Tarra Simmons can add another line to her already impressive and improbable resumé: lawmaker.
Simmons, a 2017 graduate of Seattle University School of Law, on Tuesday was elected as a State Representative in Washington’s 23rd District, becoming the first formerly incarcerated person to win office in the state. Her unlikely journey into politics began with a 20-month stint in prison for drug offenses, after the former nurse fell into addiction. Next came law school, a prestigious Skadden fellowship, and a year-long battle to sit for the bar exam and be admitted to practice—a fight that grabbed attention within the legal profession and beyond.
