Gary Locke
Gary Faye Locke (born January 21, 1950) is an American politician, attorney, and former diplomat from the state of Washington. Locke served as the 21st governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, where he was the first Chinese-American governor as well as the first Asian American governor in the continental U.S. During the Obama administration, Locke served as Secretary of Commerce from 2009 to 2011, and as Ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014, the first Chinese American to serve in the role.
Gary Locke | |
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Official portrait, 2009 | |
| President of Bellevue College | |
Acting | |
| In office June 15, 2020 – July 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Jerry Weber |
| Succeeded by | David May |
| 10th United States Ambassador to China | |
| In office August 16, 2011 – March 1, 2014 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Jon Huntsman Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Max Baucus |
| 36th United States Secretary of Commerce | |
| In office March 26, 2009 – August 1, 2011 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Dennis Hightower Rebecca Blank (acting) |
| Preceded by | Carlos Gutierrez |
| Succeeded by | John Bryson |
| 21st Governor of Washington | |
| In office January 15, 1997 – January 12, 2005 | |
| Lieutenant | Brad Owen |
| Preceded by | Mike Lowry |
| Succeeded by | Christine Gregoire |
| 5th King County Executive | |
| In office January 3, 1994 – January 15, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Hill |
| Succeeded by | Ron Sims |
| Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 37th district | |
| In office January 10, 1983 – January 3, 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Peggy Maxie |
| Succeeded by | Vivian Caver |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gary Faye Locke January 21, 1950 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Mona Lee
(m. 1994; div. 2015) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Yale University (BA) Boston University (JD) |
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| Traditional Chinese | 駱家輝 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 骆家辉 | ||||||||||||
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First elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1982, Locke went on to become King County executive in 1993 before being elected governor in the 1996 election. A former prosecutor by profession, Locke staked out a reputation as a moderate Democrat during his tenure. Reelected in the 2000 gubernatorial election, Locke was chosen by national Democrats to give the party's response to president George W. Bush's 2003 State of the Union address. Locke declined to run for reelection in 2004.
From June 2020 until July 2023, Locke served as interim president of Bellevue College, the largest of the institutions that make up the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system.