Former Gov. Christine Gregoire Named 2026 Seattle King County First Citizen

BELLEVUE, Washington (February 18, 2026) – “We need more leaders like Governor Chris Gregoire” declared one person who nominated the longtime public servant to be the 88^th Seattle King County First Citizen.

In announcing Gregoire as the 2026 recipient of the honor, Cheyenne Gillooly, president of Seattle King County REALTORS®, noted her impressive achievements in both in the public and private sectors as well as her volunteerism. The REALTOR® association established the prestigious award in 1939 to celebrate those who give back with time, talent and treasure to enhance the quality of life in our region. “It’s one of my favorite events of the year,” Gillooly noted.

This year’s First Citizen—the second woman to serve as governor of Washington—will be honored at a civic luncheon on May 5 at the Westin Seattle.

“Each year, the First Citizen Award honors an individual, company, or partnership whose contributions embody the spirit of service, community leadership, and regional impact that have defined this honor since its inception in 1939,” stated SKCR First Citizen Chair Savannah Scott. “Following past recipients such as Judy Runstad (2025) and Tod Leiweke (2024), this year’s unanimous selection of Christine Gregoire continues the tradition of highlighting those who answer the call to shape the Pacific Northwest for the better. This moment reminds us how vital it is to recognize leadership, dedication, and resilience that strengthen and inspire our region."

“In a time of great division, Gov. Gregoire stands out as a leader who never shied away from bringing all sides of an issue together to hash out a solution,” stated Roger Nyhus, former U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. “She has served our state and the King County region with distinction throughout her storied career. Her style of leadership deserves to be recognized and emulated by other leaders.”

Gregoire currently serves as CEO of Challenge Seattle, which she founded to tackle pressing civic challenges in the Seattle region. Its 22 CEO members and their organizations represent some of the region’s largest employers and most successful innovators.

“Governor Gregoire’s leadership of Challenge Seattle works to bridge the gaps between our public policy, vital economic growth for our region and the needs of our working families, especially when it comes to issues such as affordable housing,” commented Gillooly.

Gregoire is also co-chair of the Cascadia Innovation Corridor and chairs its Executive and Steering Committee. Cascadia is one of 16 mega-regions in the U.S. The fast-growing region encompasses 10 million people from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia and strives to become the world’s first sustainable region.

Prior to becoming Washington’s 22^nd governor, serving for two terms from 2005 to 2013, Gregoire served three terms as the state’s attorney general and four years as the director of the State Department of Ecology.

In those roles she is credited with several notable reform areas and accomplishments. The list includes significant work in education, public health, the environment (including the Hanford Site cleanup), the $206 billion tobacco master settlement agreement, tribal relations, LGBT rights, transportation, medical marijuana, the creation of the Life Sciences Discovery Fund, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and global aerospace.

Gregoire is a former member of the National Bipartisan Governor’s Council, the National Export-Import Bank Advisory Board (which she chaired) and the Puget Sound Energy Board of Directors.

Among other leadership roles, this year’s First Citizen—a breast cancer survivor—served on the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Board of Trustees and after three years became the board chair. Additionally, she was a member of the Advisory Board of The William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a public policy consensus forum co-located at the University of Washington and Washington State University. She was also an honorary member of the Board of Directors for Washington’s National Park Fund.

As she began her term as a board member for “The Hutch,” Larry Corey, an MD and the Hutchinson Center’s director commented, “As governor, Chris Gregoire was a visionary leader and advocate of biomedical research” and “she will be instrumental in helping to shine a spotlight on the lifesaving work of the Hutchinson Center . . .’’

In 2005, this year’s First Citizen signed a bill creating the Life Sciences Discovery Fund, which gives grants to impact research on cures for debilitating diseases and to improve the quality and yield of agricultural products.

On another health issue, Gregoire and Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chaffee filed a petition with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) asking to reschedule marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug. It allowed its use for treatment as prescribed by doctors and filled by pharmacists.

While governor, Gregoire is credited with “the most significant transformation of state government in 20 years.” Those reforms in 2011 included merging five agencies into three, which saved taxpayers $18.3 million, and another package that saved businesses more than $450 million in unemployment taxes and workers’ compensation rates.

Her 21^st Century Government Reform Initiative included the elimination of 17 boards and commissions and shrinking another 78. In early 2010 she released a 10-point plan to accelerate recovery and create as many as 40,000 jobs over a three-year period. Recognizing the state’s trade dependency, Gregoire led a delegation of representatives from various industries to Europe (her sixth trade mission) as well as to China and Japan.

In a 2024 blog, Bafuture, a real estate construction organization, profiled the “early life and values of Christine Gregoire." The writer stated, “With her husband Mike and their two daughters, Gregoire embodies the values of service, compassion and dedication to community," adding her legacy inspires future generations to lead with integrity and purpose.

After leaving office in 2013, Gregoire became a public speaker, a Fall Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, and in 2015 coordinated with business and community leaders to found Challenge Seattle, becoming its CEO. The alliance of CEOs from the region’s largest employers strives to tackle some of the region’s most pressing civic challenges. Its areas of focus include the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, education, middle-income housing affordability, and transportation projects.

Among awards Gregoire has received are:

• (1995) Received an honorary degree of LL.D from Gonzaga University
• (2004) Inducted into the University of Washington Alumni Hall of Fame
• (2007) Named one of Governing magazine’s “Public Officials of the Year” recognizing leaders who exemplify the ideals of public service
• (2009) The Fuse Washington “Fizzle” award, a humorous recognition given to public figures for “best or worst” contributions and actions of political figures
• (2012) Honorary Doctor of Laws after delivering the commencement speech at Washington State University
• (2012) Received the World Citizen Award for contributing significantly to public understanding of international relations and promoting community involvement in world affairs
• (2015) Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Washington
• (2022) Received Law Medal from Gonzaga University
• (2024) Named one of the Puget Sound Business Journal “Power 100”

Gregoire, the state’s oldest living governor, was born in Michigan but raised in Auburn by a single mom, who was a short order cook.  Following graduation from Auburn High School, she attended the University of Washington where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1969 in speech and sociology. She then attended Gonzaga University School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctor in 1977.

On choosing Gonzaga she remarked, “I didn’t come to Gonzaga just to get a legal education . . . I wanted an education that was about value-driven lawyering and value-driven leadership. [An education at Gonzaga Law] is learning how to be a good citizen and a good lawyer and making the world a better place in the process.”

Gregoire and her husband Mike have two adult daughters, Courtney and Michelle.

About the First Citizen Award

The Seattle King County First Citizen Award salutes “giving back” whether by “time, treasure or talent” and civic engagement that enhances the region’s quality of life. Past recipients hail from both the public and private sectors, ranging from humanitarian groups, corporations, charitable, health and educational institutions, to various arts, environmental, and civic organizations.

Since its inception in 1939, the First Citizen Award, believed to be this region’s oldest such recognition, continues to celebrate community leadership and engagement, volunteerism, and public service.