Christine Gregoire Bio
Christine Gregoire (née O’Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as the 22nd Governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. She previously served as Washington’s Attorney General from 1993 to 2005, becoming the first woman to hold that position. After leaving the governorship, Gregoire became chief executive officer of Challenge Seattle, a regional alliance of leading employers.
During her two terms as governor, Gregoire focused on education reform, health-care expansion, environmental protection, and major infrastructure projects. She chaired the National Governors Association from 2010 to 2011 and has been recognized with several honorary degrees and Public Official of the Year honors.
Early Life and Background
Christine Gregoire was born on March 24, 1947, in Adrian, Michigan, and was raised in Auburn, Washington. She grew up in a working-class household headed by her mother, Sybil Grace Jacobs (née Palmer), who supported the family as a short-order cook. Gregoire has spoken about her mother’s resilience as a defining influence on her work ethic and values.
She graduated from Auburn Senior High School and went on to attend the University of Washington in Seattle, earning a Bachelor of Arts in speech and sociology in 1969. At the university, she became a member of the Sigma Iota chapter of the Kappa Delta sorority. Gregoire later attended Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, where she received her Juris Doctor in 1977.
Path to US Politics
Gregoire began her legal career as an assistant attorney general in the office of Republican State Attorney General Slade Gorton, focusing on child-abuse cases. She coordinated with social workers to place children removed from abusive homes with relatives or foster families and was later appointed the first female Deputy Attorney General in Washington.
In 1988, near the end of his first term as governor, Booth Gardner appointed Gregoire as director of the Washington Department of Ecology. She served four years in that role, working with Gardner on a federal agreement to clean up nuclear waste at the Hanford nuclear site and creating the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force following the Nestucca barge oil spill. In 1992, she ran for state attorney general, beginning a decades-long career in elected office.
Christine Gregoire Career
Early Career (1992-2004)
Gregoire was elected Washington Attorney General in 1992, defeating King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng by 11 percentage points and becoming the first woman to serve in the role. She was reelected in 1996 and 2000, both times over Richard Pope, by wide margins. As attorney general, she worked on children’s issues, helped reform the juvenile justice system, passed a new ethics law for state government, strengthened protections for victims of identity theft, and promoted alternatives to litigation.
During her second term, Gregoire led a coalition of state attorneys general in negotiations with the tobacco industry. The 1997 settlement required tobacco companies to pay more than $206 billion over 25 years, securing Washington a $4.5 billion share that funded children’s health services, anti-tobacco programs, and a long-term prevention trust. She also directed the Department of Ecology’s response to the Nestucca oil spill and coordinated cleanup efforts at the Hanford nuclear site.
Breakthrough (2004)
In 2004, Gregoire won the Democratic primary with more than 60 percent of the vote and faced former state senator Dino Rossi in one of the closest gubernatorial races in Washington history. She proposed major investments in life sciences and embryonic stem cell research and pledged to bypass bureaucratic obstacles. After the initial count showed her trailing by 261 votes, a machine recount, a hand count, and a State Supreme Court ruling left her with a certified lead of 129 votes. A subsequent lawsuit by Republican leaders was dismissed by Judge John E. Bridges on June 6, 2005.
Democratic Era (2005-2013)
As governor, Gregoire signed sweeping education reform bills in 2005 that established the Early Learning Council and led to the creation of the Department of Early Learning. She chaired a 13-member steering committee that released a five-strategy plan to overhaul Washington’s education system and later signed legislation creating a health benefit exchange, expanding the Apple Health for Kids Act, and conforming state law with the federal Affordable Care Act.
Gregoire signed bills creating the Puget Sound Partnership, directed state agencies to cut greenhouse gases, and transitioned Washington off coal power in 2011. She championed infrastructure projects including the State Route 520 floating bridge and the State Route 99 deep bore tunnel and announced the nation’s first electric highway along the Interstate 5 corridor. She also signed landmark LGBTQ+ rights legislation, including a 2007 domestic partnership law and a 2012 same-sex marriage bill that voters upheld through Referendum 74. Gregoire chaired the National Governors Association from 2010 to 2011 and led trade missions to Europe, China, and Japan.
Notable Events and Milestones
Gregoire’s signature moments include leading the 1997 tobacco master settlement, overseeing a 129-vote victory in the closest gubernatorial election in Washington history, signing the nation’s first biodiesel and ethanol fuel content requirement in 2006, and presiding over the launch of the world’s longest floating bridge and one of the world’s largest deep bore tunnel projects. She was also the first woman to serve as Washington’s attorney general.
Christine Gregoire Career Wins
Christine Gregoire’s most prominent political victories include her 1992 election as Washington’s first female attorney general, her 2004 gubernatorial win by 129 votes, and her 2004 reelection to the attorney general’s office. She also won the 2008 gubernatorial race against Dino Rossi with 53 percent of the vote, becoming the first Washington governor to win under the new top-two primary system.
Electoral Highlights
Gregoire’s first major electoral win came in 1992, when she defeated Norm Maleng by 11 percentage points. She was reelected attorney general in 1996 and 2000 by approximately 25 and 18 percentage points, respectively, over Richard Pope. Her most dramatic victory was the 2004 gubernatorial race, in which she overcame an initial 261-vote deficit to win by 129 certified votes after recounts and a court ruling.
In 2008, Gregoire secured a second gubernatorial term, benefiting from large Democratic turnout during the concurrent presidential election and winning with 53 percent of the vote. The contest highlighted a clear geographic split, with Western Washington counties supporting her and Eastern Washington counties backing Dino Rossi.
Other Achievements
Beyond her electoral successes, Gregoire chaired the National Governors Association from 2010 to 2011 and led the successful negotiation of the 1997 tobacco master settlement agreement, securing $4.5 billion for Washington. She has also been honored with honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Gonzaga University, Washington State University, and the University of Washington, and was named a Public Official of the Year by Governing magazine in 2007.
Christine Gregoire Family
Family Background and Lineage
Christine Gregoire was raised in Auburn, Washington, by her mother, Sybil Grace Jacobs (née Palmer), who worked as a short-order cook. She has spoken publicly about her mother’s determination and influence on her career. After graduating from college and law school, Gregoire married Michael (Mike) Gregoire in 1974.
Personal Life
Gregoire and her husband Michael have two daughters. Their first daughter, Courtney, was born in Spokane in 1979 and was appointed to the Seattle Port Commission in 2013. Courtney has two children, Audrey and Alexa. Their second daughter, Michelle, was born in 1984. When not in Olympia, the family has lived in nearby Lacey, Washington. In 2003, Gregoire was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer during a routine checkup, underwent surgery, and recovered.