Murray, Patty (1950-…), has been a member of the United States Senate since 1993. Murray, a Democrat, represents the state of Washington. In 2023, Murray was named president pro tempore (temporary president) of the Senate. This office is customarily held by the longest-serving member of the majority party in the Senate. Murray became the first woman to hold the position.
Patty Johns was born in Bothell, Washington, near Seattle, on Oct. 11, 1950. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in 1972. That same year, she married Robert R. Murray, a fellow student. After graduation, she worked as a preschool teacher. She also became the president of a local parent-teacher association.
Murray got her start in politics campaigning for a seat on the school board in Shoreline, a suburb of Seattle. She campaigned as a “mom in tennis shoes” and won the election. She served from 1983 to 1988. From 1988 to 1993, Murray held a seat in the Washington State Senate. She was elected to her first term in the U.S. Senate in 1992 and took office in 1993. She was reelected in 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2022.
Early in her Senate career, Murray focused on legislation concerning health care and education. Later, Murray also worked on transportation, housing, and veterans’ issues. As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, she helped increase funding for the treatment of soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological illness in which people repeatedly remember, relive, or dream about a terrible experience, such as warfare.
