State Representative Mary Fosse is the proud mother of two, wife of a veteran, daughter of a single mother, a survivor, and a former small business owner with over a decade of community advocacy experience. She is well-known as a dedicated public servant and proponent of the rights of workers, families, and our most vulnerable residents. Even before joining the legislature, Rep. Fosse’s volunteer work secured nearly $5.5 million for an environmental justice cleanup project for the historically underserved Delta Neighborhood in Everett.  

Representative Fosse brings a vital and unique perspective to the legislative community. Having experienced the trauma of poverty and homelessness as a child, her top priorities include supporting workers and working families, lowering the cost of living, expanding affordable housing, improving access to child care, protecting consumers, and building safe, resilient communities. Rep. Fosse is steadfast in her commitment to advocating for policies that always put people first. 

Rep. Fosse currently serves as Deputy Majority Floor Leader, and Chair of the Working Families Caucus, the largest bicameral caucus in the legislature. During her time as a Representative, some of Rep. Fosse’s legislative accomplishments include: 

• Addressing gaps in unemployment insurance to help families meet care obligations. 

• Removing racist terms from state unemployment law. 

• Collective bargaining rights for Academic Student Employees. 

• Expanding the Working Connections Child Care program to first-year apprentices. 

• Promoting building decarbonization to address climate change. 

• Funding a workgroup and study to assess the education and workforce needs of the electrical transmission industry to meet our population and climate goals. 

• Promoting construction-related training and pathways to apprenticeships in state correctional facilities. 

• Improving funding and access to childcare. 

• Protecting all working minors from harm and exploitation, and holding bad actors accountable. 

• Adding members with lived experiences to the Correctional Industries Advisory Committee to ensure directly impacted voices shape policy. 

• Strengthening responsible bidder criteria on public works projects, supporting apprentice opportunities and workforce development. 

• Protecting a worker’s right to choose not to participate in forced meetings in the workplace about political, religious, or anti-union agendas without fear of retaliation. 

• Streamlining the bargaining process for the State and Department of Corrections employees. 

• Helping workers recover unpaid wages they’re owed by strengthening Washington’s wage recovery system, modernizing enforcement, and creating a Wage Recovery Fund to help vulnerable workers while they await justice.  

• Strengthening the child care workforce by establishing a Child Care Workforce Standards Board to stabilize the workforce and improve access to quality child care.  

• Supporting retirement security and access to healthcare for DOC workers by allowing them to bargain over supplemental retirement benefits so they can retire with dignity.  

With a focus on helping working families, those in need, and expanding access to child care and housing, Rep. Fosse successfully advocated for funding in the 2025-2026 biennial budgets for the Little Wings Academy, Helping Hands Supportive Housing, Everett Gospel Mission, Housing Hope Child Development Center, the Tulalip Tribes Community School, support for our COFA communities, and the Boys & Girls Club Kitchen Renovation. 

In prior biennial budgets, she fought for investments for Compass Health Broadway Behavioral Health Services, electrification of the Port of Everett, salmon recovery in Tulalip, early learning facilities, the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program, and cleaning contaminated soils and sites in district. She also successfully secured funding for improving access to child care with nonstandard hours for working families, addressing dire building conditions in the Marysville School District, and utilizing Climate Commitment Act funding to uplift communities most impacted by climate change. 

Rep. Fosse is also a former Everett City Councilmember, Everett Districting Commissioner, Council of Neighborhoods Representative, and legislative staffer in the state House. She previously owned a small carnivorous plant nursery and spent a decade teaching at local libraries, schools and other events. Rep. Fosse enjoys spending quality time with her family and loved ones, tending to her expansive garden, and volunteering with a variety of local organizations.

House Democratic Caucus Leadership positions: 

• Deputy Majority Floor Leader (2025-2026) 

• Assistant Majority Whip (2023 – 2024) 

Accomplishments & Awards: 

• Chair of Working Families Caucus 

• NCSL Labor Committee member 

• Co-chair of L&I Underground Economy Task Force  

• Construction Training Pathways Oversight Committee member  

• Sheet Metal Workers Local 66 – 2025 Legislator of the Year 

• Snohomish County Democrats – 2025 Legislator of the Year 

• Early Learning Child Care Caucus member 

• Food Fighters Caucus member 

• HDC Mom’s Caucus member  

• Correctional Industries Advisory Committee member  

• Aerospace Workforce Council  

• Mike Sells Labor Champion Award (Snohomish and Island County Labor Council, 2022) 

• Elected Official of the Year (Snohomish County Democrats, 2022) 

• Conservation Leader of the Year (Snohomish Conservation District, 2020)