Janéa Noel Holmquist Newbry (born December 14, 1974) is an American politician of the Republican Party. She was a member of the

Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympi ...

, representing the 13th Legislative District from 2007 to 2015. She previously served in 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 ...

from 2001 to 2006.

Background

Holmquist Newbry was first elected to the Senate in 2006, after serving 3 terms as the 13th District's State Representative. At 31, she became the youngest female State Senator in Washington history. She was the chairwoman on the Washington State Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, and also serves on the Trade and Economic Development Committee. She served on the State Building Codes Council, the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee, and the Select Committee on Pension Policy.

Congressional campaign

On February 19, 2014, Holmquist Newbry announced that she would run for

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

Washington's 4th Congressional District Washington's 4th congressional district encompasses a large area of central Washington, covering the counties of Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, Yakima, Franklin, Benton, and Adams, and part of Walla Walla County. The district is dominated by the Ya ...

following 10-term Congressman

Doc Hastings Richard Norman Hastings (born February 7, 1941) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party who served as the U.S. representative for from 1995 until his retirement in 2015. The district includes much of central Washington inc ...

' announcement that he would not be seeking reelection in 2014.

Awards

* 2014 Guardians of Small Business award. Presented by NFIB. *Washington Restaurant Association Legislative Hero Award *Association of Washington Business Jim Mattson Award *Washington State Potato Commission Legislator of the Year *Association of General Contractors Legislator of the Year *Association of General Contractors Legislator of the Year *Business Institute of Washington's Business Star Award. *She is also the only legislator to earn the Washington Farm Bureau Legislator of the Year Award two years in a row.

Education

Holmquist Newbry earned her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) () is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the univ ...

in Spokane, WA.

Personal

Holmquist Newbry resides in Grant County with her husband, Matt. In 2012 they had a son, Makaio. In early 2013, when Janea left the Senate chambers to nurse her newborn son, Democrats tried to seize the opportunity for a quick vote without her since the Republicans only had a one-vote majority at the time. The effort failed.

References

1974 births Living people Republican Party members of the Washington House of Representatives Republican Party Washington (state) state senators Women state legislators in Washington (state) Gonzaga University alumni People from Kittitas County, Washington 21st-century American women {{Washington-politician-stub