Congressman Jim McDermott to retire

Congressman Jim McDermott
will not seek reelection

Congressman Jim McDermott, who represents the 7th District including Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Edmonds, and most of Seattle, in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced his retirement in a press conference in Seattle on Monday.

He was first elected to the Washington State Legislature in 1970. Following a decade in the state Senate, he served as a U.S. foreign service medical officer, before running for Congress in 1988.

McDermott served 14 terms in the U.S. House of Representations and called serving the district for so many years “the highest honor.”  A psychiatrist, he was instrumental in keeping health care reform on the national agenda.

He was derided in 2002 for a trip to Bagdad, where he decried the Bush administration's push for war.

King County Executive Dow Constantine issued the following statement after the announcement.

"Jim McDermott has been bringing Washington State values to Washington, D.C., since 1989. He has been a champion for preserving the social safety net, protecting the environment, and ensuring that everyone in this nation and abroad is treated fairly and with respect. He has bucked the cynicism of Congress and confronted our nation's challenges with candor and resolve. 

"Congressman McDermott's entire career has been dedicated to public service -- not just in Congress, but in the United States Navy, as a doctor, and as a Washington State legislator. His commitment to the well-being of our community, and of all the people of the nation and world, is unmatched 

"Congressman McDermott has been a friend and partner to King County for many years, and I extend my deepest gratitude for his decades of exceptional public service."

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray called McDermott “one of our country’s most passionate, fearless advocates for workers and families, and I’m proud to call him a colleague and friend.”

President Barack Obama issued a statement:

"For more than 40 years, Jim McDermott has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Washington State. As a state legislator, he helped pass laws that offered healthcare to unemployed and low-income Washingtonians, the first such program in the nation. In the United States Congress, he continued to be a much-needed voice for his most vulnerable constituents. 

"Across America, you'll find families that are better off because Jim McDermott was fighting for them. I'm grateful for Jim's service, and Michelle and I wish him all the best in whatever the future holds."