Rep. Drew Stokesbary was born and raised here in the Puget Sound area, growing up in the shadow of Mt. Rainier and graduating from a local public high school.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Duke University, where he also studied Mathematics and History, before returning home to Washington. Inspired by leaders like Rob McKenna and Slade Gorton, Drew enrolled in law school at the University of Notre Dame, eventually graduating cum laude. After law school, Drew moved back home to Auburn, passed the bar exam and spent several years serving as policy aide for a King County Councilmember.
When a seat in the State Legislature opened up, Drew was encouraged to run by local leaders, eventually winning with over 60 percent of the vote as first-time candidate. He was elected to caucus leadership by his colleagues at the beginning of his second term and later served as Minority Floor Leader, Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Select Committee on Pension Policy. Since 2023, he has served as House Minority Leader.
Outside of the Legislature, Drew is an attorney. He is currently a partner at the boutique law firm Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, where he provides corporate and securities law counsel to startups and emerging companies in the Puget Sound region and around the world. He has also represented clients on constitutional matters, including cases throughout the country involving redistricting, ballot access and election canvassing, has authored numerous Supreme Court briefs, and served as outside counsel to leading candidates for President, U.S. Senate, Congress and Governor. During the pandemic, Drew co-founded Citizen Action Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights of all Washingtonians. He is also a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of the Auburn Valley YMCA.
Drew has been married to his wife Ashley for over 15 years. Together they have four sons between the ages of 10 and 1, and a fetch-obsessed border collie. When Drew isn’t working, he enjoys cooking, watching his sons play soccer, and hiking and camping throughout Washington with his family.
