I’m Marilyn, and it is my honor to represent Washington State’s 10th Congressional District, which covers parts of Pierce County and Thurston County. I was raised in Washington State and come from a military family, and I work every day to make our nation more safe, just, and secure for all of us.
I was born in Seoul, and I’m the first African-American and Korean-American woman elected to Congress in its 234-year history.
In my first two terms in Congress, I’ve focused on delivering for our region and state. I secured over $12 million in housing, pedestrian safety, clean water, workforce development, and transit investments directly for the South Sound. I also delivered $7 billion in bipartisan infrastructure investments for Washington State, and over $300 million for the South Sound through the American Rescue Plan.
In Congress, I serve on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I’m also a Chief Deputy Whip in the House Democratic Caucus, Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the New Democrat Coalition, and the Pro-Choice Caucus. I also chair the New Democrat Coalition National Security Task Force, co-chair the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, and am a member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus.
For the 2024 election cycle, I’m a Co-Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Frontline Program to help Democrats retain incumbent seats and reclaim the majority in 2024.
Before being elected to Congress in 2020, I served two terms as Mayor of Tacoma with a focus on education, infrastructure and jobs. I led efforts to raise the high school graduation rate in Tacoma from 55 percent to over 90 percent, increase the minimum wage, and pass paid sick leave, which led to statewide action. I later served as President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, with a focus on equitable and inclusive economic development in our region.
I live in the 10th Congressional District with my husband, and I’m honored to be our region’s voice in Congress.