Jay Inslee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Inslee
Inslee in 2024
23rd Governor of Washington
In office January 16, 2013 – January 15, 2025
Lieutenant	Brad Owen Cyrus Habib Denny Heck
Preceded by	Christine Gregoire
Succeeded by	Bob Ferguson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington
In office January 3, 1999 – March 20, 2012
Preceded by	Rick White
Succeeded by	Suzan DelBene
Constituency	1st district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Sid Morrison
Succeeded by	Doc Hastings
Constituency	4th district
Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 14th district
In office January 9, 1989 – January 11, 1993
Preceded by	Jim Lewis
Succeeded by	Dave Lemmon
Personal details
Born	Jay Robert Inslee (1951-02-09) February 9, 1951 (age 74) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Trudi Tindall ​ (m. 1972)​
Children	3
Education	University of Washington (BA) Willamette University (JD)
Signature

Jay Robert Inslee (pronounced INZ-lee; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 23rd governor of Washington from 2013 to 2025. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Before becoming governor, he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He served there from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012. Inslee also ran for president in the 2020 Democratic presidential election.

Jay Inslee grew up in Seattle, Washington. He went to the University of Washington and Willamette University College of Law. He started his political career in the Washington House of Representatives from 1989 to 1993.

In 1992, Inslee was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Washington's 4th district. After losing reelection in 1994, he worked as a lawyer. He first ran for governor of Washington in 1996 but did not win. Later, he worked for the United States Department of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton.

Inslee returned to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1999, representing Washington's 1st district. He was reelected six times. In 2012, he ran for governor again and won. He defeated Rob McKenna, the state attorney general. Inslee was reelected for a second term in 2016 and a third term in 2020. He announced in May 2023 that he would not run for a fourth term.

As governor, Inslee has focused on important issues like climate change, education, and making changes to the justice system. He has also been known for disagreeing with President Donald Trump on certain policies. For example, he joined a lawsuit against a travel ban that affected people from several Muslim-majority countries.

Early Life and Education

Jay Robert Inslee was born on February 9, 1951, in Seattle, Washington. He was the oldest of three sons. His mother, Adele, worked as a sales clerk. His father, Frank, was a high school counselor and football coach. Frank Inslee later became the athletic director for Seattle Public Schools. Jay Inslee's family has lived in Washington for five generations.

Inslee went to Ingraham High School in Seattle. He was a good student and a talented athlete. He played center on the basketball team and was the starting quarterback on the football team. He graduated in 1969.

His interest in environmental issues started when he was young. His parents would take groups of high school students to clean up Mount Rainier. He met his future wife, Trudi Tindall, in high school.

Inslee first went to Stanford University to study medicine. He had to leave after a year because he could not get a scholarship. He then went to the University of Washington and earned a degree in economics in 1973. After that, he studied law at Willamette University School of Law, getting his law degree in 1976.

Jay and Trudi Inslee got married on August 27, 1972. They have three sons: Jack, Connor, and Joseph. After law school, they moved to Selah. Inslee worked as a city prosecutor and practiced law there for 10 years. He became interested in politics in 1985 while helping to build a new high school.

Time in the Washington State Legislature (1989–1993)

How Inslee Was Elected

Inslee ran for the Washington House of Representatives in 1988. The person who held the seat before him, Jim Lewis, was not running again. Inslee's opponent was Lynn Carmichael, a former mayor of Yakima. Carmichael was expected to win.

Inslee worked hard during his campaign. He talked about his rural background and how his legal work helped local people and businesses. He won the election, defeating Carmichael by 52% to 48%. In 1990, Inslee was reelected with 62% of the votes.

What Inslee Did in the Legislature

In the state legislature, Inslee tried to pass a bill to fund new campuses for Washington State University. Even though the bill didn't pass, he showed how determined he was. He also worked to stop steroid use among high school athletes. He pushed for a bill that would require all drivers to have auto insurance. In 1991, he supported a bill to make state agencies and schools more energy-efficient.

Serving in Congress (1993–1995)

First Election to Congress

Inslee during the 103rd Congress

In 1992, U.S. Representative Sid Morrison decided not to run again. Inslee then decided to run for this open seat in central-eastern Washington. This area includes rural, farming communities and areas focused on research. Inslee won the Democratic primary by a small margin. Even though the district was generally conservative, Inslee won the general election in a very close race.

Losing Reelection

He lost his reelection bid in 1994 to Doc Hastings. Inslee believed his vote for the Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a big reason for his defeat.

Key Work in Congress

While in Congress, Inslee helped pass the Yakima River Enhancement Act. This bill helped both farmers and wildlife groups. He also worked to open Japanese markets to American apples. He helped fund and oversee the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, a large nuclear waste site.

Between Congressional Terms (1995–1999)

After leaving Congress, Inslee moved to Bainbridge Island and worked as a lawyer again.

In 1996, Inslee ran for governor of Washington. He did not win the primary election. After this, President Bill Clinton appointed Inslee as a regional director for the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Return to Congress (1999–2012)

Winning Back a Seat

Inslee ran for Congress again in 1998, this time in the 1st congressional district. He ran against Rick White, who was the current representative. Inslee won the election with 49.8% of the vote.

He was reelected six more times. In 2002, his district was changed to be more favorable to Democrats. After that, he won his elections with more than 60% of the vote.

Focus on Climate Change

Jay Inslee and his wife Trudi Inslee met with the Dalai Lama in 2008.

Inslee became known as a strong supporter of actions to fight climate change. He was one of the first public figures to suggest an "Apollo-like energy program." This idea was about creating a big national effort to develop clean energy.

He co-wrote a book called Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy. In the book, he argued that the U.S. could reduce its reliance on foreign oil and fossil fuel. He believed this would create many green-collar jobs and help stop global warming. Inslee strongly supported the Environmental Protection Agency being able to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Other Important Actions

Inslee was a critic of the George W. Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq in 2003. He also introduced legislation to investigate whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should be removed from office. Gonzales later resigned.

Inslee is a big basketball fan. In 2009, he played basketball at the White House with members of Congress and President Obama. He also voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is a federal health care law.

On March 20, 2012, Inslee left Congress to focus on his campaign for governor of Washington.

Governor of Washington (2013–2025)

Becoming Governor in 2012

Official portrait, 2013

On June 27, 2011, Inslee announced he would run for governor of Washington. His campaign focused on creating jobs, especially in clean energy and technology. He also supported legalizing gay marriage, which later passed. He won the election with 51% of the vote, defeating Rob McKenna.

Reelection Campaigns

In December 2015, Inslee announced he would run for a second term as governor. He highlighted his work on transportation and education. He won reelection in November 2016 with 54% of the vote.

On March 1, 2019, Inslee announced he would run for president. However, he also said he might run for a third term as governor if his presidential campaign didn't succeed. When his presidential campaign didn't gain enough support, he dropped out on August 21, 2019. The next day, he announced he would run for governor again.

Inslee won his third term as governor in 2020 with 57% of the vote. He became the first Washington governor to be elected to a third term since Dan Evans in 1972.

First Term: 2013–2017

In 2013, the state legislature had trouble agreeing on a budget. Inslee had to call two special sessions to get a budget passed. Finally, in June 2013, he signed a $33.6 billion budget. This budget increased funding for education by $1 billion.

Inslee giving a speech regarding Boeing in May 2013

In January 2014, Inslee praised workers who voted to keep Boeing's contract with Seattle area union employees. This allowed Boeing to build its Boeing 777x aircraft in Everett, Washington.

Second Term: 2017–2021

Inslee started his second term on January 11, 2017. He proposed more funding for education and mental health. After President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning people from certain countries from entering the U.S., Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Trump. This lawsuit, Washington v. Trump, led to the order being blocked by the courts. Inslee received national attention during this time.

In 2017, the state legislature again struggled to pass a budget. Inslee had to call three special sessions to avoid a government shutdown. A budget was finally passed on June 30.

In December 2017, Inslee provided $6.4 million in grants for apprenticeships and career programs for young people. This initiative, called Career Connect Washington, helps students connect with companies like Amazon and Boeing.

In December 2018, Inslee announced new laws to reduce the state's carbon emissions. These laws would require Washington utilities to stop using fossil fuels by mid-century.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April 2020, Inslee ordered statewide social distancing measures. This included banning large events, a stay-at-home order, and closing all schools.

In June 2020, during protests over police actions, a group of protesters created the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle. President Donald Trump criticized the Zone. Inslee responded by telling Trump to "stay out of Washington State's business."

Third Term: 2021–2025

Inslee began his third term on January 13, 2021.

On April 8, 2021, Inslee signed a bill that gives voting rights back to people convicted of felonies after they finish their sentences. Washington became the 20th state to have such a law.

On May 4, 2021, Inslee signed a new capital gains tax into law. This tax affects profits of $250,000 or more from certain investments like stocks. It has many exceptions, including retirement accounts and real estate. This tax was challenged in court but was upheld by the Washington Supreme Court in March 2023.

In August 2021, Inslee required state and health care workers to get vaccinated by October 18.

After New York governor Andrew Cuomo resigned in August 2021, Inslee became the longest-serving current governor in the United States. He announced in May 2023 that he would not run for a fourth term.

In 2023, Inslee supported a bill passed by the Washington House of Representatives that bans assault weapons.

2020 Presidential Campaign

Inslee declaring his candidacy for president

In 2018, people began to wonder if Inslee would run for president in the 2020 election. He gained national attention from the lawsuit Washington v. Trump, which challenged a travel ban by the Trump Administration. As chair of the Democratic Governors Association, he also saw Democrats gain many governorships in 2018. Inslee said that climate change was his main reason for running for president.

In January 2019, Inslee started to form an exploratory committee, which is the first step in a campaign. He was not very well known outside of Washington at first.

Inslee announced his candidacy for president on March 1, 2019. He said he would focus on fighting climate change. His campaign asked for a debate focused only on climate change, but this request was denied.

Inslee speaking at the Presidential Gun Sense Forum in Iowa in 2019

Because he had low poll numbers and saw no clear path to winning, Inslee announced he was ending his campaign on August 21, 2019. The next day, he announced he would run for a third term as governor. He later supported Joe Biden for president.

Electoral History

Images for kids

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  Jay Inslee's signature

See also

In Spanish: Jay Inslee para niños