Biography
34th Legislative District
Born and raised in the 34th Legislative District, Sen. Joe Nguyễn has deep roots in the community. His experiences and his involvement with community makes him an ardent champion for investing in Washington families and residents, expanding economic opportunities, and marks him a bold leader in our fight against the climate crisis.
Joe is the Chair of the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee. He is also serves as the Vice Chair of the budget-writing Ways & Means Committee and sits on the Human Services Committee. Elected to the Senate in 2019, he has spent his tenure advocating for working families and community members who historically have been left out of the political process. His priorities mirror the committees he serves on.
Throughout his first term, Joe has prioritized increased funding for social services. He has championed legislation to modernize and increase access to basic needs programs, like raising funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. He has helped make historic investments in affordable housing and alleviating the homelessness crisis. Joe has also been a staunch leader to reform our criminal justice system. For example, legislation he championed has expunged cannabis-related misdemeanors, a measure that works to address the disproportionately higher rates at which BIPOC and lower-income communities have been prosecuted.
Joe has been a thoughtful and innovative leader in his efforts to mitigate the climate crisis. He knows only too well how marginalized communities experience environmental harm disproportionately, and that to ensure that our communities thrive as a whole, we need to act urgently. His sponsored legislation has increased availability of zero emissions vehicles and expanded the Clean Buildings Act.
Joe recognizes the talent and potential of Washington’s students. To provide students equal access to education, he sponsored legislation to allow Community and Technical Colleges to offer four-year computer science degrees. That work has allowed Washington students, particularly students of color and low-income students, to access opportunities in a rapidly growing and competitive computer science industry.
Joe resides in West Seattle with his family.
"As long as those who occupy the highest offices ignore the pain of those on the margins, we will never achieve lasting justice. So we march, and we yell, and we protest, and we vote, and we fight for a better future."