Carmela Conroy

Carmela Conroy was born in Spokane, Washington. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington.

She earned a graduate degree from the U.S. Naval War College and a law degree from the University of Washington School of Law. Her career experience includes working as a public servant, U.S. Foreign Service Officer, national security professional, deputy prosecuting attorney, fast food service worker, child care worker, event planner, and teacher. She has been affiliated with League of Women Voters, Friends of the Bluff, Spokane Preservation Advocates, and American Foreign Service Association.[1]

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Campaign websiteConroy's campaign website stated the following:An Economy That Works for Eastern WashingtonEnd the tariff chaos. That will cut prices for consumers and for businesses, both importers and exporters. It may start setting us on the road to normalcy with our trading partners including our nearest neighbors in Canada and in Mexico.Restore funding for public education, including support for children with special educational needs. Ensure public funds are not used in violation of the separation of church and state.Pass an inflation-indexed federal minimum wage law with paid time off and paid sick leave. This will counter the practice of major corporations of tempting states to race to the bottom, allowing corporations to privatize profit while socializing risk by paying workers less than they need to live, and weakening environmental protection and workers’ and consumers’ health and safety.Safe Communities and a Secure NationHold accountable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for border security, defunding any border security assets not immediately redirected to air, land, and seaports and to the borders.Defund construction and operation of detention centers as fast as humanely possible. Restore funding to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) so it may respond to weather and other emergencies, and lead the orderly and humane release of anyone detained by other elements of DHS, except for anyone facing criminal charges or subject to the jurisdiction of a criminal court. Those excepted detainees shall be swiftly transferred to the custody of the appropriate federal, state, or local public safety authorities.Defund aggressive and otherwise illegal military operations, support, and planning. Assess the damage to diplomatic, consular, and intelligence agencies and direct restoration of essential functions including congressionally-required publications like the Human Rights Report and the CIA World Fact Book.Dignity and Care for All:Restore funding to Medicare and Medicaid at previous levels and slash the red tape described by 2025’s HR1 to keep people from accessing needed care. These are essential steps to save our rural hospitals and our healthcare education institutions from leaving our communities.Extend Medicaid coverage to all children from birth to their 19th birthdays. This will correct the five-to-one spending imbalance between seniors and youth and protect families from the prospect of crushing medical debt.Enable Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans’ Administration, and all other federally-funded health programs to negotiate for lower prices on pharmaceuticals.Service and Accountability:Following the Government Accounting Office’s investigation, direct the Department of Justice to take action against the unindicted coconspirators named in the Epstein files.Hold senior members of the executive branch accountable for any military action that violated or remains in violation of the laws of the United States, including our treaty commitments to intergovernmental bodies and to our allies.Prohibit members of Congress from stock trading, requiring them to divest individual stocks in favor of mutual funds or other exchange-traded funds as long as they are running for or in office.— Carmela Conroy's campaign website (July 22, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased May 21, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a third generation eastern Washingtonian and union worker, Carmela Conroy has a sense of duty and determination to serve her community.

Rooted in the hard work and resilience of her family, Carmela paid her way through college and law school, returning home to serve as a deputy prosecutor for Spokane County. For four years she sought justice for the survivors of violence and sexual assault. She left home again to join the U.S. Foreign Service.

Carmela negotiated access to foreign ports for U.S. Navy ships, bilateral trade agreements, and militia disarmament. Through her service Carmela built connections with veterans, active-duty military personnel, and other national security professionals. Our nation faces complex challenges both at home and abroad, and Carmela has the experience to address them.

Dysfunction and partisan extremism in Congress have left critical issues unaddressed, from agricultural policy to national security to the well-being of our communities. As a representative, Carmela will prioritize the needs of Eastern Washington, advocating for agricultural support, affordable healthcare, and economic opportunities for working families.

By investing in rural infrastructure, clean energy, and economic diversification, Carmela will work to strengthen our local economy. Carmela will defend our rights and uphold our individual freedoms, including the right to reproductive healthcare.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Most families across Eastern Washington are struggling to keep up; even veterans are struggling with housing and food insecurity. Housing prices have skyrocketed. Child care and health care are incredibly expensive. Regular folks need a break, not corporate special interests. Carmela will get us that break.

Her grandpa worked on the Grand Coulee Dam as a union cement mason. Her dad was a union railroader with the Great Northern (later BNSF) Railroad. As a dues-paying union member of the U.S. Foreign Service, Carmela will negotiate to address costs across our district, including universal access to health care, building out rural broadband, and keeping public funds in public schools.For the first time in American history, the U.S. Supreme Court withdrew its recognition of a Constitutional right to privacy by overturning Roe vs. Wade. Extremists politicians are using this as an excuse to interfere with peoples' most intimate decisions.

Other states have passed laws restricting travel, speech, and reproductive health treatment. Clinics in those states are closing, health professionals relocating, and women crossing into Eastern Washington for routine, urgent, and even emergency care.

Our next Representative will either vote for a total nationwide abortion ban, or fight to codify our basic human rights. Carmela treasures freedom from government interference, and will fight for it.Our international standing is threatened by Iran and Russia and their proxies, and our democracy by domestic extremists. Some politicians hold our government hostage for partisan advantage, regardless of its cost to service members, seniors, and children.

Congressional partisan extremists fight for the sake of fighting. They won’t negotiate in good faith to fulfill their Constitutional duty of passing a budget.

As a result, farm families struggle without the predictability of an Agricultural Bill; children are going to bed hungry; our partners in Israel and Ukraine lack the means to defend themselves.

Carmela solved problems and promoted our interests for nearly 30 years; let's send her to Congress to get it working again.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

For 30 years of public service, Carmela swore to defend a Constitution promising to establish justice, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and ensure the blessings of unity into the future.

The drafters had been revolutionaries. They learned that a confederacy was too weak to survive and formed a democratic union with the power to raise revenue. About 80 years later, Americans fought confederates who would have destroyed the union to retain chattel slavery. About 80 years after that, Americans entered WWII to stop genocidal subjugation by aggressors who considered themselves "master races."

About 80 years on, Americans must again choose national democracy over authoritarianism. Let's do this.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Kearns Goodwin

On the Origins of War and Preservation of Peace, Kagan

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity/Bravery

Knowledge

Curiosity

Humility

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

In accordance with the U.S. Constitution:

Serve the specific needs of the people of Washington's 5th Congressional District.

Promote and defend the interests of the United States of America in international affairs.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

When I was about three-and-a-half years old, my mom had taken me shopping, and had me sitting in the grocery cart. When I asked for grapes she said no, we couldn't get grapes. When I asked why, she said it was because the people who picked them had asked us not to. MANY years later I learned about the Delano grape strike, the labor action that resulted in Filipino and Mexican farm workers partnering to organize what would become the United Farm Workers labor union. There are many reasons why I love and am grateful to my parents; one of them is that they instilled the values of respect for others, and solidarity with workers regardless of industry or national origin.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The people's house, with primary responsibility of the federal purse and of holding accountable officers of the United States, including the President.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. Having experience with systems and how they intersect, and with incorporating the views of diverse stakeholders, benefits constituents because Representatives can hit the ground running and start seeking solutions .

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Public health, writ broadly, must be addressed by government-supported access to care and attention to retaining a survivable climate.

Food insecurity on the rise;

Infant and maternal mortality rates much higher than other wealthy countries, especially for people of color;

Leading cause of death among American children now gun violence, and men in Eastern Washington are more likely than the national average to commit suicide with a gun; yet Congress has prohibited the CDC from studying gun deaths;

DoD report that only 20% of American youth are fit for government service;

Behavioral health care is unavailable to most;

Majority of Americans over age 65 have not one natural tooth left in their heads;

U.S. life expectancy has dropped like a stone compared to other wealthy countries

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

It's established by our Constitution. I'll spend my time fighting for my constituents, instead of seeking a longer term for myself and other representatives--it certainly shouldn't be a shorter term.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Not necessarily opposed, but believe that ensuring access to the ballot and limited terms of office are generally sufficient

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Thomas S. Foley, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and representative of Washington's 5th Congressional District from 1965 to 1995.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Women who have suffered miscarriages, or discovered that they will not be able to give birth to a baby because of fatal abnormality in their pregancy, facing screaming protestors outside of reproductive health clinics.

A friend whose OBGYN refused to investigate her abdominal pain, telling her to wait for a month or so. The pain intensified until she sought urgent care, when it was discovered that she had an ectopic pregnancy that could have killed her had she not ignored her own OBGYN.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Necessary

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Passing a timely budget, and equitably raising revenue from those who most benefit from government services, would be a top priority.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

To investigate high crimes and misdemeanors by officials of the United States whose positional power might otherwise put them out of reach of the investigative powers of the executive branch.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Washington State Labor Council

National Education Association/Washington Education Association

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith

City of Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown

Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson

Spokane City Council Members Paul Dillon and Zack Zappone

What committees interest you?

Agriculture

Judiciary (Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement)

Armed Services

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

CBO

GAO

Tax fairness

DoD excess, military-industrial comples as Ike warned us

Campaign website

Conroy’s campaign website stated the following:

“In our community, we see, firsthand, the value of hard work and the importance of neighbors supporting one another. The divisive politics of the other Washington doesn’t reflect our values, yet they affect us deeply. Far-right extremists in Congress are upending international order, failing families and farmers, and threatening our freedoms. I’ll prioritize everyday Washingtonians.”

– Carmela

As a third generation eastern Washingtonian, Carmela Conroy has a sense of duty and determination to serve her community.

Carmela’s grandfather was a union mason on the Grand Coulee Dam and her father was a union railroad worker with the Great Northern Railroad, later part of the BNSF. Carmela is a dues-paying member of the union representing U.S. Foreign Service personnel. Rooted in the hard work and resilience of her family, Carmela paid her way through college and law school, returning home to serve as a deputy prosecutor for Spokane County.

From her work in criminal justice to her service abroad, Carmela has built connections with veterans, active-duty military personnel, and professionals in national security. Our nation faces complex challenges both at home and abroad.

The dysfunction and partisan extremism in Congress have left critical issues unaddressed, from agricultural policy to national security to the well-being of our communities. As a representative, Carmela will prioritize the needs of Eastern Washington, advocating for agricultural support, affordable healthcare, and economic opportunities for working families. By investing in rural infrastructure, clean energy, and economic diversification, Carmela will work to strengthen our local economy.

The upcoming election carries profound significance for our fundamental freedoms, including the right to reproductive healthcare. Carmela will defend our rights and uphold our individual freedoms. She has the experience and the deep roots in our community to represent the values and concerns of hardworking families and farmers in Washington’s 5th Congressional District. With your support we can build a brighter future for Eastern Washington.

[2]

—Carmela Conroy’s campaign website (2024)[3]