Maria Cantwell currently serves as a United States Senator for the State of Washington. As a respected leader – both in public service and in the private sector – Maria has always embraced the values she first learned growing up in a strong working-class family. With the help of Pell Grants, Maria was the first member of her family to graduate college. Later, a successful businesswoman in Washington's hi-tech industry, she helped build a company that created hundreds of high-paying jobs from the ground up.
A strong and thriving agricultural sector is essential to Washington state’s economic success. Washington’s agriculture industry is worth $49 billion, employs 164,000 people and accounts for 13 percent of the state’s economy. On behalf of farmers, Maria promotes Washington agriculture by expanding fair access to foreign markets, supporting Washington crops, and investing in agriculture innovation and research.