Derek Kilmer

Derek Kilmer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 6th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded by Norm Dicks
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 26th district
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by Robert Oke
Succeeded by Nathan Schlicher
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 26th district
In office
January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by Lois McMahan
Succeeded by Larry Seaquist
Personal details
Born Derek Christian Kilmer
(1974-01-01) January 1, 1974
Port Angeles, Washington, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Jennifer Kilmer
Education Princeton University (BA)
University of Oxford (MA, PhD)
Website House website

Derek Christian Kilmer (born January 1, 1974) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Washington's 6th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Kilmer previously served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007 and as a member of the Washington State Senate from 2007 to 2013, representing the 26th district.

On March 5, 2012, Kilmer announced he was running to succeed Norm Dicks for the seat representing Washington's 6th congressional district.[1] On November 6, 2012, Kilmer won the general election to become the district's next representative.[2] He received 186,661 votes, to opponent Bill Driscoll's 129,725.[3]

Early life, education, and business career

Kilmer was born and raised in Port Angeles, Washington. Both of his parents were public school teachers. Kilmer earned a BA in public affairs with a certificate in American Studies from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He won a Marshall Scholarship to obtain his PhD in Comparative Social Policy from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford.[4]

Kilmer is a former business consultant for McKinsey and Company. He was also a business retention manager for the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County. He is also a trustee for Tacoma Community College and served on the board of Peninsula Schools Education Foundation.[5][6]

Washington legislature

Elections

In 2004, Kilmer challenged incumbent Republican State Representative Lois McMahan of Washington's 26th house district, seat 2. He defeated her 50%-48%, a difference of 1,009 votes.[7]

In 2006, Republican State Senator Bob Oke decided to retire. Kilmer decided to run for Washington's 26th senate district. He defeated Republican Jim Hines 60%-40%.[8] In 2010, he won re-election to a second term, defeating Marty McClendon 59%-41%.[9]

Tenure

In 2007, he was one of just three Democratic state senators to vote against the bill that would allow labor unions to spend non-members' bargaining fees on political causes without first getting their permission.[10]

He sponsored the senate bill that would increase fines to pay for a new $849 million Tacoma Narrows bridge in his district.[11]

Business groups have praised Kilmer for being one of the most pro-business Democrats in Olympia. He is the three-time recipient of the "LEADER Award" from the Washington Economic Development Association. He was named the "Legislative Business Star Award" from Enterprise Washington's Business Institute. He was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was recognized by the Northwest Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America as "Legislator of the Year". He was also named "Legislator of the Year" by the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs. He was named an "Honorary Fire Chief" by the Washington Fire Chiefs.[12]

Committee assignments (State of Washington)

Senate
  • Capital Budget Committee (Chair)
  • Economic Development, Trade, & Innovation Committee
  • Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee
  • Ways and Means Committee (Vice Chair)[13]

U.S. House of Representatives

2012 election

Kilmer in 2012

After redistricting, Democratic U.S. Congressman Norm Dicks decided to retire. Kilmer decided to run for the newly redrawn Washington's 6th congressional district. He won the endorsements from The Seattle Times, which called him "a problem solver who can be bipartisan." The News Tribune of Tacoma praised him for having "an uncommon understanding of trade, business taxation, smart regulation, job creation and other fundamentals of economic growth." Port Angeles, Rep. Kilmer's hometown and an area for which he was elected to represent, suffers from an unemployment rate 2.3 percent higher than the Washington State average, consonant with the rate of increase recorded before he took office.[14][15] In the November general election, he defeated Republican nominee Bill Driscoll 59%–41%. He won all six counties in the district.[16][17]

Israel policy

Derek Kilmer was a cosponsor of the United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013.[18]

Kilmer was part of a 37-member congressional delegation that visited Israel. The trip was sponsored by the lobby group, American Israel Education Foundation, with the stated goal of working to strengthen strategic economic and military cooperation between Israel and the United States.[19]

Co-sponsorship of the United States–Israel Partnership Act of 2013

Through his co-sponsorship of the United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013,[20] Rep. Kilmer supports spending U.S. tax revenue to fund Israel's military, and to provide assistance for collaboration in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies.

Legislation

On October 29, 2013, Kilmer introduced the American Savings Promotion Act (H.R. 3374; 113th Congress), a bill that would authorize some financial institutions to conduct a contest, known as a "savings promotion raffle," in which the sole consideration required for a chance of winning designated prizes is obtained by the deposit of a specified amount of money in a savings account or program, where each ticket or entry has an equal chance of being drawn.[21][22]

Kilmer was ranked as the 33rd most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 114th United States Congress (and the third most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington) in the Bipartisan Index created by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy that ranks members of the United States Congress by their degree of bipartisanship (by measuring the frequency each member's bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party and each member's co-sponsorship of bills by members of the opposite party).[23]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

References

  1. ↑ "State Sen. Kilmer Running for US Rep. Dicks' Open Seat".
  2. ↑ Schrader, Jordan; Shannon, Brad. "Democrats Derek Kilmer, Denny Heck win Congressional races". theolympian.com. The Olympian. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  3. ↑ Reed, Sam. "6th Congrressional District Results". 2012 election results. WA STATE SEC OF STATE.
  4. ↑ "Project Vote Smart - The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Princeton Alumni Weekly — January 24, 1996". Princeton University. 1996-01-24. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
  6. ↑ "Full Biography". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WA District 26 Seat 2 Race - Nov 02, 2004". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WA State Senate District 26 Race - Nov 07, 2006". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WA State Senate District 26 Race - Nov 02, 2010". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Unions get OK for political spending". seattlepi.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Senate approves fine for drivers who skip bridge toll". KOMO News. 25 February 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Derek Kilmer". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  14. ↑ "KONP / Local News / Unemployment rate up again in Clallam County". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Port Angeles, WA Unemployment - Homefacts". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WA District 6 Race - Nov 06, 2012". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Login". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Bill Summary & Status - 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) - H.R.938 - CRS Summary - THOMAS (Library of Congress)". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  19. ↑ "In the Middle East, a congressman learns that nothing's simple". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Bill Summary & Status - 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) - H.R.938 - CRS Summary - THOMAS (Library of Congress)". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  21. ↑ "H.R. 3374 - Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  22. ↑ Wisniewski, Mary (October 31, 2013). "Bill to Expand Prize-Linked Savings Introduced to Congress". American Banker. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  23. ↑ The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index (PDF), The Lugar Center, March 7, 2016, retrieved April 30, 2017
  24. ↑ "Members". New Democrat Coalition. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  26. ↑ "Members". Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus. Retrieved 11 June 2018.

Sources

  • "Project Vote Smart - The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  • "House committees: Denny Heck to Financial Services, Derek Kilmer to Science, Space & Technology". Tacoma News Tribune. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  • "CQ - 113th Congress: Derek Kilmer, D-Wash. (6th District)". Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  • "Local News - The Olympian". Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  • "Democratic state Sen. Kilmer wins race to replace U.S. Rep. Dicks". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Norm Dicks		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 6th congressional district
January 3, 2013 – present		 Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Dan Kildee
D-Michigan		 United States Representatives by seniority
273rd		 Succeeded by
Ann McLane Kuster
D-New Hampshire
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