Bellevue-area voters will choose their representative in Washington's 1st Congressional District on Nov. 3, 2026. Democrat Suzan DelBene, who has held the seat since 2012, faces Republican Mary Silva.
DelBene serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, according to her congressional biography. She chaired the New Democrat Coalition from 2021 to 2023 and became chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2023.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: U.S. House of Representatives, Washington 1st Congressional District
- Birthplace: Selma, Alabama
- Education: Bachelor's degree in biology, Reed College (1983); MBA, University of Washington (1990)
Experience and public service
DelBene started her career in immunology research before earning her MBA, according to her congressional biography. She worked at Microsoft from 1989 to 1998 in marketing and business development roles, then served as vice president at drugstore.com from 1998 to 1999.
She led Nimble Technology as CEO and president from 2000 to 2004, then returned to Microsoft as a vice president from 2004 to 2007. She served as a strategic advisor at Global Partnerships from 2008 to 2009.
Before entering Congress, DelBene served as director of the Washington State Department of Revenue from 2010 to 2012. She has held the seat since 2012.
On the issues
The following positions come from DelBene's campaign website and congressional office page. All statements are the candidate's own.
Housing: DelBene says she champions legislation that would help create 2 million affordable homes nationwide over the next decade. "To help lift families out of poverty and expand access to opportunity for all, we must take immediate action to address housing instability," she says on her campaign site.
Economy and taxes: DelBene says she secured $200 million in job-training funds to help low-income individuals receiving nutrition assistance gain skills for employment.
She says she supports raising the federal minimum wage and backs the Buffett rule, which would require those making a million dollars or more per year to pay at least the same tax rate as middle-class families. She says she is focused on modernizing the tax code.
Health care: DelBene says she supports universal quality coverage through a choice between public and private options. She says she is committed to protecting Medicare and supports allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.
She says she has voted against every attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Technology and privacy: DelBene says she authored a federal consumer data protection bill that would require companies to issue privacy policies in clear language and establish enforcement mechanisms. She also says she is championing the Email Privacy Act, which would require the government to obtain a warrant before accessing personal emails.
Public safety and guns: DelBene says she supports expanding background checks, banning the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons and implementing red flag laws. She says she backs investing in community policing and crime diversion programs.
Endorsements
DelBene has received endorsements from the King County Democrats, the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, the Washington Education Association PAC, the National Education Association, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Victory Fund, the Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council, SEIU Local 775 and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, according to BallotReady data. Endorsement claims are made by the endorsing organizations.
