State Senator Derek Kilmer, 6th congressional district candidate, has been officially endorsed by the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs (WACOPS). WACOPS is the largest and oldest law enforcement association in Washington state, representing approximately 4,500 commissioned police officers and sheriff deputies.
“The Washington Council of Police Officers and Sheriffs is proud to endorse State Senator Derek Kilmer to succeed Representative Norm Dicks as the Congressman of Washington’s 6th Congressional District,” said Jamie Daniels, Executive Director of WACOPS. “Senator Kilmer is a legislator with a proven record of achieving bipartisan solutions that protect the public’s safety and safeguard the welfare of law enforcement officers and their families. We believe he will make a great congressman.”
Senator Patty Murray today announced her endorsement of State Senator Derek Kilmer to succeed Retiring Congressman Norm Dicks.
“I am proud to endorse Derek for Congress,” said Senator Patty Murray. “Derek has shown a strong commitment to job creation in the region, and he has worked closely with the economic development community to create and sustain jobs in the region. Derek is also a strong voice in the State Senate for our veterans as they’ve returned home from overseas. I am confident that Derek will continue to be a strong advocate for our military service members, veterans and their families.”
Murray’s endorsement comes as Kilmer continues to garner support from throughout the district including recent endorsements from Former Tacoma Mayor Brian Ebersole, Jefferson County Commissioner John Austin and County Prosecutor Scott Rosekrans, Former Gig Harbor Mayor Jack Bujacich, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, IAM Local 282, the Kitsap County Democrats, and the Washington State Association of Realtors.
“It’s a great honor to be endorsed by Senator Murray. She has been an effective and tireless advocate for our military service members and veterans. Her commitment to Washington’s working families, investment in our infrastructure, border and port security, economic development and veterans is tremendous,” said Kilmer. “I look forward to being a strong partner with Senator Murray.”
During his time in the state legislature he has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Military Community and Family Policy Division for work on behalf of veterans and their families, the Northwest Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans, and was named Outstanding Legislator of the Year by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
U.S. Representative Norm Dicks of Belfair today announced his endorsement of State Senator Derek Kilmer to succeed him as the Congressman representing the people of Washington’s Sixth Congressional District.
“Derek is someone who understands every part of this district because he’s lived it. He grew up on the Olympic Peninsula and graduated from Port Angeles High School. He works in Tacoma, helping to create jobs in our region, raises his family in Gig Harbor, and represents Gig Harbor, Bremerton, and Port Orchard,” said Congressman Norm Dicks.
“Derek’s career has been spent trying to retain and attract good jobs for our region and Congress needs more people with that kind of experience. He’s hard-working, effective, and he’s committed to bringing people together to get the job done,” added Congressman Norm Dicks.
Kilmer was also endorsed by Congressman Adam Smith of Tacoma, who represents the neighboring 9th Congressional District. Smith, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, highlighted Kilmer’s advocacy on behalf of veterans.
“Derek Kilmer gets it,” said Rep. Smith. He’s been recognized by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense for his work to ensure that military service members, veterans and their families are able to find housing, employment, educational opportunities, and run thriving businesses. In Congress, I know that Derek will continue to be a strong advocate for our veterans and the brave men and women of our armed forces and their families.”
Derek was born and raised in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, graduating from Port Angeles High School. He earned a bachelors’ degree in public policy from Princeton University and a doctoral degree from the University of Oxford in England. He was elected to the State Senate in 2006 with 59.9% of the vote and re-elected in 2010 with
58.8% of the vote, despite representing the most Republican legislative district of any Democrat in the Washington State Senate, spanning from Bremerton to the Narrows Bridge. Kilmer lives in Gig Harbor with his wife, Jen, and their two daughters Sophie and Tess. He works in Tacoma as the Vice President of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County.
State Senator Derek Kilmer, the Vice President of the Pierce County Economic Development Board, today announced the endorsements of more than two dozen civic leaders throughout the 6th Congressional District. Kilmer announced his candidacy on Monday to succeed retiring Congressman Norm Dicks.
Kilmer remarked, “I’m honored and touched to be given this support by so many dedicated leaders in our region. This campaign has just begun and I look forward to meeting people in every county, but this is a great start. We all know that Washington D.C. is broken. If we’re going to change Congress, we need to send them a leader who will continue Norm Dicks’ legacy of fighting for good jobs and has a strong track record of delivering meaningful change and real results.”
Kilmer announced the endorsement today of the following leaders from the Greater Tacoma area:
Kilmer announced the endorsement today of the following leaders from Kitsap County:
Kilmer announced the endorsement today of the following leaders from Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula:
Kilmer announced the endorsement today of the following leaders from Olympic Peninsula:
Washington State Auditor, Brian Sonntag said, “Derek Kilmer has a track record of making government work better. I trust Derek to fight for our best interests.”
Pierce County Executive, Pat McCarthy commented, “As incredibly difficult as it seems for anyone to replace Norm Dicks, we could hardly have done better than Derek if we had launched a national search.”
Tacoma State Senator Debbie Regala added, “His dedication to building healthy community is well known. Derek was the primary sponsor of the effort to enable the construction of Saint Anthony Hospital which created 400 new jobs and improved access to quality healthcare for thousands of people.”
Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent said, “Derek Kilmer gets it. He’s always stood up for veterans and passed a law to help veterans start their own businesses when they’re done serving. We could use that kind of leadership in Washington D.C.”
Former Kitsap County Commissioner Steve Bauer concluded, “Derek’s parents were both school teachers and he understands how important strong schools are to helping our kids get the jobs of the future and getting employers to create more jobs here in the Puget Sound. He has the right values to bring change to Congress.”
Kilmer grew up in the Olympic Peninsula and graduated from Port Angeles High School. He works in Tacoma for the Pierce County Economic Development Board. He represents in the State Senate portions of Kitsap and Pierce counties, including Bremerton, Port Orchard, and Gig Harbor. Kilmer lives in Gig Harbor with his wife, Jen, and their two daughters Sophie and Tess.
He was elected to the State Senate in 2006 with 59.9% of the vote and re-elected in 2010 with 58.8% of the vote, despite representing the most Republican legislative district of any Democrat in the Washington State Senate. The Tacoma News Tribune wrote, in their 2010 endorsement of Derek’s State Senate campaign, that Derek was “one of the best legislators to show up in Olympia in recent years…” The Seattle Times wrote, in their 2010 endorsement of Kilmer’s State Senate campaign, that, “Every candidate this year is talking about jobs, but with Kilmer it is more than talk…He knows what policies attract them and what ones do not.”