Craig A. Pridemore is a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 Washington State Senator

Washington State Senate

The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia....

, representing the 49th district since 2005. He is also a candidate for Washington State Auditor in 2012. He was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 for Washington's 3rd congressional district

Washington's 3rd congressional district

Washington's 3rd congressional district encompasses the southernmost portion of Western Washington, from Olympia south to the Columbia River. It includes the counties of Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, and Clark, and the majority of Thurston and Skamania counties...

 in the 2010 election

United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2010

The United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2010 was held on November 2, 2010, to determine who will represent the state of Washington in the United States House of Representatives...

 to succeed retiring Congressman Brian Baird

Brian Baird

Brian Norton Baird is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1999 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district comprises the counties of Thurston, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania....

. He dropped out of the race before the Primary Election.

Background

He is an active duty veteran of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, serving in the military intelligence field from 1983 to 1987. He was highly decorated for peacetime, earning the Army Commendation Medal, 1st Oak Leaf Cluster

Oak leaf cluster

An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...

, 3rd Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Achievement Medal. In 1986, he was named Sergeant of the Year at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

Elected office

In 2004, Pridemore was elected to the Washington State Senate to represent the 49th legislative district as a Democrat. Prior to being elected to the Senate, he served as Clark County Commissioner from 1998 to 2004. He serves on the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, Economic & Revenue Forecast Council, and chairs the Select Committee on Pension Policy. Prior to being elected Clark County Commissioner, Sen. Pridemore served as finance manager and analyst for the county's departments of Public Works and Community Development. From 1990 to 1992, he was firm administrator for the 19th largest certified public accounting firm in Los Angeles.

Awards and recognition

Pridemore is a recipient of the 2008 Fuse "Sizzle" Award "for courageous and principled leadership based on the progressive values that make our country great." Fuse, a Washington-based online advocacy group, recognized Sen. Pridemore for his central role in the passage of the Working Families Tax Credit, as well as for his dedication to conservation issues.

Other honors include:

• Recipient of the Clark County Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board's Dennis Campbell Outstanding Service Award; October 2007
• Honored by the Washington School Nutrition Association for strengthening Washington's school breakfast programs in the 2006 legislative session
• 2006 Washington Conservation Voters Legislator of the Year
• Clark County Youth House Community Inspiration Award, May 2006
• 2006 Outstanding Legislator, Children's Alliance
• Fort Monmouth Sergeant of the Year, US Army, 1986
• Army Commendation Medal
• Army Achievement Medal.

External links

• Washington State Senate: Craig Pridemore (D) 49th District
• 2010 Congressional Campaign Website
• Project Vote Smart - Senator Craig A. Pridemore (WA) profile
• Follow the Money - Craig Pridemore
  • 2006 2004 campaign contributions
• Washington Senate Democratic Caucus - Craig Pridemore profile