Derek Kilmer WA-06

Derek Kilmer

Summary

Current: US Representative of WA District 6 since 2013
Affiliation: Democrat
 Leadership: 
District: Olympic Peninsula, the Kitsap Peninsula, and most of the city of Tacoma. 
 Next Election: 

History: Kilmer was born and raised in Port Angeles, Washington. Both his parents were public school teachers. Kilmer earned a B.A. in public affairs with a certificate in American Studies from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1996. He earned a Marshall Scholarship to obtain his Ph.D at Oxford.

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, is a trustee for Tacoma Community College, and served on the board of Peninsula Schools Education Foundation.

Derek Kilmer served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007 and the Washington State Senate from 2007 to 2012, representing the 26th district.

Quotes: About the RECOMPLETE ACT: The COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating existing inequities, especially for communities that were already struggling. That’s why @ChrisCoons, @HerreraBeutler & I introduced a bold plan to make a long-term federal investment & create jobs in places that are consistently left behind.

Featured Video: Derek Kilmer | U.S. Congressman | Be A Champion of Social Justice

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About

Source: Government page

Derek Kilmer 1Derek Kilmer serves as the United States Representative of Washington’s 6th Congressional District.

With over a decade of experience working in economic development in the Puget Sound region, Derek Kilmer is focused on getting our economy and our Congress back to work.  Derek has a strong record as a problem solver for Washington families and he’s been recognized by veterans organizations for his support of our troops, their families, and those who have served. As the dad of two little girls, he is working to make sure all our children receive a quality education. He is committed to honoring our promises to seniors by protecting Social Security and Medicare. Derek grew up on the Olympic Peninsula and has worked to promote local economic development and to be responsible stewards of our natural resources.

Born and raised in Port Angeles, Derek saw firsthand how the region’s economy has struggled, and the impact that has had on families and communities. The son of two school teachers, Derek was taught to appreciate the value of education. Derek wanted to make a difference in his community, so he chose to study public policy, looking for ways to help economically struggling communities. He received a BA from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and earned a doctorate from the University of Oxford in England.

Derek put his education into practice right here in Washington, first as a business consultant for McKinsey & Company, where he helped businesses, non-profits, and government agencies run more efficiently. He moved closer to the community he was raised in so he could put his experience in economic development to use helping to retain jobs and attract new employers during the decade he worked for the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County.

After seeing how the decisions that government made affected employers in our region, Derek decided to put his experience to work in Olympia. He served in the Washington state House from 2005 to 2007 and the state Senate from 2007 until he was elected to the US House in 2012. While in Olympia, Derek was the principal writer of the state’s capital budget, and helped author a bipartisan infrastructure package that has been credited with creating 18,000 jobs. He also led a successful bipartisan effort in the Washington state Senate to balance the budget and reduce state debt.

Derek was reelected to a fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and chosen by his Democratic colleagues to serve on the House Appropriations Committee, one of only four ‘exclusive’ committees in the House. Derek serves on the Interior and Environment Subcommittee, Defense Subcommittee, and Energy and Water Development Subcommittee.

Derek is a strong supporter of Naval Base Kitsap and Joint Base Lewis-McChord and has secured key investments to ensure that these installations will continue to play an essential role in our national defense and our local economy. He also believes we must provide servicemembers and their families, veterans, military retirees, and the civilian workforce with the support they deserve.

Along with fighting for the region’s military community Derek has championed bipartisan efforts to better leverage federal research dollars to spur private sector innovation and job growth and bolster a 21st century workforce. As a native of the Olympic Peninsula, Derek knows the important role that natural resources play in our region, and is committed to protecting our waters and improving the health of our forests. It’s also why he helped found the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus to bring increased focus and attention to the cleanup work that needs to be done to restore our region’s waters.

Derek has learned that addressing the challenges facing our nation will require an end to political brinkmanship and a focus on finding common sense, practical solutions. He’s a member of organizations like the Bipartisan Working Group which works to bring Democrats and Republicans together to forge greater consensus on a wide variety of issues.

In his time in Congress, Derek has been recognized by a wide variety of groups for his effectiveness and advocacy. He’s been awarded the U.S. Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor a civilian not employed by the Navy can receive from the Secretary of the Navy. Derek has also received a Silver Helmet award from AMVETS and a Friend of the National Parks award from the National Parks Conservation Association, been named a Hero of Main Street by the National Retail Federation, an Outstanding New Member by the Voices for National Service, and a Humane Champion by the Humane Society.

Derek and his wife Jennifer live in Gig Harbor with their two children and their Australian Shepherd Truman.

Personal

Full Name: Derek Kilmer

Gender: Male

Family: Wife: Jennifer; 2 Children: Sophie, Tess

Birth Date: 01/01/1974

Birth Place: Port Angeles, WA

Home City: Gig Harbor, WA

Religion: Christian – Methodist

Source: Vote Smart

Education

Certified, American Studies, Princeton University

PhD, Comparative Social Policy, University of Oxford

BA, Public Affairs, University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs, Princeton University, 1992-1996

Political Experience

Representative, United States House of Representatives, Washington, District 6, 2013-present

Senator, Washington State Senate, District 26, 2007-2012

Candidate, Washington State Senate, District 26, 2006, 2010

Representative, Washington State House of Representatives, 2005-2007

Candidate, Washington State House of Representatives, 2004

Professional Experience

Former Business Retention Manager, Economic Development Board, Tacoma-Pierce County

Business Consultant, McKinsey and Company, 1999-2002

Offices

Bremerton
345 6th Street
Suite 500
Bremerton, WA 98337
(360) 373-9725
M-F: 9:00am – 5:00pm (PST)

Port Angeles
332 E 5th St
Port Angeles, WA 98362
(360) 797-3623

By Appointment Only

Tacoma
950 Pacific Avenue,
Suite 1230
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 272-3515
M-F: 9:00am – 5:00pm (PST)

Washington, DC
1226 Longworth House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5916
M-F: 9:00am – 6:00pm (EST)

Contact

Email: Government

Web Links

Politics

Source: none

Finances

Source: Open Secrets

Committees

Caucuses 

New Legislation

Sponsored and Cosponsored

Issues

Source: Government page

More Information

Services

Source: Government page

District

Source: Government page

Washington’s 6th congressional district encompasses the Olympic Peninsula, the Kitsap Peninsula, and most of the city of Tacoma. Its counties include the entirety of Clallam, Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor counties, and part of Pierce County. The 6th district has been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Derek Kilmer, a Democrat from Gig Harbor, since January 2013. He succeeded 36-year incumbent and fellow Democrat Norm Dicks, at the time the dean of the Washington delegation.

Established after the 1930 U.S. census, the 6th district is a working class district, with many of its jobs provided by tourism and a declining timber industry on the Pacific and Juan de Fuca coasts, and by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.

Presidentially, the 6th leans Democratic. It was one of only two districts in Washington retained by the Democrats in the Republican realignment election of 1994.

Al Gore and John Kerry carried the district in 2000 and 2004, with 52% and 53% of the vote, respectively. Barack Obama swept the district in 2008 and 2012, with 57% and 56% of the vote. Hillary Clinton won the district with 51% in 2016, with a diminished, but still large, margin. Joe Biden received 57% in the district in 2020.

Wikipedia

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, he served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007 and the Washington State Senate from 2007 to 2012.

In March 2012, Kilmer announced he was running to succeed Norm Dicks to represent Washington’s 6th congressional district.[1] On November 6, he won the general election to become the district’s representative.[2]

On November 9, 2023, Kilmer announced that he would not be seeking re-election in 2024.[3]

Early life, education, and business career

Kilmer was born and raised in Port Angeles, Washington. Both his parents were public school teachers. Kilmer earned a B.A. in public affairs with a certificate in American studies from Princeton University‘s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1996. He completed his 184-page senior thesis, “Recovering From the Addiction: The Social and Economic Impacts of the Pacific Northwest Timber Crisis; An Analysis of the Implementation of the Clinton Forest Plan on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula”, under the supervision of Steven R. Brechin.[4] He earned a Marshall Scholarship to obtain his Ph.D. in comparative social policy from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at Green Templeton College, Oxford.[5]

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, is a trustee for Tacoma Community College, and served on the board of Peninsula Schools Education Foundation.[6][7]

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.[8]

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%.[9] In 2010, he was reelected, defeating Marty McClendon 59%–41%.[10]

Tenure

In 2007, Kilmer 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.[11]

He sponsored the Senate bill that would increase fines to pay for a new $849 million Tacoma Narrows bridge in his district.[12]

Business groups 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 received 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.[13]

Committee assignments

Senate
  • Capital Budget Committee (Chair)
  • Economic Development, Trade, & Innovation Committee
  • Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee
  • Ways and Means Committee (Vice Chair)[14]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2012
See also: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington § District 6
Kilmer in 2012

After redistricting, U.S. representative Norm Dicks decided to retire. Kilmer decided to run for the newly redrawn Washington’s 6th congressional district. He was endorsed by The Seattle Times, which called him “a problem solver who can be bipartisan.” The News Tribune praised him for having “an uncommon understanding of trade, business taxation, smart regulation, job creation and other fundamentals of economic growth.” Port Angeles, Kilmer’s hometown and an area he was elected to represent, suffers from an unemployment rate 2.3% higher than the Washington State average, consistent with the rate of increase recorded before he took office.[15][16] In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Bill Driscoll, 59%–41%. He won all six counties in the district.[17][18]

Tenure

Kilmer voted with President Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[19]

Israel policy

Kilmer was a cosponsor of the United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013.[20]

Kilmer was part of a 37-member congressional delegation that visited Israel. The trip was sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, with the goal of working to strengthen strategic economic and military cooperation between Israel and the United States.[21]

Through his co-sponsorship of the United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013, Kilmer supports supporting Israel’s ability to defend itself and providing assistance for collaboration in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies.[22]

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 requirement for a chance of winning designated prizes is 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.[23][24]

Kilmer was ranked the 33rd most bipartisan member of the House of Representatives during the 114th 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 Congress by their degree of bipartisanship (by measuring how often each member’s bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party and each member co-sponsors bills by members of the opposite party).[25]

Kilmer sponsored the Honest Ads Act, election reform legislation that would have addressed Federal Election Commission law and citizen financing of campaigns, and required disclosure of financing of social media electioneering.[26]

On December 16, 2021, Kilmer introduced the Tiny Homes for Veterans Act 2021 (H.R.6307; 117th Congress), a bill that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a six-year pilot program to provide grants for the creation of five villages of tiny homes for homeless veterans. Under the bill, the villages must have associated supportive services to allow veterans to build and live in energy efficient homes, maintain social connections with each other, learn skills, and receive critical counseling.
[27]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Post-congressional career

After retiring from Congress, Kilmer will join the Rockefeller Foundation in a newly created senior vice president role, leading the organization’s U.S. programs and policy initiative.[36]

Publications

Articles

  • “How to take big money out of congressional races,” The Seattle Times, November 12, 2015.[37]
  • “Facebook hearings are not enough: Congress must act to defend democracy,” The Seattle Times, April 16, 2018.[38]
  • “Public servants aren’t the enemy. They’re us,” The Stand, June 19, 2018.[39]
  • “The bipartisan effort to reform Congress,” CNN, June 21, 2019.[40]
  • “Why I support articles of impeachment,” Kitsap Sun, December 17, 2019.[41]
  • “The Jan. 6 Capitol attack proved America’s democracy is fragile. Here’s how to protect it,” The News Tribune, January 8, 2022.[42]
  • “I won’t run again for Congress, but I remain hopeful that we can make things better,” The Seattle Times, November 9, 2023.[43]
  • “Congress’s disaster recovery plan needs a constitutional fix,” The Hill, March 19, 2024.[44]

References

  1. ^ “State Sen. Kilmer Running for US Rep. Dicks’ Open Seat”. Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  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. ^ Papp, Justin. “Kilmer says he will not seek another House term”. Roll Call. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  4. ^ Kilmer, Derek. Brechin, Steven; Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs (eds.). “Recovering From the Addiction: The Social and Economic Impacts of the Pacific Northwest Timber Crisis; An Analysis of the Implmentation of the Clinton Forest Plan on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula”. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ “Project Vote Smart – The Voter’s Self Defense System”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  6. ^ “Princeton Alumni Weekly — January 24, 1996”. Princeton University. January 24, 1996. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  7. ^ “Full Biography”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  8. ^ “Our Campaigns – WA District 26 Seat 2 Race – Nov 02, 2004”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  9. ^ “Our Campaigns – WA State Senate District 26 Race – Nov 07, 2006”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  10. ^ “Our Campaigns – WA State Senate District 26 Race – Nov 02, 2010”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  11. ^ “Unions get OK for political spending”. seattlepi.com. April 14, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  12. ^ “Senate approves fine for drivers who skip bridge toll”. KOMO News. February 25, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  13. ^ “About Derek | Derek Kilmer for Congress – 6th Congressional District”. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  14. ^ “Derek Kilmer”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  15. ^ “KONP / Local News / Unemployment rate up again in Clallam County”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  16. ^ “Port Angeles, WA Unemployment – Homefacts”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  17. ^ “Our Campaigns – WA District 6 Race – Nov 06, 2012”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  18. ^ “Login”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  19. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  20. ^ “Bill Summary & Status – 113th Congress (2013–2014) – H.R.938 – CRS Summary – THOMAS (Library of Congress)”. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  21. ^ “In the Middle East, a congressman learns that nothing’s simple”. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  22. ^ “Bill Summary & Status – 113th Congress (2013–2014) – H.R.938 – CRS Summary – THOMAS (Library of Congress)”. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  23. ^ “H.R. 3374 – Summary”. United States Congress. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  24. ^ Wisniewski, Mary (October 31, 2013). “Bill to Expand Prize-Linked Savings Introduced to Congress”. American Banker. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  25. ^ The Lugar Center – McCourt School Bipartisan Index (PDF), The Lugar Center, March 7, 2016, retrieved April 30, 2017
  26. ^ Brawner, Greta, host, with Ackley,Kate. Roll Call. Senior Staff Writer and Scott Wong. The Hill. Senior Staff Writer. (18 July 2019). “Newsmakers Series” C-Span website approx 17 mins, in Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  27. ^ “H.R.6307 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Act”. January 6, 2022.
  28. ^ “Members”. New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  29. ^ “Membership”. Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  30. ^ “Members”. Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  31. ^ “Legislative Committee”.
  32. ^ “90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members”. Citizen´s Climate Lobby. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  33. ^ “Members”. U.S. – Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  34. ^ “Larson, Sanders, Warren Announce Expand Social Security Caucus”. Congressman John Larson. September 13, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  35. ^ “Rare Disease Congressional Caucus”. Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  36. ^ Maple, Emma (November 22, 2024). “Kilmer to work with Rockefeller Foundation starting in ’25”. Sequim Gazette. Retrieved November 25, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ Kilmer, Derek (November 12, 2015). “How to take big money out of congressional races”. The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 27, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  38. ^ Kilmer, Derek (April 16, 2018). “Facebook hearings are not enough: Congress must act to defend democracy”. The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 27, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ^ Kilmer, Derek (June 19, 2018). “Public servants aren’t the enemy. They’re us”. The Stand. Retrieved November 27, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. ^ Kilmer, Derek (June 21, 2019). “The bipartisan effort to reform Congress”. CNN. Retrieved November 27, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  41. ^ Kilmer, Derek (December 17, 2019). “Why I support articles of impeachment”. Kitsap Sun. Retrieved November 27, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  42. ^ Kilmer, Derek (January 8, 2022). “The Jan. 6 Capitol attack proved America’s democracy is fragile. Here’s how to protect it”. The News Tribune. Retrieved November 27, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  43. ^ Kilmer, Derek (November 9, 2023). “I won’t run again for Congress, but I remain hopeful that we can make things better”. The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 27, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ Kilmer, Derek (March 19, 2024). “Congress’s disaster recovery plan needs a constitutional fix”. The Hill. Retrieved March 21, 2024.

Sources

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington’s 6th congressional district
2013–present		Succeeded by

New office Chair of the House Modernization Committee
2019–2023		Position abolished
Party political offices
Preceded by

 Chair of the New Democrat Coalition
2019–2021		Succeeded by

U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

 United States representatives by seniority
129th		Succeeded by

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Kilmer

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