Dwight D. Eisenhower
president of the United States from 1953 to 1961
Patty Murray is a trailblazing American politician who has served as the senior United States Senator from Washington since 1993. She is the first woman to hold the position of president pro tempore of the United States Senate, making her third in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency. Murray has championed environmental and education issues throughout her career and is known for her bipartisan approach to legislating.
Table of Contents
About the Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn Murrayis an American politician and president pro tempore of the United States Senate since 2023 and the senior United States Senator from Washington since 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, Murray served in the Washington State Senate from 1989 to 1993. She was Washington’s first female U.S. senator and is the first woman in American history to hold the position of president pro tempore. Murray is also the youngest senator to occupy the office of president pro tempore in more than five decades. As president pro tempore, Murray is third in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency.
Born and raised in Bothell, Washington, Murray graduated from Washington State University with a degree in physical education. She worked as a pre-school teacher and, later, as a parenting teacher at Shoreline Community College. A long-time advocate for environmental and education issues, Murray was elected to serve on her local school board in King County. She ran for the Washington State Senate in 1988, and defeated two-term incumbent Bill Kiskaddon. She served one term before launching a campaign for the United States Senate in 1992. She has been re-elected five times, most recently in 2022.
As a senator, Murray has been a part of party leadership since 2001, having served as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Conference secretary, and assistant Democratic leader. She currently chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. Before assuming her current roles, Murray has previously chaired at various times, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Murray garnered national attention in 2013, when she and Republican representative Paul Ryan announced that they had negotiated a two-year, bipartisan budget, known as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. Murray is currently the third-most senior senator, the most senior Senate Democrat, the longest-serving female senator ever, and the dean of Washington’s congressional delegation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Patty Murray was born on October 11, 1950.
Patty Murray has served as the senior United States Senator from Washington since 1993. She is currently the president pro tempore of the United States Senate, a position she has held since 2023.
Patty Murray is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before entering politics, Patty Murray worked as a pre-school teacher and a parenting teacher at Shoreline Community College.
Patty Murray currently chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
In 2013, Patty Murray and Republican representative Paul Ryan announced that they had negotiated a two-year, bipartisan budget, known as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013.
As president pro tempore, Patty Murray is third in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency, making her the first woman in American history to hold this position.
9 Quotes by Patty Murray
- 1.
For the state of our union to be strong, we need to place value in Americans.
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 2.
Guess what – I am one of the ONLY senators in the whole United States Senate that is computer literate!
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 3.
We haven’t been out in many of these countries helping them build infrastructure. How would they look at us today if we had been there helping them with some of that, rather than just being the people who are going to bomb in Iraq and go to Afghanistan?
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 4.
If the Republicans get control back of the United States Senate, we will no longer have a check and balance on the White House, on the Republican Congress.
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 5.
Security is still the most important issue facing Washington state residents and millions of Americans – the security of having a job, of access to affordable health care, of a quality education, and of protecting our homeland and defending our nation.
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 6.
The FDA is redefining birth control as abortion. The FDA is setting the bar higher for this kind of drug.
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 7.
Caring for our veterans is the duty of a grateful nation. Unfortunately, the Bush administration and congressional Republicans have not lived up to this duty.
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 8.
Good education means learning to read, write and most importantly learn how to learn so that you can be whatever you want to be when you grow up.
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013
- 9.
Funding privatized accounts with Social Security dollars would not only make the program’s long term problems worse, but many believe it represents a first step toward undermining the program’s fundamental goals.
Patty MurrayUnited States Senator from Washington since 2013