ABOUT
Representative Gerry Pollet is one of the most consistently progressive voices in the Washington State Legislature, known for turning bold values into lasting policy wins for working families, students, our environment, tenants, and vulnerable communities.
Before serving in the Legislature, he co-founded Heart of America Northwest and made the cleanup of the Hanford nuclear site his life’s work. He is currently on the faculty at the University of Washington in the School of Public Health.
Gerry is widely recognized as the leading voice in the Legislature for Open Government and accountability. He has led the fight against legislators keeping secret their emails and communications with lobbyists and donors.
Throughout his career, Gerry Pollet has combined principle with persistence — often leading on issues before they were politically easy. Whether fighting for environmental justice, reproductive freedom, democratic access, or economic fairness, he brings a clear belief to his work: the government should actively expand rights, protect the vulnerable, and create opportunity for all.
He represents the 46th Legislative District and continues to push Washington toward a more just, equitable, and sustainable future.
STANDING UP TO TRUMP
In the face of unprecedented attacks on democracy, immigrants, reproductive rights, the LGBTQ+ community, and so many other vulnerable groups, Gerry has worked to keep Washington a place where all are safe and can thrive. Gerry has led the efforts to protect undocumented college students from their status being shared with the federal government, voted to force ICE agents to show their face, strengthened hate crime laws, passed marriage equality, and is a strong voice against the attacks on trans kids. In the face of Trump's efforts to deny food subsidies and healthcare to immigrants, Gerry has worked this year to ensure Washington keeps these programs funded...
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
As a parent, Gerry is committed to making housing affordable for the next generation in Seattle, and for our parents to be able to have secure housing. Gerry approaches housing affordability as a justice issue that requires both immediate protections for renters and residents and long-term structural solutions to expand the affordable housing supply. He has championed rent stabilization and tenant protections that limit excessive annual rent increases, improve notice requirements, and protect vulnerable residents from displacement. In 2025, Pollet sponsored legislation on middle-housing and transit-oriented development legislation, unlocking more diverse housing choices and reducing barriers that drive up housing costs...
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QUALITY EDUCATION
Pollet has been the #1 champion in the legislature for education funding, especially for special education. For years, Gerry led the effort to remove the unconscionable cap on how many students with disabilities that the state funded special education for. In 2025, his advocacy helped lead to lifting the special education cap, a historic step toward fully funding special education statewide, directing hundreds of millions more to districts that educate students with disabilities.
Together with now US Congress Member Pramila Jayapal, Gerry developed and prime sponsored the Washington Promise (now Washington College Grant, which guarantees tuition free community and technical college statewide...
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