 1999."

HistoryLink HistoryLink is an online encyclopedia of Washington state history. The site has more than 8,100 entries and attracts 5,000 daily visitors. It has 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images. The non-profit historical organization History Ink prod ...

. July 20, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp served as Speaker of the House from 2002–2019."Frank Chopp"
House Democrats.

Washington State Legislature The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senat ...

. Retrieved February 28, 2017.

Issues

In 2003 Chopp voted for an operating budget Democrats later condemned as the "Rossi budget" when its architect, Republican Senator

Dino Rossi Dino John Rossi (born October 15, 1959) is an American businessman and politician who served as a Washington State Senator thrice, from 1997 to 2003, in 2012, and again from 2016 to 2017. A Republican, he is a former Chair of the Washington Stat ...

, ran for governor in 2004; most of Chopp's House Democrats voted against the budget. In 2006, Chopp killed a bill requiring large employers like Wal-Mart to reimburse the state if they heavily relied upon state programs for employee health care. Many fans of the former

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

National Basketball Association franchise felt Chopp was a roadblock to keeping the team. ''Seattle'' ''Post-Intelligencer'' columnist Art Thiel stated "Sonics fans have come to know Chopp, D-Death Star, as the No. 1 legislative opponent of public help to keep the team in Seattle." New owners bought out the Seattle lease and moved the team to Oklahoma City before the 2008–09 season, where the team now plays as the Thunder. In 2008, the Democratic Senate passed a bill, 27–20, giving Washington consumers statutory warranty rights in purchasing new homes. The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee before being denied a House floor vote by Chopp. The same thing had happened in 2007. Chopp's action was condemned editorially by both the ''Seattle Times'' and the ''Post-Intelligencer'' (then a print newspaper). In awarding Chopp a "Schrammie," Ken Schramm of KOMO News stated: "For the second year in a row, the Great and Mighty Speaker has had his way in killing a bill that would've provided homeowners with protection against shoddy construction." The ''Post-Intelligencer'' asked,"Why is Democratic House Speaker Frank Chopp yet again killing a bill that would protect this state's homeowners from being on the hook for shoddy construction? It doesn't look good that Chopp has friends at the Building Industry Association of Washington, the bill's main opponent (BIAW executive VP Tom McCabe said he'd love to see Chopp run for governor)." In 2009 Chopp killed a Worker Privacy Bill that Democrats had promised to support during their 2008 campaigns. After a labor lobbyist warned some friends that organized labor might withhold support from Democrats, Chopp tried to have the lobbyist arrested by the Washington State Patrol; however, the Patrol exonerated the lobbyist. By the 2017 legislative session, a faltering Chopp again faced the prospect of losing a state budget battle to Senate Republicans, as he had every session since 2003 in which Republicans were in control. On the eve of the June 30 vote to avert a state shutdown Chopp refused to make his budget compromise public.

Housing

Prior to being elected, Chopp helped lead the campaign to approve a $50 million Low-Income Housing Levy and a $25 million

Seattle Art Museum The Seattle Art Museum (commonly known as SAM) is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, United States. It operates three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) in Volunteer Park on Cap ...

Levy.Yeager, John
"The Affordable Housing Crusader."

KCTS-TV KCTS-TV (channel 9) is a PBS member television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, owned by Cascade Public Media. Its studios are located at the northeast corner of Seattle Center adjacent to the Space Needle, and its transmitter is ...

. December 1, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2017."Community Accomplishments."
Frank Chopp for State Representative. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp has also initiated and organized efforts to create the

Low Income Housing Institute History LIHI is rooted in a commitment to advocacy for low-income and homeless people. LIHI's early emphases were providing advocacy and technical assistance to promote the interests of low-income and homeless people. LIHI worked to support the ...

; the Seattle Tenants Union; the King County Housing Opportunity Fund, which was the first King County allocated its own local tax dollars to provide low-income housing; the Sand Point Community Housing Project; the Broadway Emergency Shelter and the Family Shelter Program; the Cascade Shelter Project; and expanded the Housing Counseling Program, which assists low-income people who face eviction or foreclosure.Chopp, Frank
"Guest Editorial: We Need to Fight for Affordable Housing on Many Fronts."
The Stranger. August 4, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp helped co-found Washington's Housing Trust Fund, which has provided over $1 billion for low-income housing since its inception"The Washington State Housing Trust Fund."
Washington State Department of Commerce. Retrieved March 1, 2017. and also created the Housing Security Fund, which helps pay for housing and support services for the homeless,"HB 2163."
59th Legislature. 2005 Regular Session. (WA 2005) Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp designed the Home and Hope program, which repurposes unused public properties for affordable housing development. The program has built nearly 300 affordable apartment buildings in Seattle. In 2015, Chopp passed legislation requiring Sound Transit to donate excess land around new light rail stations to non-profit affordable housing developers."The state has made a substantial investment for affordable housing."
The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 10, 2020.

Healthcare

Chopp co-organized the successful application, working with the Seattle-King County Health Department, for a Health Care for the Homeless Project from the

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is an American philanthropic organization. It is the largest one focused solely on health. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, the foundation focuses on access to health care, public health, health equity, ...

, as well as initiating a home care program. Chopp also has initiated health programs for the elderly, people with disabilities, and those infected with

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

. In the 2007 legislative session, Chopp helped create Apple Health For Kids, which now covers over 800,000 young people in Washington State."HB 1071"
60th Legislature. 2007 Regular Session. (WA 2007) Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp also implemented Medicaid Expansion in Washington State.Chopp, Frank
"Statement from Speaker Frank Chopp on Governor Inslee’s budget and revenue proposal."
House Democrats,

. March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2017. He led efforts to help enact mental health parity, which Chopp cites as "the proudest moment of my service in the Legislature.""HB 1460"
60th Legislature. 2007 Regular Session. (WA 2007) Retrieved March 1, 2017.Reynolds, Ross and Hannah Burn
"Speaker Frank Chopp’s Tearful Story of Sister With Mental Illness."
KUOW. December 18, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp also helped save and reform the Disability Lifeline program, which provides services for people with disabilities.Chopp, Frank
"Speaker Frank Chopp’s Opening Day Speech."
House Democrats.

. January 9, 2012. February 28, 2017. In 2019, Chopp passed "Cascade Care," a public option for health insurance available to all Washington residents. When the program takes effect in 2021, it will be offered under a hybrid public-private model that lawmakers selected to control healthcare costs while reducing premiums and co-pays for patients.

Economy

Chopp was an early proponent of the Community Jobs program, which helps

welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

recipients gain skills and

employment Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

through various community-based

nonprofit organizations A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

in Washington State.Johnson, Clifford M. and Lana Kim
"Washington State’s Community Jobs Initiative."

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a progressive American think tank that analyzes the impact of federal and state government budget policies. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Center's stated mission is to "conduct resear ...

. September 7, 1999. Retrieved March 2, 2017. Chopp served as a founding board member of the Office of PortJOBS at the

Port of Seattle The Port of Seattle is a government agency overseeing the seaport and airport of Seattle, Washington, United States. With a portfolio of properties ranging from parks and waterfront real estate, to one of the largest airports and container t ...

. In this role, he initiated the Committee for Economic Opportunity, which developed partnerships with the Port of Seattle, businesses,

labor unions A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

, and educational institutions. Chopp also co-initiated and developed the Seattle Worker Center, which addresses the needs of dislocated and unemployed workers, through a Re-employment Support Center, the Trades Mentor Network, and Community Voice Mail (which won a national award for Innovations in State and Local Governments) sponsored by

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

. Chopp was one of the founding members of the successful

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...

increase initiative in SeaTac in 2013.Martinez, Amy
"SeaTac’s wage initiative scores backing of Democratic officials."

. September 18, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2017. He also led a

coalition A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces. Formation According to ''A Gui ...

to increase Washington State's minimum wage to the highest level in the nation, which was the first time annual increases were tied to the

cost of living Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time can be operationalized in a cost-of-living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a c ...

.Camden, Jim
"Washington House passes bill to raise minimum wage to $12."

Spokesman Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a ...

. March 4, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp has also passed legislation requiring paid sick leave, expanding

collective bargaining Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The i ...

rights, and banning

wage theft Wage theft is the failing to pay wages or provide employee benefits owed to an employee by contract or law. It can be conducted by employers in various ways, among them failing to pay overtime; violating minimum wage, minimum-wage laws; the miscl ...

Education

In 2005, Chopp created the Education Legacy Trust Fund, which supports "expanding access to

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

through funding for new enrollments and

financial aid Student financial aid in the United States is funding that is available exclusively to students attending a post-secondary educational institution in the United States. This funding is used to assist in covering the many costs incurred in the p ...

, and other educational improvement efforts.""HB 2314"
59th Legislature. 2005 Regular Session. (WA 2005) Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp led efforts to expand the Opportunity Grant program and Opportunity Scholarship Fund to make college more affordable for students."Frank Chopp Speaks to King County Democrats LAC."
Majority Rules. December 15, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2017. In the 2015-17 budget, Chopp supported a tuition freeze, as well as lowering tuition costs.Long, Katherine
"’Historic’ tuition cut sets state apart from rest of U.S."

. July 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2017. In 2014, Chopp helped enact the

DREAM Act The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act, is a United States legislative proposal to grant temporary conditional residency, with the right to work, to illegal immigrants who entered the United States ...

, which provided access to college for students from immigrant families.Tran, Alexander
"WA State Dream Act gives undocumented students a shot at higher education."
The Seattle Globalist. March 20, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2017. In 2015, Chopp led efforts to invest over $1.3 billion in basic K-3 education as part of the first phase of addressing the McCleary decision."Washington State House, Senate agree on budget."
Kirkland Reporter. June 30, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2017. In 2019, Chopp led the passage of free college and university tuition through the Workforce Education Investment Act. The legislation expands the Washington College Grant and provides free tuition at public colleges and universities to 120,000 low-income students per year. The grant is funded by a progressive payroll tax on companies with highly skilled workers, including major tech corporations such as Microsoft and Amazon.

Environment

Chopp is a proponent of taking action to

address climate change Climate change mitigation is action to limit climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or removing those gases from the atmosphere. The recent rise in global average temperature is mostly caused by emissions from fossil fuels b ...

."House Democrats move priority bills before cutoff."
House Democrats.

. February 14, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2017. He has led efforts in reducing and banning toxic chemicals, cleaning up Washington's

waterways A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary ...

, promoting

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

production, clean car standards and reducing

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and lar ...

, and other important environmental issues."Legislative Scorecard 2003-2004."
Washington Conservation Voters. Retrieved March 1, 2017."Legislative Scorecard 2013-14."
Washington Conservation Voters. Retrieved March 1, 2017. In 2019, Chopp passed the 100% Clean Electricity Mandate and the Clean Fuel Standard, although the latter did not pass the State Senate. The Clean Electricity Mandate requires that the state decarbonize its electricity sector by 2030. The measure also includes "energy assistance" funds, paid for by utilities, that are available to low-income households for home weatherization, solar panel installation, and efficiency upgrades.

Women's issues

Chopp is a

pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

proponent. As Speaker, he supported the Reproductive Parity Act, which guaranteed health coverage for a woman's right to seek an abortion.Vande Griend, Carryn
"Democratic House Passes RPA, Delivering Challenge to Sen. Tom."

Seattle Met ''Seattle Metropolitan'', or ''Seattle Met'', is a monthly city magazine covering Seattle, Washington. Its first issue was published in March 2006, and features reporting and feature articles on Seattle events, politics, people, dining and restaura ...

. February 22, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp has supported efforts for pay equity for women and initiatives that get more women in the workplace."HB 1646"
64th Legislature. 2015 Regular Session. (WA 2015) Retrieved March 1, 2017. In 2018, Chopp supported the Reproductive Parity Act to ban discrimination in reproductive care. The law requires health insurers to cover abortions if they cover maternal care. The bill was supported by pro-choice organizations, including Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawai'i.

LGBT issues

In 2012, Chopp supported the

Marriage Equality Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

Act, as well as helping Washington state to be the first state to

repeal A repeal (O.F. ''rapel'', modern ''rappel'', from ''rapeler'', ''rappeler'', revoke, ''re'' and ''appeler'', appeal) is the removal or reversal of a law. There are two basic types of repeal; a repeal with a re-enactment is used to replace the law ...

the

Defense of Marriage Act The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...

.Chopp, Frank and Jamie Pedersen
"2012 Legislative Review."
House Democrats.

. May 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp also supported

gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...

legislation in the Washington State House in 2005 that ultimately failed in the Republican controlled State Senate by one vote.Garber, Andrew and Ralph Thomas
"Gay-rights bill falls 1 vote short of becoming state law."

. April 22, 2005. Retrieved March 1, 2017. In 2020, Chopp supported the "comprehensive sex-ed bill", which requires public schools to teach consent, contraception, and LGBTQ issues."Inslee signs bill mandating sex education in Washington schools."
King 5 News. Retrieved July 10, 2020.

Transportation

During Chopp's tenure at the Fremont Public Association, he co-initiated and oversaw the operation of Seattle Personal Transit, which provides

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

for low-income elderly and people with disabilities.Reed Hawk, Liz
"March 2014 Groundviews: ‘We saw a need; we met it.’"
Groundviews. Fremont Public Association. March 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp also organized opposition to the original plan for the West Seattle Freeway in 1974, collecting over 20,000 signatures within a month to refer the issue to the voters. As Speaker, Chopp supported legislation for the 2015 Connecting Washington funding package."Connecting Washington."

Washington State Department of Transportation The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT or WashDOT, both ) is a governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Establi ...

. Retrieved March 2, 2016. The measure authorized the Sound Transit 3 vote, which voters passed in 2016. Chopp sponsored legislation to require Sound Transit to donate excess property around new light rail stations to non-profit affordable housing developers.

References

External links

"Speaker Frank Chopp"
Official

page for Speaker Frank Chopp
Rep. Frank Chopp
official campaign website * ''Follow the Money'' - Frank Chopp *
20082006200420022000199819961994
campaign contributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Chopp, Frank 1953 births 21st-century American politicians Living people Speakers of the Washington House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Washington House of Representatives University of Washington alumni