Emily Randall Bio
Emily Elissa Randall, born on October 30, 1985, is an American politician and healthcare advocate serving as the U.S. representative for Washington’s 6th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents a district that includes the Olympic Peninsula, the Kitsap Peninsula, and most of the city of Tacoma. She is the first openly LGBTQ+ Latina elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, a milestone she reached when she was sworn in on January 3, 2025.
Before her time in Congress, Emily Randall served in the Washington State Senate from 2019 to 2024, where she focused on behavioral health, reproductive health, affordable housing, and public safety. Her policy work has consistently centered on expanding healthcare access and supporting working families, including those connected to the military. She is also known for her long career in healthcare advocacy outside of elected office, including work at Boston Children’s Hospital and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Early Life and Background
Emily Randall was born in the Kitsap Peninsula and raised in Port Orchard, Washington. She is the daughter of a white mother who works as a paraeducator and a Chicano father who worked as a shipyard worker. Growing up in a working-class household gave her a firsthand view of the challenges that families face when it comes to healthcare and economic security.
Family circumstances shaped her interest in healthcare policy from an early age. Her sister, Olivia, was born with microcephaly, a condition that led to severe developmental and physical disabilities. Because her father’s insurance did not cover all of her sister’s medical needs, the family depended on Medicaid to help pay for care. This experience left a lasting mark on Emily Randall and continues to inform her work in public office.
Emily Randall graduated from South Kitsap High School in 2004, becoming the first in her family to attend college. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and women’s studies from Wellesley College, a background that helped shape her approach to public service and advocacy.
Path to US Politics
After completing her education, Emily Randall built a career in healthcare advocacy, working at Boston Children’s Hospital and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. In these roles, she focused on expanding access to care and improving health education for underserved communities. Her work gave her practical experience in navigating the healthcare system and built a foundation for her later policy work.
Encouraged by community leaders and fellow advocates, Emily Randall decided to pursue elected office to have a broader impact on the issues she cared about. In 2018, she ran for the Washington State Senate and won a close race against Republican challenger Marty McClendon by just 104 votes. She was re-elected in 2022 with about 51 percent of the vote, demonstrating steady support from her constituents on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas.
Emily Randall Career
Early Career (2018–2024)
Emily Randall’s early career in elected office began with her 2018 victory in the Washington State Senate. Her first major legislative achievement came in February 2019, when she spearheaded the Randall Bill to ease school enrollment for military families. The law allowed children of service members with transfer orders to any base in Washington to enroll in school before having an address in the new district, a change designed to ease the stress of frequent moves for military families.
During her time in the state senate, Emily Randall served as whip for the majority and sat on the Higher Education Committee, the Workforce Development Committee, the Health and Long Term Care Committee, and the Transportation Committee. In March 2022, she sponsored a bill to lower the toll to cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge by 75 cents, and the measure was passed and took effect in October of the same year. She also served alongside Senator Claire Wilson as one of two openly LGBTQ+ women in the Washington State Senate.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Emily Randall’s breakthrough at the federal level came in 2024, when she ran for the open seat in Washington’s 6th congressional district after U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer announced his retirement. Her primary campaign earned endorsements from prominent Democrats, including U.S. Senator Patty Murray, U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland, U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, and former governors Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke. In the open primary, she finished first, ahead of Republican state senator Drew MacEwan, who also advanced to the general election.
Emily Randall defeated MacEwan in the 2024 general election, carrying 56.8 percent of the vote. When she was sworn in on January 3, 2025, she became the first openly queer Latina to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her early tenure was marked by extensive outreach, including town halls focused on concerns about proposed federal changes to Medicaid.
Current Term (2025–Present)
Since taking office, Emily Randall has remained an active voice on healthcare and civil rights. In January 2025, she voted against the Laken Riley Act, and she publicly pushed back against efforts to limit access to certain facilities based on gender identity, posting an inclusive sign outside her office. She also walked out of President Trump’s Address to Congress on March 4, 2025, citing concerns about proposed Medicaid cuts and their potential impact on rural hospitals and cancer research.
Emily Randall has continued to focus on bipartisan solutions that reflect her district’s needs. In May 2025, she introduced the ANCHOR for Military Families Act with Republican Rob Wittman of Virginia, a bill designed to help military families navigate school enrollment, housing assistance, and other resources during Permanent Change of Station moves. She also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and has re-introduced the Equality Act to strengthen nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQI+ Americans.
Notable Events and Milestones
Emily Randall’s most defining milestone is becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ Latina elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, a historic moment for both the Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. Her signature legislative achievement in the state senate, the Randall Bill, set a precedent for how states can support military families during relocations. Her walkout during the 2025 joint address drew national attention and underscored her commitment to defending Medicaid and rural healthcare access.
Emily Randall Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Emily Randall was raised in a working family on the Kitsap Peninsula, with a mother who worked as a paraeducator and a father who was a shipyard worker. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, a milestone she has often cited as central to her belief in expanding educational opportunity. The healthcare challenges faced by her sister, Olivia, helped shape her lifelong focus on Medicaid and disability services.
Personal Life
Emily Randall lives in Bremerton, Washington, where she co-owns a home with her wife, Alison Leahey, a carpenter in the construction industry. The two have been partners for 19 years. According to the Pew Research Center, Emily Randall identified her religious affiliation as “none” in a recent survey.