At 55, Laurie Jinkins became the first woman and also the first lesbian Speaker of the Washington House of Representatives. Elected last year, she took office on January 14, 2020. She succeeds Representative Frank Chopp.

 Laurie Jinkins is Washington House’s first lesbian and first woman to be elected Speaker.

Once Laurie Jinkins became involved in politics, she was mainly concerned with protecting children from abuse and neglect, but also helped improve the public health system in Washington over the two decades.

“I first ran for public office because I wanted to make sure all families have the same opportunities for success,” Jinkins said in a statement.

“Washington continues to rank among the top states to live, work, and do business in large part due to the forward-thinking policies adopted by the legislature over the last 20 years.

“We made sure all kids have access to health care regardless of family income. We have some of the best colleges and universities in the nation. And we support families by embracing marriage equality, paid family leave, equal pay, and many other policies.