Patty was born and raised in Bothell, Washington where she grew up with her parents and six siblings—including a twin sister. Her father managed a Main Street 5 and 10 cent store, where she worked growing up and first learned the value of strong work ethic. When Patty was a young teenager, her father—a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient—was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and in a few short years, his illness got so bad he could no longer work. Patty’s mother, who had stayed home to raise their family, had to take care of him while also working to support their family. She found some work, but it didn’t pay enough to support Patty and her six brothers and sisters—and a husband with growing medical bills. Thankfully, they lived in a country where the government didn’t just say “you’re on your own.”
Senator Murray believes strongly that when women succeed, our country succeeds. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, the so-called “Year of the Woman” when women gained a record six U.S. Senate seats, Senator Murray has been focused throughout her career on expanding opportunity for women in Washington state and across the country. From helping break down barriers women face in the workplace to standing up for a woman’s constitutionally guaranteed right to make her own decisions about her own body, Senator Murray has fought hard for women’s rights and health, and she’ll keep fighting to ensure women’s voices are heard in Congress.