Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez | |
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Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition | |
Assumed office May 24, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Jim Costa |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 3rd district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
Personal details | |
Born | Kristina Marie Pérez June 4, 1988 Harris County, Texas, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Dean Gluesenkamp |
Children | 1 |
Education | Reed College (BA) |
Website | House website |
Kristina Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (born June 4, 1988), also known by her initials MGP, is an American politician and businesswoman. A member of the Democratic Party, she has been the U.S. representative for Washington's 3rd congressional district since 2023.
Gluesenkamp Perez was born on June 4, 1988.[1] Her father immigrated from Mexico.[2] She graduated from Reed College in 2012[3] with a degree in economics.[2] She and her husband own an automobile repair shop in Portland, Oregon.[4] During the COVID-19 pandemic, her repair shop received $63,000 in Paycheck Protection Program funds. After Gluesenkamp Perez's election, the repair shop was review bombed by individuals unhappy with her decision to vote with Republicans on a bill repealing President Biden's student loan relief plan.[5]
In 2016, Gluesenkamp Perez lost a race for Skamania County Commissioner.[6] She received 32.79% of the vote in the August 2 primary election, finishing second behind Republican[7] Richard Mahar. In the general election on November 8, she lost to Mahar with 46.3% of the vote.[8] Gluesenkamp Perez has served on the Washington State Democratic Party executive committee since 2020.[9] She has been a member of the Underwood Soil and Water District Conservation board of supervisors since 2018.[10]
See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington § District 3 |
Gluesenkamp Perez advanced from a nonpartisan blanket primary, which was implemented in Washington state starting in the 2008 election.[9] In this format, all candidates of all parties are listed on the same primary ballot, and the two who get the most votes advance to the general election. In the primary, she finished first out of all candidates with 31.0% of the vote.[11] Republican Joe Kent finished in second place and also advanced to the general election, beating the incumbent representative, Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, by .5%. Republican Heidi St. John finished fourth, with 16.0% of the vote. The other Democrat in the race, Davy Ray, received 2.2%. In the lead-up to the primary, Democrat Brent Hennrich, who had led in two early polls by the Trafalgar Group, withdrew from the race and endorsed Gluesenkamp Perez.[12]
The general election's rating varied from "Lean R", according to The Cook Political Report, to "Solid R" in FiveThirtyEight's House of Representatives forecast.[13][14] FiveThirtyEight estimated that Gluesenkamp Perez had a 2% chance of winning the general election over Kent, and was expected to receive 43.6% of the popular vote. She led in one of two polls and was trailing in the other, but both were within the margin of error.[15] Her subsequent victory received widespread national attention, with The Seattle Times calling it "the most stunning political upset in the country this year,"[2] and as "a microcosm of the midterms".[16][17] Kent conceded on December 21, following a recount.[18][19]
In the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Gluesenkamp Perez supported Bernie Sanders.[25] In 2022, she campaigned as a self-described moderate Democrat, a "supporter of both abortion rights and Second Amendment rights". She "emphasized support for small businesses, job training and local concerns, like the timber industry" and opposition to political extremism.[2][26] Gluesenkamp Perez supports abortion rights, citing her personal experience of a miscarriage.[6] KGW described her support for abortion rights as "a tenet of her campaign".[6]
Gluesenkamp Perez has also said that inflation, which she blames on companies outsourcing jobs, is the top issue affecting voters in her district.[6] She has called for both increased usage of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the short term and a long-term increase in the number of jobs available in green industries.[27]
Gluesenkamp Perez believes that vote by mail is safe and has refuted unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud among mail-in ballots.[6] She has condemned the January 6 United States Capitol attack and criticized Kent for not doing so.[28]
Gluesenkamp Perez opposes a ban on assault weapons, but has expressed interest in raising the age required to purchase an assault weapon from 18 to 21.[4][6] She has also called for increased hiring of police to handle a surge in property crime.[27]
In 2023, Gluesenkamp Perez voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would have criminalized failing to provide care for an infant born alive after an abortion attempt.[29]
In April 2023, Gluesenkamp Perez was among 50 Democrats that voted in favor H.Con.Res. 30, which would remove American troops from Somalia.[30][31]
In May 2023, Gluesenkamp Perez helped introduce the REPAIR Act and the SMART Act, two bipartisan right-to-repair bills that seek to require auto manufacturers to share parts, tools, and data needed for repairs at lower costs.[32]
In May 2023, Gluesenkamp Perez voted to block President Biden's student debt relief plan in addition to requiring borrowers to make retroactive student loan payments. She was one of only two House Democrats to vote with the Republicans in doing so, along with Jared Golden of Maine.[33]
On July 14, 2023, in opposition of campaign promises to support abortion rights, Gluesenkemp Perez voted along with the majority of House Republicans to pass the annual Defense Policy Bill that includes provisions to bar Pentagon spending for abortion and transgender surgeries.[34]
Gluesenkamp Perez lives near Stevenson, Washington, in Skamania County.[9] Married to Dean Gluesenkamp, she has one child.[1][6] Gluesenkamp Perez is nondenominational.[35]
Gluesenkamp Perez failed for more than six months to pay 2022 property taxes on her Portland auto repair shop. She then paid them after being contacted about it by The Oregonian.[36]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Marie Gluesenkamp Perez | 68,190 | 31.0 | |
Republican | Joe Kent | 50,097 | 22.8 | |
Republican | Jaime Herrera Beutler (incumbent) | 49,001 | 22.3 | |
Republican | Heidi St. John | 35,219 | 16.0 | |
Republican | Vicki Kraft | 7,033 | 3.2 | |
Democratic | Davy Ray | 4,870 | 2.2 | |
Independent | Chris Byrd | 3,817 | 1.7 | |
Republican | Leslie French | 1,100 | 0.5 | |
American Solidarity | Oliver Black | 456 | 0.2 | |
Write-in | 142 | 0.1 | ||
Total votes | 219,925 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Marie Gluesenkamp Perez | 160,314 | 50.14 | |
Republican | Joe Kent | 157,685 | 49.31 | |
Write-in | 1,760 | 0.55 | ||
Total votes | 319,759 | 100.0 |