Jim Moeller

James C. Moeller is an American politician and mental health professional from Washington State and a member of the Washington State House of Representatives representing the 49th Legislative District. A Democrat, he represents the Clark County communities of Hazel Dell, Walnut Grove, Minnehaha and his native Vancouver, where he still resides.

During the 2013–14 legislative session, he serves as speaker pro tempore of the Washington House of Representatives. He had previously served two terms as deputy speaker pro tempore (2007–10).

Moeller grew up in Vancouver, attending George C. Marshall Elementary School and McLoughlin Junior High School. He went on to Clark College and Washington State University, before doing graduate work at Portland State University. He has worked in mental health since 1979, serving with Kaiser Permanente since 1985.

Elected in 1995 to Vancouver City Council, he was re-elected to a second term in 1999. In 2002, when veteran legislator Val Ogden retired, Moeller ran to succeed her in the state House of Representatives. In a hotly contested Democratic primary, Moeller prevailed by less than 1,000 votes – winning 6,564 votes to his opponent's 5,615. He won the subsequent general election handily and took office in January 2003. He has since been re-elected at two-year intervals. He attempted to unseat incumbent U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler in 2016 and lost, badly.

Moeller is openly gay and is currently one of seven LGBT members of the Washington State Legislature. The others, all Democrats, are Representatives Brady Walkinshaw of Seattle, Christine Kilduff of University Place, Joan McBride of Kirkland and Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma, as well as senators Marko Liias of Mukilteo and Jamie Pedersen of Seattle.