Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp

Kristina Gluesenkamp Perez is the U.S. Representative for Washington's 3rd congressional district, serving since 2023. Born in Harris County, Texas, to a Mexican immigrant father and a mother with Washington roots, she grew up in Houston before eventually settling in rural Skamania County, Washington. She holds a degree in economics from Reed College, where she met her husband Dean while managing the Reed Bike Co-Op. Together they opened an automobile repair shop and built their own home in the countryside. Before her election to Congress, she ran unsuccessfully for local office twice—for Skamania County commissioner in 2016 and for county Public Utility District commissioner in 2018—while serving on the Underwood Conservation District board and the Washington State Democratic Party executive committee.

In Congress, Gluesenkamp Perez serves on the House Committee on Appropriations and its Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, as well as the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. Her legislative priorities reflect her rural background and small-business experience, focusing on issues affecting agriculture, rural communities, and consumer protection. She has sponsored legislation including the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act of 2025, the Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025, and measures addressing transportation safety standards.

Gluesenkamp Perez serves as co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats focused on fiscal responsibility and bipartisan problem-solving. Her path to Congress reflects her deep roots in both working-class communities and rural America, combining her family's entrepreneurial spirit with a commitment to public service.