Suzan DelBene facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suzan DelBene
Official portrait, 2017
Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2023
Leader	Hakeem Jeffries
Preceded by	Sean Patrick Maloney
Chair of the New Democrat Coalition
In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Derek Kilmer
Succeeded by	Annie Kuster
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office November 13, 2012
Preceded by	Jay Inslee
Personal details
Born	Suzan Kay Oliver (1962-02-17) February 17, 1962 (age 63) Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Kurt DelBene ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2
Education	Reed College (B.S.) University of Washington (M.B.A.)
Website

Suzan Kay DelBene (born February 17, 1962) is an American politician and businesswoman. Since 2012, she has served as a U.S. Representative for Washington's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress, which makes laws for the country.

DelBene is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a politician, she worked for several technology companies. In 2012, she won a special election to fill a vacant seat in Congress and also won the regular election for a full term on the same day.

She is the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), an important group that helps Democrats get elected to Congress.

Early Life and Schooling

Suzan DelBene was born in Selma, Alabama. She was the fifth child of Barry and Beth Oliver. When she was young, her family moved to the state of Washington. In a video about her life, DelBene talked about how her family struggled with money after her father, who was an airline pilot, lost his job. Because of this, her family moved to different parts of the country looking for work.

For high school, DelBene attended The Choate School, a private school in Connecticut. After graduating, she went to Reed College in Oregon, where she earned a bachelor's degree in biology. She later earned a master's degree in business administration (an MBA) from the University of Washington.

Career in Business

Before entering politics, DelBene had a long career in the business world. From 1989 to 1998, she worked at Microsoft. There, she held several important roles, including working on early versions of the Internet Explorer web browser.

In 1998, she left Microsoft to help start drugstore.com, an online pharmacy. Later, she became the CEO of a company called Nimble Technology. In 2004, she returned to Microsoft as a corporate vice president.

From 2008 to 2009, she worked as a consultant for a nonprofit organization that helps support small businesses in Latin America. In 2010, she was appointed as the director of the Washington State Department of Revenue, which is in charge of collecting taxes for the state.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene with a vendor at a farmer's market in Kirkland, Washington

DelBene's work in Congress began in 2012. She represents the people of her district by voting on laws and helping them with issues related to the federal government.

Elections

2010 Election

In 2010, DelBene first ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She ran as a Democrat against the Republican incumbent, Dave Reichert. The economy was the most important issue for her campaign. Although she was supported by major newspapers like The Seattle Times, she lost the election to Reichert.

2012 Election

DelBene ran for Congress again in 2012. This time, the district boundaries had been redrawn, making the race more competitive. The previous representative, Jay Inslee, had resigned to run for governor.

On election day, DelBene ran in two different elections for the same seat. One was a special election to finish the last two months of Inslee's term. The other was a regular election for a full two-year term. She won both elections against her Republican opponent, John Koster. By winning the special election, she was sworn into Congress earlier than most other new members, which gave her more seniority.

What Committees Does She Work On?

In Congress, members work on small groups called committees that focus on specific topics. DelBene is the Vice Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which deals with taxes, trade, and social programs.

Caucus Memberships

A caucus is a group of members of Congress who share a common interest. DelBene is a member of many caucuses, including:

• New Democrat Coalition
• Caucus on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Technologies (Co-Chair)
• Digital Trade Caucus (Co-Chair)
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• LGBTQ Equality Caucus

Political Views

Congresswoman DelBene speaking at the 2019 Forum Global Data Privacy Conference

DelBene is known for her support of women's access to health care. She was part of a special committee in 2015 that looked into women's health organizations.

In 2023, she voted in favor of providing support to Israel after an attack by Hamas.

According to an analysis by the website FiveThirtyEight, during the 117th Congress (2021-2023), DelBene voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated positions 100% of the time.

DelBene speaking at the Lynnwood Link Extension Project Groundbreaking Ceremony in September 2019

Election Results

* Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2020, write-ins received 511 votes. In 2022, write-ins received 363 votes. In 2024, write-ins received 907 votes.

Personal Life

DelBene is married to Kurt DelBene. He has also worked in government and at Microsoft. At the request of President Barack Obama, he led the team that fixed the Healthcare.gov website. The couple has two children.

See Also

• Women in the United States House of Representatives