Murray, Patty (1950–)
Murray, Patty (1950–)
American politician. Born Oct 10, 1950, in Bothell, Washington; Washington State University, BA, 1972; m. Rob Murray, 1972; children: Randy and Sara.
While lobbying against cuts in funding for parent-child education programs, was told by a legislator that she could not make a difference because she was "just a mom in tennis shoes" (1980); served in the Washington State Senate (1988–92); became the 1st woman to serve in the US Senate from Washington state (1992); reelected (1998 and 2004), serving as the highest-ranking Democrat of the Senate Transportation Appropriations subcommittee; the daughter of a disabled WWII veteran, was the 1st woman to serve on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee; helped write and pass the Violence Against Women Act (1994); focuses on women, children and the environment.