Gerry Pollet

Gerry Pollet graduated from VS Central High School. He earned a law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1983. His career experience includes working as a professor.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Your 46th District State Representative since 2012. Widely recognized as a leader in our state for funding public schools, as the leading advocate for special education and opportunity for access to our colleges and universities; and as a leader for our environment and fighting climate change. I chair the committee working to eliminate tax loopholes.

My commitment to you has always been to stand up to special interests on your behalf and to be the most accessible and open legislator.

UW School of Public Health faculty.

I've devoted my career to being a public interest attorney (UW Law alum). I founded and continue to serve as Director for Heart of America Northwest, the regional citizens’ group leading efforts for cleanup of Hanford, the most contaminated area in North America.

Honored as “Legislator of the Year” more than 10x by groups advocating for affordable college, rights of persons with disabilities, special education, and open government. I serve on the Washington Coalition for Open Government Board. Received UW School of Public Health Community Service Award. Longtime public education activist with PTSA.

I’ve led on major progressive wins for Washington, but there is much more to do. I passed the Millionaires Tax and capital gains tax on the very wealthy so they may pay their fair share to fund education, healthcare, and child care.

I have fought back against Trump by passing ICE mask bans, funding Planned Parenthood, and protecting immigrants.

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?

"Gerry has been a champion for the people, fighting tirelessly to reform our broken tax system, push for climate action, and expand access to education.” Our US Representative Pramila Jayapal.

Class sizes will be unacceptably larger, schools will close, and our children will not have support to improve reading and math until we meet our “Paramount Duty” funding education. Seattle and other districts’ deficits are driven by the legislature’s unwillingness to fund special education. I recently won the long fight to end the unconscionable cap on how many students with disabilities the state funded in each district.

Every child should have public high quality early learning instead of parents paying huge portions of wages for childcare“As a longtime resident of the 46th legislative district, I am proud to support Gerry. In my decades working in public higher education, few elected officials have done more to help expand affordable, accessible education and workforce training opportunities in our state. Gerry helped grow and preserve our nationally recognized financial aid program and has been a fierce advocate for protecting student services and supporting our faculty & staff.” Ana Mari Cauce, Former UW President.

Rep. Jayapal and I developed the plan for tuition-free community college – the foundation for the Seattle Promise. I continue leading to have a statewide Washington Promise for all residents to access to life changing workforce training or a degree.Gerry's always been an advocate for abortion rights and reproductive healthcare. As a UW School of Public Health faculty member, he knows how important access to reproductive and gender-affirming care are. He served as volunteer legal counsel for NARAL-WA (now Pro-Choice WA). Gerry's been a leader for school-based health clinics that include access to reproductive health care, contraception and for comprehensive sex education.

After the Supreme Court decision, Gerry passed the first in nation funding for 24/7 access on every college campus for emergency contraception.

Hospitals that receive state funding should not be allowed to restrict medical procedures or training of UW and WSU medical students based on religious directives

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I hope you agree we want leadership to fund public education, universal early learning and childcare; and access to the opportunities of workforce training and degrees at our community, technical colleges and universities.

As a UW Public Health faculty member, I’m deeply committed to developing and funding programs to ensure that hundreds of thousands of our state’s residents aren’t thrown off of health care programs, including Medicaid, and food assistance for families.

To meet these goals, I will continue to press forward to make our tax system more fair and stable by closing the massive tax loopholes that allow the wealthiest corporations to avoid paying a fair share for healthcare, education, and basic government services.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Planned Parenthood, teachers, nurses, Washington Conservation Action, Washington State Labor Council, Democrats for Diversity & Inclusion, Sierra Club; US Rep. Pramila Jayapal; Governor Bob Ferguson; Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal; Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove, Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti; Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer; 46th Senator Javier Valdez, Rep. Darya Farivar; Speaker Laurie Jinkins; 43rd Sen. Jamie Pedersen, Reps Shaun Scott, Nicole Macri, 36th Reps Liz Berry, Julia Reed; County Council Members Rod Dembowski, Teresa Mosqueda; City Council Pres. Joy Hollingsworth, CM Dan Strauss and Debora Juarez, former CM Cathy Moore; Port Commissioners Toshiko Hasegawa, Hamdi Mohamed; SEIU 775, 1199, 925

Gerry Pollet did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Gerry Pollet did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Gerry Pollet did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.