Tana Senn (born 1971) is an American politician who represented the 41st legislative district in 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 2013 to 2025. She is currently leads the

Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is state-level social services agency in Washington. It was created by House Bill 1661, which was signed by Governor Jay Inslee on July 6, 2017. Beginning January 15, 2025, Tana Senn w ...

Early life and education

Raised in the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

suburb of Pacific Palisades, Senn attended

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

for her undergraduate education. She earned a degree in education. She went on to attend

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

for graduate school, studying public policy and administration. She is a first cousin once-removed of former

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

Insurance Commissioner An insurance commissioner (or commissioner of insurance) is a public official in the executive branch of a state or territory in the United States who, along with their office, regulate the insurance industry. The powers granted to the office of ...

Deborah Senn Deborah Mandel Senn (March 8, 1949 – February 18, 2022) was an American lawyer and politician of the Democratic Party. She was the 7th Washington Insurance Commissioner for two terms from 1993 to 2001. In 2000, in lieu of running for re-electi ...

Political career

Senn was initially selected by the

King County Council The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure is ...

on September 9, 2013, to replace State Representative Marcie Maxwell and then elected in November 2014 with 63% of the vote. Senn was first appointed to the

Mercer Island Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, with Seattle to its west and Bellevue t ...

City Council in January 2012. She was elected to a full 4-year term in November 2013, having run unopposed. After the resignation of Representative Maxwell, Senn was selected by the Democratic Party Precinct Committee Officers on August 21, 2013 for appointment by the King County Council to the

. On December 18, 2024, Senn was appointed by governor-elect Bob Ferguson to lead the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

References

External links

Washington State Legislature WebpageCampaign websiteClose the gender wage gap
Democratic Party members of the Washington House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Washington State Legislature Living people Women state legislators in Washington (state) 21st-century American women politicians 1971 births Washington University in St. Louis alumni {{Authority control