U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland was elected Wednesday to serve as secretary of the 62-member Congressional Black Caucus.
The Washington state Democrat’s colleagues picked her for the distinction.
“I am honored and grateful to my CBC colleagues for their trust and support,” Strickland said in a Dec. 4 news release. “I look forward to leveraging our power to achieve our goals in the 119th Congress.”
Strickland, a former mayor of Tacoma who represents Washington’s 10th Congressional District that stretches from Tacoma to Olympia, will serve alongside fellow Democratic U.S. representatives including incoming Chair Yvette Clarke of New York, First Vice Chair Troy Carter of Louisiana, Second Vice Chair Lucy McBath of Georgia and Whip Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California.
Strickland previously served as whip for the CBC, the news release says. She is the first representative from the Pacific Northwest and Washington state on the caucus’ executive board.