Washington House to have new Speaker for first time in 20 years

Jinkins will be the first woman and open lesbian to serve as speaker of the House in the state. She was first elected as a state representative in 2010.

“I first ran for public office because I wanted to make sure all families have the same opportunities for success,” said Jinkins in a press release on July 31. “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 twenty years.”

Jinkins is a native Midwesterner who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Universit...