Marilyn Strickland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marilyn Strickland
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official portrait, 2021
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 10th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Denny Heck |
| 38th Mayor of Tacoma | |
| In office January 5, 2010 – January 2, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Baarsma |
| Succeeded by | Victoria Woodards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 25, 1962 Seoul, South Korea |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Patrick Erwin |
| Education | University of Washington (BA) Clark Atlanta University (MBA) |
| Marilyn Strickland | |
| Hangul |
순자
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| Revised Romanization | Sunja |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sunja |
Marilyn Strickland, born on September 25, 1962, is an American politician. She is currently a U.S. Representative for Washington's 10th congressional district. This district includes the state capital, Olympia, and parts of Tacoma.
As a member of the Democratic Party, Strickland began her term in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 2021. Before this, she served as the 38th mayor of Tacoma from 2010 to 2018. She made history as the first person in the United States Congress with both Korean and African-American heritage. She is also the first African-American person elected to Congress from Washington state. Strickland is one of the first three Korean-American women elected to Congress, starting her term on the same day as Republicans Young Kim and Michelle Steel.
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Early Life and Education
Marilyn Strickland was born in Seoul, South Korea, on September 25, 1962. Her mother, Inmin Kim, was Korean, and her father, Willie Strickland, was an African-American serviceman. In 1967, her family moved to Tacoma, Washington, because her father was stationed at Fort Lewis.
She grew up in Tacoma's South End neighborhood. She went to Mount Tahoma High School. Later, she earned a business degree from the University of Washington. She also received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Clark Atlanta University.
Career Journey
After finishing her studies at the University of Washington, Marilyn Strickland started her career with a clerical job at Northern Life Insurance. She later met Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, who encouraged her to continue her education.
After earning her MBA, Strickland worked at Starbucks. She managed their online business. Then, she helped launch Click!, which was Tacoma's public broadband cable service. She worked with an advertising agency to help people learn about and support this new service.
Serving Tacoma
After working in the business world for several years, Strickland was elected to the Tacoma City Council. She served on the council for two years. After that, she was chosen to be the mayor of Tacoma. She held this important role from 2010 to 2018.
Marilyn Strickland was the first mayor of Tacoma who was born in Asia. She was also the first African-American woman to hold that office. As mayor, she worked to bring new businesses to Tacoma. She used her connections in countries like China and Vietnam to attract foreign investors. This work led to Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Tacoma.
In May 2010, a local board that checks on ethics said that Strickland had accepted frequent flyer miles from a businessman for a work trip to Asia. She accepted their decision and returned the value of the miles to the businessman.
After her time as mayor, Strickland became the president of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. This group supports businesses in the Seattle area. During her time there, she spoke out against a proposed tax on large businesses in Seattle.
Marilyn Strickland is often seen as a political moderate. This means she often takes a middle-of-the-road approach in politics, rather than being strongly on one side.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections to Congress
2020 Election
In early 2020, Marilyn Strickland decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She wanted to represent Washington's 10th congressional district. The person who held the seat before, Denny Heck, was not running again. Many politicians and newspapers supported her campaign.
In the first election round on August 4, Strickland came in first place among 19 candidates. She and another Democrat, State Representative Beth Doglio, moved on to the final election in November.
In the November general election, Strickland won against Doglio. She officially started her term in Congress on January 3, 2021. As a member of the 117th United States Congress, she became the first Black U.S. Representative from the Pacific Northwest. She also became one of the first three Korean-American women in Congress, along with Michelle Steel and Young Kim. They all started their terms on the same day. To honor her mother and her heritage, Strickland wore a traditional Korean dress called a hanbok to her swearing-in ceremony.
Time in Congress
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During the 117th United States Congress, Marilyn Strickland often agreed with President Joe Biden's ideas and plans. According to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, she voted with the President's stated position 100% of the time. This means she supported his agenda on all the votes they looked at.
Committee Work
In Congress, members work in special groups called committees. These groups focus on specific topics. Marilyn Strickland is part of these committees:
- United States House Committee on Armed Services: This committee works on issues related to the military and national defense.
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: This committee deals with things like roads, bridges, airports, and other public structures.
Special Groups in Congress
Congress members also join groups called caucuses. These are informal groups of lawmakers who share common interests or backgrounds. Marilyn Strickland is a member of:
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus: A group for lawmakers of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.
- Congressional Black Caucus: A group for African-American lawmakers.
- New Democrat Coalition: A group of moderate and progressive Democrats.
- Rare Disease Caucus: A group focused on helping people with rare diseases.
Personal Life
Marilyn Strickland is a Protestant.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
- List of foreign-born United States politicians
- List of Korean Americans
- List of United States representatives from Washington
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
