Both 36th District State representatives, Gael Tarleton (D – Ballard) and Reuven Carlyle (D – Queen Anne), are moving up in the capital and the 36th District.

Tarleton (D-Ballard) was elected as Majority Floor Leader of the State House of Representatives by her colleagues last week. She steps into the role of House leadership mid-way through her second term as a state representative.

Reuven Carlyle (D – Queen Anne) was nominated and endorsed to take over the 36th District Senate Seat as Jeanne Kohl-Welles leave a vacancy to serve on the King County Council.

“I have served as Deputy Majority Floor Leader since January 2015, which has been the best training for being promoted to floor leader. The floor leader is constantly trying to anticipate the actions and reactions of 98 House members,” said Tarleton. “I've been working for 35 years, so I've learned to go with the flow and adapt to unexpected situations. … I'm joining the House Leadership team and assuming the duties of floor leader at a time when the 36th district is helping change the face of Seattle, shaping the nature of global trade and building one of the nation's most diverse economies.”

The Majority Floor Leader has a main responsible of coordinating the passage of bills during the legislative session and organizing the floor in debate. Tarleton is currently the vice chair of the House Technology and Economic Development Committee and a member of the House Transportation and Rules Committees and will continue to serve in those roles.

In addition, with Jeanne Kohl-Welles' resigning soon from the Legislature to serve on the King County Council, King County Democrats State Representative Reuven Carlyle, Belltown community organizer Liz Campell, and small business owner David Kaplan were selected as nominees to fill the her place. Both Campell and Kaplan have endorsed Carlyle for the seat. The Metropolitan King County Council will still need to make the selection official in January.

“After seven years of service in the House I have learned a lot, grown a lot and accomplished a lot for out community, and now I have the great honor of succeeding Jeanne Kohl-Welles in the Senate,” said Carlyle. “It’s a big reality check to go from chairmen of a very important community to a freshman in the Senate with no portfolio, but I am excited because I bring strong technical and financial skills to a chamber that hasn’t generally had a great expertise in those areas. I have a lot to contribute, and it will be a definite transition and great opportunity.”

So what about Carlyle’s seat?

The party also drew up a list of nominees to take Carlyle's place in the event the MKCC selects Carlyle to fill the Senate vacancy. Nominees include 36th District Democratic Chair Jeff Manson, Progressive Majority Executive Director Noel Frame and Assistant Attorney General Sarah Reyneveld.

"It's an indication of the strength of the Democratic Party in King County that we had so many capable candidates willing to step forward to serve in the Washington State Legislature," said King County Democratic Chair Rich Erwin. "We are confident that any of the hardworking Democrats nominated tonight would make excellent lawmakers, and ably represent us in the challenging 2016 legislative session."