Former Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland Enters Washington State’s 10th Congressional District Race
Highlights record as Mayor delivering results for people and getting things done
(Tacoma, Washington) — Marilyn Strickland, Democrat, community leader, former two-term Mayor of Tacoma, and CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce, today announced her candidacy in Washington’s open 10th Congressional District. Strickland vowed to bring the same effective, progressive leadership which reshaped Tacoma to the U.S. Congress.
“Mayors get things done, and I’ll take that same focus and energy to represent the 10th District in the other Washington,” Strickland said. “The South Sound is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. We need a forward thinking representative in Congress to solve the challenges that come with growth – from transportation and housing to health care and climate change.”
“In Congress I will fight for an economy that works for everyone, lower health care costs, clean air and water and the ability to both send your kids to college and retire with dignity. Mayors answer to the people and that’s how Congress should operate too. It’s time to put government back into the hands of the voters.”
Strickland is the only candidate with a proven record of local and regional leadership, deep roots in the South Sound, and the ability to build broad-based coalitions that deliver results. Thanks to her leadership as Mayor of Tacoma, the city attracted over $1 billion worth of investment into housing, office, and retail space; boosted high school graduation rates from 55% to 89%; and will invest over $500 million in infrastructure.
She added, “Over the past three years, the Trump Administration has systematically dismantled decades of progress – and they aren’t done yet. Now more than ever we need to send a progressive leader to Congress who can stand up for our values and knows how to get things done. Denny Heck has been a courageous leader for our region, and I am thankful for his hard work over the past seven years. I look forward to building upon his legacy in Congress.”
Strickland’s early endorsements include two-term Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, Sumner Mayor Bill Pugh, Fircrest Mayor Hunter George, Tacoma Port Commissioner John McCarthy, environmental leader Gene Duvernoy, Former Washington State Democratic Chair Paul Berendt, and educator Nate Bowling, the 2016 Washington State Teacher of the Year.
Born in Seoul, Strickland comes from a military family and is the first Korean- and African-American elected mayor of Tacoma. She attended Tacoma Public Schools, holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington and earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Clark-Atlanta University.
For more information please visit www.stricklandforwashington.com
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