Zerlina chats with Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Biden-Harris 2024 Senior Communications Advisor TJ Ducklo to preview the first presidential debate of 2024 & more!

Guests

Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10)

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland represents Washington’s 10th Congressional District, which covers parts of Pierce and Thurston Counties. Born in Seoul, she is the first African-American to represent Washington State at the federal level, and one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress in its history.

She earned her B.A. from the University of Washington and holds an MBA from Clark Atlanta University.

Prior to her election to Congress, Strickland was the President and CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce. She served two terms as mayor of Tacoma from 2010-2017, where she championed education, infrastructure, and job growth. A firm believer that there is dignity in all work, Strickland led successful efforts to raise the minimum wage and pass paid sick leave, paving the way for statewide action. By making education a civic priority, she led efforts to raise Tacoma's high school graduation rate from 55% to 89%.

In the 118th Congress, Strickland sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She serves as whip for the Congressional Black Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus, and the New Democrat Coalition. She is co-chair of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus and a member of the Pro-choice Caucus.

Congresswoman Strickland resides in the district with her husband Patrick Erwin.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07)

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) is an activist, a legislator, a survivor, and the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Throughout her career as a public servant, Congresswoman Pressley has fought to ensure that those closest to the pain are closest to the power - driving and informing policymaking.

Throughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has been a champion for justice and healing: reproductive justice, justice for immigrants, consumer justice, justice for seniors, justice for workers, justice for survivors of sexual violence, justice for the formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, and healing for those who have experienced trauma.

In 2020, Congresswoman Pressley bravely revealed her experience living with alopecia -- an autoimmune disease that causes sudden hair loss and impacts more than 7 million Americans—disproportionately children and Black women.

Representative Pressley has turned her lived experience into action, becoming a leading voice fighting to raise awareness and support for the Alopecian community across the nation.

Currently, Congresswoman Pressley serves on the powerful House Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, both which remain focused on legislatively addressing issues of care, concern, and consequence to the American people. Prior to being elected to Congress, she served on the Boston City Council for eight years and was the first woman of color elected to the council in its 100-year history.

TJ Ducklo

TJ Ducklo is the Senior Communications Advisor for Biden-Harris 2024.