Erik Poulsen

Erik Edmund Poulsen (born August 3, 1964) is the former Washington State Senator from Washington's 34th Legislative District, a district that includes West Seattle, Vashon Island, and most of Burien. Poulsen served in the Washington House of Representatives from 1995-2002 where he was Chairman of the House Energy, Technology & Telecommunications Committee. Best known for his work securing telecommunications authority for public utility districts and derailing a high-profile energy deregulation scheme sponsored by Enron, Poulsen won appointment to the Senate in 2002. There, he quickly ascended to positions as Chairman of the Senate Energy, Water & Environment Committee and Democratic leader of the Senate Capital Budget Committee. He was instrumental in passage of the historic Columbia River water agreement in 2006, when he was named Washington Conservation Voters Legislator of the Year. Poulsen spent his entire legislative career working to stop the expansion of a gravel mine on Maury Island which has since been acquired by King County and will soon become a public park. He stepped down in 2007 to become government relations director for the Washington Public Utility District Association, whose 26 member PUDs provide electric, water-sewer, and broadband service throughout Washington state.

Erik and his family live in Valleyford, Washington.