She focused on local values and priorities, emphasizing her connection to the community as a tradesperson and rural resident, which resonated with the working class.
She ran an auto repair and machine shop with her husband, lives in unincorporated Skamania County, and has a three-year-old son. The county has a national forest and a population of about 12,000.
She aims to preemptively address bills by understanding her community's values and priorities, ensuring they are reflected in legislation, and working on amendments afterward.
Her district held only 3% of federally issued debt, making the policy a regressive tax. She believes in consistent progressive tax strategies, not just when politically convenient.
She introduced a bill to ensure childcare providers can serve fresh fruits and vegetables, addressing over-regulation that limits access to quality care in her county.
She believes her role is to represent her community's unique perspectives and values, contributing to better national policy by ensuring diverse voices are heard from the inception.
Democrats in the minority successfully blocked George W. Bush's Social Security privatization and highlighted Trump's attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, raising public awareness and opposition.
Today's partisanship is more reflexive, with less room for ideological diversity within parties. Historically, there were liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats, which is less common now.
They can block majorities by raising public awareness and opposition, as seen with civil rights measures and Trump's healthcare repeal attempts. They can also find bipartisan common ground on specific issues.
US Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was one of the few Democrats to win a swing district in the 2024 election. She explains what lessons Democrats can learn from her win and what she hopes to accomplish, even as a minority, in the 119th Congress.
This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King.
Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast)
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Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., after her 2022 election. Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.
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