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Ed Murray (Washington politician)

Ed Murray
Ed Murray at SR 520 Floating Bridge Opening - 01 (crop).jpg
53rd Mayor of Seattle
Assumed office
January 1, 2014
Preceded by Michael McGinn
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 43rd district
In office
January 2007 – December 2013
Preceded by Pat Thibaudeau
Succeeded by Jamie Pedersen
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 43rd district
In office
October 1995 – January 2007
Preceded by Pat Thibaudeau
Succeeded by Jamie Pedersen
Personal details
Born (1955-05-02) May 2, 1955 (age 61)
Aberdeen, Washington, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Michael Shiosaki (m. 2013)
Residence Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Religion Roman Catholic
Website Mayoral homepage

Edward B. "Ed" Murray (born May 2, 1955) is an American politician and Mayor of Seattle. He served in the Washington State Senate from 2007-2013, and before that for 11 years in the Washington State House of Representatives.

Murray was born in Aberdeen, Washington, to an Irish Catholic family; he had six siblings. He spent much of his childhood in West Seattle’s Alki neighborhood, but attended high school in Thurston County, where he served as student body president.

Murray graduated from the University of Portland in 1980; he majored in sociology.

Murray began his career doing pretrial work for public defenders in Portland. He then returned to Seattle, becoming a paralegal, and quickly became active in local politics there. He was campaign manager for Cal Anderson, the first openly gay legislator in Washington state, in 1988 before becoming an assistant to City Councilmember Martha Choe. Murray later managed a nonprofit focused on gay rights.

In 1995, Murray, a Democrat, ran to fill the state Senate seat, left vacant by the death of Anderson, his mentor. Murray was defeated by state Representative Pat Thibaudeau. However, Murray was then appointed to fill Thibaudeau's vacant state House seat in the 43rd Legislative District.

After being appointed to the House in October 1995 and was re-elected biennially until he opted not to run for re-election to the House in 2006. The 43rd district, located entirely in Seattle, includes the University District, Montlake, Eastlake, and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. The district is very progressive and reliably Democratic.


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