Carmela Conroy

Carmela Conroy says her plan to become a lawyer initially bewildered her family, then made them proud. Her parents and grandparents worked on farms and railroads, in trades, offices and other people's homes.¹ She grew up in Eastern Washington and earned her undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Washington.²

Her first public service career was as a Spokane County deputy prosecutor, working on violent crime cases. She later joined the Foreign Service, beginning in 1996, and spent decades representing the United States overseas.¹³ She describes service through multiple presidential administrations in roughly a dozen countries.¹

Those assignments included leadership roles in Afghanistan, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Pakistan, as well as Washington, D.C.³ By 2021, the retired consul general was back in Spokane, speaking to university students about diplomatic careers and becoming involved in local civic life.³

Conroy's congressional campaign emphasizes an economy that serves Eastern Washington, safe communities, care and dignity, and government accountability. She says Congress should use its constitutional authority to scrutinize the executive and judicial branches.¹ She opposes the administration's tariffs, arguing that disruptions to trade hurt Eastern Washington producers and consumers.⁴ The Democrat and union member faces Republican Michael Baumgartner, a fellow former diplomat seeking his second House term, for the Fifth District seat.¹⁵