She was only 28 years old when she got elected to the Washington State House of Representatives, after which she won re-election two more times, in 1988 and 1990, respectively. A fervent member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the Washington House of Representatives (1987-1993), and then in the United States House of Representatives from Washington’s 1st congressional district (1993-1995). In the meantime, she also spent some time working as an executive for RealNetworks before acquiring the U.S. Senate post in 2001. Being also a chairwoman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, Maria Cantwell is Washington’s second female senator, after Patty Murray.
