I’m Marilyn, and I have the honor of representing Washington State’s 10th Congressional District in Congress, which covers parts of Pierce County and Thurston County. I was raised in the South Sound and come from a military family, and I work every day to make the South Sound and our nation more safe, just, and secure for all.
I was born in Seoul, South Korea to an African American father and South Korean mother, and today, I’m the first African American to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level, and one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress in its 232-year history.
Before being elected to Congress, I served as Mayor of Tacoma, where 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 equity and inclusion, and fostering economic development in our region.
In Congress, I serve on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and House Armed Services Committee. In my first term in Congress, I’ve focused on delivering for the South Sound. 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.
I’m a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the New Democrat Coalition, and the Pro-Choice Caucus. I Co-Chair the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, and also a member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus, and the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
I live in Tacoma with my husband, and I’m honored to be our region’s voice in Congress.