Michelle L. Downey Caldier (born 1976) is an American dentist, professor, and politician serving as a 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 26th district since 2015. A member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, Caldier was elected to the

in 2014, defeating incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Larry Seaquist by a narrow vote margin with her election giving Washington Republicans one of four pickups in the House in the 2014 election. Her district includes the cities of Bremerton,

Gig Harbor Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington,. The population was 12,029 at the 2020 census. Gig Harbor is one of several cities and towns that claim to be "the gateway to the Olympic ...

and Port Orchard.

Early life, education, and early career

Caldier was born in

Bremerton, Washington 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 Bremerto ...

, and raised in Kitsap County. Caldier graduated from

Central Kitsap High School Central Kitsap High School is a secondary school located in Silverdale, Washington, United States. It is one of seven secondary schools in the Central Kitsap School District. CKHS teaches grades 09-12. CKHS was for the first time ranked in the ...

. Caldier earned her Associate of Sciences at Olympic College, and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science from 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 ...

, followed by her Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Caldier has owned a dentistry practice for more than a decade that serves nursing homes around

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

. She was also an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. In 2012, Caldier joined others to lobby the Legislature to restore funding to adult dental care for those on

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...

, and was successful. This inspired her to run for the Legislature and continue fighting for those who cannot care for themselves. Caldier has donated thousands of hours to caring for the underserved, and chaired the Access to Care Committee for several years.

Washington legislature

Elections

In 2014, Caldier decided to challenge incumbent Democratic State Representative Larry Seaquist of Washington's 26th house district, seat 2. She defeated him 50.61% – 49.37%, a difference of 601 votes. Caldier became the first Republican elected to the seat since then Rep. Lois McMahan was defeated by

Derek Kilmer Derek Christian Kilmer (born January 1, 1974) is an American politician who has been the U.S. representative for Washington's 6th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the Washington House ...

in 2004.

Results

Tenure

Caldier was the author and prime sponsor of House Bill 1855, a measure that requires local school districts to waive local requirements for foster children, homeless children, and at-risk youth who have attended three or more high schools and have met all state requirements for graduation. This is similar to current exceptions allowed for military dependent of active service members. The Washington State House of Representatives unanimously passed the bill on March 2, 2015.

Committee assignments

*Appropriations *Education *Health Care & Wellness

Personal life

Caldier resides in Port Orchard, Washington. She has been an outspoken advocate for foster children, having herself been a foster child. She is the mother and foster mother of three daughters.

References

External links

Representative Michelle Caldier
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldier, Michelle Living people People from Bremerton, Washington American dentists Republican Party members of the Washington House of Representatives Women state legislators in Washington (state) 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians 1976 births