Political party Democratic Spouse Lela Kreidler Children 3 children Alma mater Pacific University | Name Mike Kreidler Party Democratic Party Role Politician Succeeded by Randy Tate | |
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Preceded by New district formed after 1990 Census Born September 23, 1943 (age 80)
Tacoma, Washington, U.S. ( 1943-09-23 ) Profession Optometrist, Politician Residence Lacey, Washington, United States | ||
Re elect mike kreidler
Myron Bradford "Mike" Kreidler (born September 28, 1943) is an American Democrat politician serving his fourth term as the Washington Insurance Commissioner. Previously, he served one term in the United States House of Representatives, representing Washington's 9th congressional district.
Contents
- Re elect mike kreidler
- Education and early career
- State politics and Congress
- Climate change
- Controversies
- Personal
- References
Education and early career
Kreidler holds a bachelor's degree from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, and a doctor of optometry from the same institution's College of Optometry. After his US Army service as an optometry officer, he earned a master of public health degree in health administration from the UCLA School of Public Health.
He was employed as an optometrist by Group Health Cooperative of the Puget Sound in the Olympia clinic for twenty years, with sixteen of them shared with the Washington State Legislature. Before being elected to the legislature, he was elected to the North Thurston School Board in Lacey, Washington, serving from 1973 to 1977.
State politics and Congress
Kreidler was a long-time legislator, serving 16 years in the Washington Legislature (Washington House of Representatives 1976–1984, then Washington State Senate 1984–1992) before being elected to the United States Congress as a Representative from the newly formed 9th congressional district of Washington in 1992. He was defeated by Republican Randy Tate in 1994.
Following his re-election defeat to Congress in 1994, he was appointed to the Northwest Power Planning Council in 1995 by Washington Governor Mike Lowry and subsequently re-appointed by Governor Gary Locke. He served on the NWPPC until 1998 when he was appointed Regional Director for the United States Department of Health and Human Services's Region 10 office in Seattle, Washington, serving in that post until 2000, when he resigned in order to seek election to the office of Washington State Insurance Commissioner.
Kreidler is Washington’s eighth insurance commissioner. A former member of Congress, he was first elected as insurance commissioner in 2000. He was re-elected to a fourth term in 2012.
A doctor of optometry with a master's degree in public health, Kreidler practiced at Group Health Cooperative in Olympia for 20 years, with 16 of them shared with the Washington State Legislature. He served as a member of the Northwest Power Planning Council and as regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Army Reserves with 20 years of service.
Climate change
Since 2007, Kreidler has chaired the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Climate Change and Global Warming Work Group. He led a successful push for insurers to disclose if and how they are preparing for the potential risks associated with climate change.
Controversies
Personal
Kreidler resides in Lacey, Washington with his wife, Lela. They have three grown children and three grandchildren. He is a member of several professional and fraternal organizations. He retired from the United States Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel, after serving on active duty as an optometrist during the Vietnam and first Persian Gulf wars.