Dr. Kim Schrier is running to represent the 8th District of Washington in the United States House of Representatives. She won the Democratic primary on August 7th and will face Republican State Senator Dino Rossi. The Republican incumbent, Rep. Dave Reichert, is retiring, creating a pickup opportunity for Democrats in Washington’s 8th district. Dr. Schrier is a pediatrician and a champion for working women and families. Woman physicians currently lack representation in Congress, and electing Dr. Schrier to the House of Representatives would ensure that Washington’s 8th District is represented by a highly qualified advocate for women’s healthcare and reproductive rights.
Background and Achievements
Dr. Kim Schrier is a pediatrician who has lived in Issaquah, Washington for 16 years. The daughter of an aerospace engineer and an elementary school teacher, Dr. Schrier is a proud product of public schools who was raised to value the importance of quality public education. Dr. Schrier knows firsthand the importance of access to healthcare because she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a teenager. She received her undergraduate degree in Astrophysics, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California Berkeley. Dr. Schrier received her medical degree from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and her pediatric residency from the Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Dr. Schrier has since dedicated her career to bettering the lives of families in Washington’s 8th District as a pediatrician.
Positions on Key Issues
- Supports a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions
- Advocates for increased funding to Planned Parenthood and expanded access to contraception
- Believes healthcare is a right and should be accessible and affordable for every American
- Supports DACA and will fight to protect Dreamers
- Supports public education and will fight to provide resources for disadvantaged public schools to level the playing field
Prospects & Opponents
In Washington primaries, the two candidates who receive the most votes move onto the general election regardless of party. Republican and State Senator Dino Rossi won the primary with 42.7% of the vote (as of August 9). Although second place has not yet been declared, Schrier is leading with 19.1% of the vote. Schrier’s Democratic opponents combined have received another 31.5% of the vote, which should help Schrier in the general election. The 8th District’s Republican incumbent, Dave Reichert, announced he will not be seeking re-election shortly after Schrier entered the race. This race has been rated a toss-up by Cook Political Report.