Ed Murray

Infobox State Senator
name =Sen. Ed Murray

---

width =140
height =185
state_senate =Washington
district =43^rd
term_start =2007
term_end =present
preceded =Pat Thibaudeau
succeeded =
state_house2 =Washington
district2 =43^rd
term_start2 =1995
term_end2 =2007
preceded2 =Pat Thibaudeau
succeeded2 =Jamie Pedersen
birth_date =birth date and age|1955|05|02
birth_place =
residence =Seattle, Washington
party =Democrat
spouse =Michael Shiosaki
website = [http://www.edmurrayforsenate.com edmurrayforsenate.com]

Edward B. Murray is an American politician from Washington state, who serves in the Washington State Senate. Elected to the Senate in 2006, he had previously served 11 years in the Washington State House of Representatives.

A Democrat, Murray was appointed to fill one of the vacant 43rd District seats in the House in October 1995 and was re-elected biennially until he opted not to run for re-election to the House in 2006. The 43rd district, covering parts of Seattle, including the University District, Montlake, Eastlake and Capitol Hill neighborhoods, is very liberal and reliably Democratic.

In 2006, he announced his intention to challenge Sen. Pat Thibaudeau for the 43rd District seat in the State Senate. [cite news|title=Ed Murray will leave House, run for Senate |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002903541_murray01m.html |date=2006-04-01 |work=Seattle Times] In May 2006, Thibaudeau dropped out of her race for re-election and Murray was elected to the Senate with little opposition. [cite news|title=Thibaudeau drops out of state senate race |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002987690_webthibaudeau11.html |date=2006-05-11 |work=Seattle Times] He took his senate seat in January 2007. In his first session in the senate, he was appointed Vice Chair of the Majority Caucus.

Murray is Vice Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and previously served as Chair of the House Transportation Committee. [cite news|title=Reform sought in how state faces transportation issues|url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/208206_transpo17.html?rand=68607.98 |date=2005-01-17 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer] He has also been very active in advancing LGBT rights. He led the push for an anti-discrimination law protecting gays and lesbians, a measure that finally passed in 2006 after three decades of debate. [cite news|title=A long-awaited win for gay rights: Senate OKs state anti-bias bill|url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/257432_gayrights28.html |date=2006-01-28|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer] He was also the main sponsor of legislation creating domestic partnerships, approved in 2007. [cite news|title=Washington state lawmakers pass domestic partnership bill giving rights to same-sex couples |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/11/america/NA-GEN-US-Domestic-Partnerships.php |date=2007-04-11|work=International Herald Tribune]

Murray is openly gay; his partner is Michael Shiosaki. [cite news|title=Gay Rights Advocates Revel Ban Defeat |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/07/AR2006060702279.html |date=2006-06-07 |work=Washington Post] He is currently one of six openly gay members of the Washington State Legislature, alongside Sen. Joe McDermott (D–West Seattle) and Representatives Jim Moeller (D–Vancouver), Jamie Pedersen (D–Seattle), Dave Upthegrove (D–Des Moines) and Marko Liias (D–Mukilteo).cite news |url=http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01232008news266921.cfm |title=WA state Legislature has 2nd largest gay caucus in U.S. |work=Associated Press |date=2008-01-23] His election to the Senate, like many of his previous campaigns, won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. [cite news |url=http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid39295.asp |title=Victory Fund endorsements yield 67 winners |work=The Advocate |date=2006-11-09]

References

External links

* [http://www.sdc.wa.gov/murray.htm Senate homepage]
*http://www.edmurrayforsenate.com Campaign website (no longer active)