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Maria Cantwell

Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell, official portrait, 110th Congress 2.jpg
United States Senator
from Washington
Assumed office
January 3, 2001
Serving with Patty Murray
Preceded by Slade Gorton
Ranking Member of the Senate Energy Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded by Lisa Murkowski
Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee
In office
February 12, 2014 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by Mary Landrieu
Succeeded by David Vitter
Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
In office
January 3, 2013 – February 12, 2014
Preceded by Daniel Akaka
Succeeded by Jon Tester
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by John Miller
Succeeded by Rick White
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the Position 1, 44th legislative district
In office
January 12, 1987 – January 11, 1993
Preceded by Jeanine Long
Succeeded by Jeanine Long
Personal details
Born Maria Elaine Cantwell
(1958-10-13) October 13, 1958 (age 58)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education Miami University (BA)
Website Senate website

Maria Elaine Cantwell /ˈkæntˌwɛl/ (born October 13, 1958) is the junior United States Senator from Washington, serving since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the Washington House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993 and then in the United States House of Representatives from Washington's 1st congressional district from 1993 to 1995, after which she worked as an executive for RealNetworks. She is Washington's second female senator, after Patty Murray. She serves as the Ranking Member on the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. While Democrats were in the majority, Cantwell served as Chairwoman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 2014 to 2015 and Chairwoman of the Committee on Indian Affairs from 2013 to 2014. Upon the February 2017 resignation of Jeff Sessions, Cantwell became the most senior junior Senator.

Cantwell was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was raised in a predominantly Irish-American neighborhood on the south side of Indianapolis. Her father, Paul F. Cantwell, served as county commissioner, city councilman, state legislator, and Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Andrew Jacobs, Jr. Her mother, Rose M., was an administrative assistant. Her ancestry includes Irish and German.


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