Dear Constituent,
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as the Representative for our district, which includes South and East Tacoma, Parkland, parts of Spanaway, and East Lakewood. I commit to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all policy decisions. I aim to ensure that the impact on the entire community is considered in every legislative action and make Washington an anti-racist, equitable, and inclusive place to live, work, and raise a family. I am proud
to bring my extensive personal and professional experience to advocate for the 29th District.
Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work together towards a brighter future.
Sincerely,
About Melanie!
Melanie Morgan is a long-time resident of the Evergreen State and the mother of four adult-age children. She spent her youth in Spain and Italy and settled in Spanaway after leaving the U.S. Army. Melanie graduated from Saint Martin’s University with a degree in Psychology.
Equity and racial justice have been at the forefront of Melanie’s career, influenced by her personal experiences and the collective stories of her community. Before assuming public office, she dedicated herself to grassroots involvement in community organizations and initiatives to uplift marginalized communities, fortifying her commitment to inclusive progress. Having experienced homelessness herself, she understands the barriers people face in meeting basic needs. This personal experience and the recognition that marginalized communities are often excluded from the legislative process motivated her to run for the legislature and address these issues directly. Melanie builds from her lived experience and leads with the knowledge gained from others, consistently pursuing the opportunity to understand the community she serves.
Melanie has been a housing advocate since 1997. Her experience as a mortgage banker, safe housing coordinator, and Pierce County Housing Authority board commissioner highlights her commitment to equitable housing legislation. She also served on the board of Community Healthcare, furthering her understanding of community needs. As a result, she became a devoted advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Becoming the school board director was instrumental in getting the 2016 bond passed. As a former Franklin Pierce School District school board director and an active community advocate, Melanie offers a unique perspective that informs her leadership. While on the school board, she was dedicated to equity and equitable policies, extending beyond immediate impacts on students to how they affect families and the broader community. She provides that same holistic approach to her role within the legislature.
Melanie has been a state Representative since 2018. In 2019, she started working with Next Chapter, a shelter for pregnant women, single mothers, and their children experiencing homelessness in Pierce County. She has since secured substantial funding for a homeless shelter in Spanaway. Also in 2019, fourth-grade teacher Amy Cole and her class at Elmhurst Elementary in the Franklin Pierce School District proposed making the Suciasaurus Rex the state dinosaur after learning about a fossil found on Sucia Island. She prioritized it until its passage in 2023.
In 2022 and 2023, Melanie led efforts to establish a Community Reinvestment Account. This fund was proposed to address the disproportionate impacts of the War on Drugs and systemic racism. The proposed bill supported economic development, homeownership, small business support, civil and criminal legal services, community-based violence prevention, and reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. However, this bill died in the Senate.
Learn more about the issues Melanie has worked on and the accomplishments of her service on the Issues & Platform page and Legislation & Appropriations page.