Jamie PedersenJamie Pedersen

The son of two teachers, Pedersen led the fight to pass Washington’s Millionaires Tax that applies to household incomes above $1 million per year to support public schools, health care, human services, and higher education, and make the tax code fairer.

In our interview with Senator Jamie Pedersen, he identified his priorities for the next legislative session, listed here in order of importance: reforming Washington’s tax code through progressive taxation, funding education from early learning through higher ed, and making housing more abundant and affordable. These are the issues UAW members have consistently voiced as our top political priorities.

As Senate Majority Leader, Pedersen’s leadership in the legislature has been critical to pass major progressive legislation this past year, including the millionaire’s tax and unemployment insurance for striking workers. Historically, he has supported our collective bargaining legislation, including HB 1570. During our interview, he discussed creative solutions for stabilizing higher education funding and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting state-level research funding, including legislation like SB 6321, so that the life-saving research conducted by university employees can continue despite federal funding cuts.

Pedersen has a record of supporting legislation that benefits our members and working people everywhere. It is critical to keep an effective leader in the Senate who can build on the momentum from this past legislative session. Vote Jamie Pedersen for WA State Senator, LD 43!

Sen. Jamie Pedersen is running for re-election in the 43rd Legislative District. Pedersen has served in the Legislature since 2006, first in the House, then in the Senate in 2013, and was chosen as Senate Majority Leader in 2024. One of his most notable accomplishments was his efforts to win marriage equality, making Washington State one of the first states to allow same-sex marriage. Throughout his tenure, Pedersen has proven himself to be a champion for reproductive freedom and the LGBTQ+ community. He has worked to protect the relationships between children and their non-biological parents, which culminated in the passage of the Parentage Act of 2018. This act set a nationwide precedent for protecting the rights of same-sex couples and relatives who choose to become parents. In 2022, Pedersen supported community safety by sponsoring a ban on high-capacity gun magazines and expanding access to free and reduced-price healthcare. Pedersen's legacy lies in leading the charge to pass Washington's historic Millionaires Tax, which will support a number of public services, such as free school lunches and expanded eligibility for the Working Families Tax Credit. As Washington has the second-most regressive tax code in the country, the Millionaires Tax is a huge step toward balancing our tax code and reducing taxes for low- and middle-income households. Although Pedersen played a significant role in the bill's passage, his inclusion of corporate-friendly tax breaks and cuts to the estate tax drew criticism from progressives in his district. Some highlight the strategic balance of the decision to include these concessions, as the Millionaires Tax now faces a challenge on the ballot this fall. Others criticize the prioritization of big business interests and incrementalism from our Democratic leaders at a time when most Washingtonians are struggling with the exponential rise in the cost of living. In arguably the most progressive Legislative District in the state, voters in the 43rd have a choice between a long-standing legislator with a history of leading the charge on landmark bills and a candidate offering a fresh perspective representing a new generation of young progressive voters. In our interviews, we couldn't identify an issue that these two candidates would ultimately vote differently on. In this race, we recommend voting for Jamie Pedersen to continue representing the 43rd Legislative District due to his role in passing the Millionaires Tax and his significant support from our partner organizations.