Laurie A. Jinkins (born August 1964) is an American politician, attorney, and public health official from

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...

who serves 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 ...

from the 27th district. A

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 ...

, she has 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 ...

since January 2020.

Early life and education

Jinkins grew up in the rural Midwest and attended the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

, where she earned both bachelor's and master's degrees. She moved to Washington State in 1987 to attend the

University of Puget Sound School of Law Seattle University School of Law, or Seattle Law School, or SU Law (formerly University of Puget Sound School of Law) is the law school affiliated with Seattle University, the Northwest's largest independent university. The School is accredited ...

(now affiliated with

Seattle University Seattle University (SeattleU) is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington. Seattle University is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate prog ...

), earning a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

(J.D.) in 1990. In 2007, she completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at

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 ...

John F. Kennedy School of Government The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

Career

After graduation, she worked as an assistant attorney general in Tacoma, before joining the

Washington State Department of Health The Washington State Department of Health is a state agency of Washington. It is headquartered in Olympia, Washington. The agency was created by the state legislature in May 1989 after splitting from the Washington State Department of Social and ...

in Olympia in 1995. She remained at the department until 2008, rising to the post of assistant secretary. In 2008, she joined the Tacoma–Pierce County Health Department as deputy director.

Politics

Jinkins has a long record of involvement in civic, government and political organizations. From 1990 to 1992, she chaired the Tacoma Hate Crimes Task Force, later chairing the Tacoma Charter Review Committee and the

Tacoma Community College Tacoma Community College (TCC) is a public community college in Tacoma, Washington with operations in Tacoma and Gig Harbor. It serves the city of Tacoma and the Pierce County portion of the Kitsap Peninsula. History TCC's creation was author ...

Board of Trustees. In 2009, she led the successful statewide campaign to approve

Referendum 71 The 2009 Washington Referendum 71 (R-71) legalized domestic partnership in Washington state, the first statewide referendum in the United States that extended to LGBT people the rights and responsibility of domestic partnership. The bill had pa ...

, affirming Washington's domestic partnership law. When Rep. Dennis Flannigan (D–Tacoma) decided against seeking re-election to the Washington House in 2010, Jinkins announced her candidacy for the seat. Four Democrats and one independent filed for the open seat with a

top two primary A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for the same elected office run against each other at once, regardless of the political party. Partisan elections are, on the other hand, segregated by political party. ...

held on August 17, 2010. Jinkins was the top vote getter in the primary with fellow Democrat

Jake Fey Jacob Carl Fey (born 1949) is an American politician serving as a member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 27th district. A member of the Democratic Party, Fey assumed office on January 14, 2013. Early life and educa ...

, a member of

Tacoma City Council The Tacoma City Council is the major governing body in the city of Tacoma, Washington. The City Council has one mayor and eight council members, who are elected to serve four-year terms. The City Council has the power to write the laws of the city, ...

, finishing second. In the general election held on November 2, Jinkins defeated Fey 54–46%. On July 31, 2019, the House Democratic Caucus selected Rep. Jinkins as the new State House Speaker-designate. Replacing Interim Speaker

John Lovick John Lovick is an American magician, writer, and director. Since the 1990s he has performed as a magician throughout the United States and Canada, as well as England, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. His performing alter ego, Handsome ...

, who took over upon the end of former speaker

Frank Chopp Frank Vana Chopp (born May 13, 1953) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 43rd district since 1995. His district covers the neighborhoods of Montlake, Fremont, Wall ...

's term. Jinkins is the first female and first LGBTQ speaker in Washington State history.

Personal life

Jinkins is openly gay. She and her wife, Laura Wulf, have one son. She is the first openly lesbian member of the

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 ...

References

External links

Official Washington House webpageHouse Democratic Caucus: Rep. Laurie JinkinsCampaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jinkins, Laurie 1964 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Lesbian politicians LGBT state legislators in Washington (state) Living people Seattle University School of Law alumni Speakers of the Washington House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Washington House of Representatives Politicians from Tacoma, Washington University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Women state legislators in Washington (state)