Jeremie Joseph Dufault (born 1978) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician serving as a member of the

Washington House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...

from the 15th district. First elected in 2018, Dufault's district included the eastern half of

Yakima County Yakima County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 256,728. The county seat and most populous city is Yakima, Washington, Ya ...

Early life and education

Dufault was born in

Selah, Washington Selah is a city in Yakima County, Washington, Yakima County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is north of Yakima, Washington, Yakima and part of its metropolitan area. The city's population was 8,153 at the 2020 United States cen ...

and raised in

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...

, where attended A.C. Davis High School. A member of the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed ...

, Dufault served in

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. He was also a member of the

Judge Advocate General's Corps The Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG or JAG Corps) is the military justice branch or specialty of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called judge advocates ...

. Dufault graduated from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

and earned a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

Career

After returning to

, Dufault became a real estate developer, specializing in senior, student, and family housing. In 2017, Dufault was elected to the

Selah (; ) is a word used 74 times in the Hebrew Bible. Its etymology and precise meaning are unknown, though various interpretations are given. It is probably either a liturgical-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, with the m ...

City Council. Dufault was elected to the

in 2018 and took office on January 14, 2019. In 2022, the new redistricting map moved Dufault's home into the 14th Legislative District and he did not run for reelection. In 2023, a

U.S. District Judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district. Each district cov ...

Robert Lasnik Robert Stephen Lasnik (born January 27, 1951) is an American attorney and jurist, who serves as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Education and career Lasnik was bor ...

ruled that the 15th district was in violation of the

Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights move ...

. The new map moved Selah back into the 15th district. In April 2025, House Speaker Laurie Jinkins barred Dufault from the House chamber for the rest of the session, after repeated outbursts on the legislative floor. Dufault was permitted to remotely participate in debates and to vote.

Awards

* 2020 Guardians of Small Business. Presented by NFIB.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dufault, Jeremie Republican Party members of the Washington House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Washington State Legislature United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) University of Pennsylvania alumni Harvard Law School alumni People from Yakima County, Washington People from Selah, Washington Living people 1978 births