Dave Reichert’s record of service to others began in 1971 when he joined the Air Force Reserves’ 939th Military Airlift Command. Following his time in the military, Dave embarked on a historic 33-year law enforcement career at the King County Sheriff’s Office. Dave started as a beat cop before he was appointed (and then elected) King County Sheriff, where he led an 1,100-person organization for eight years.
As lead detective of the tenacious and dedicated investigative team, Dave worked alongside officers, medical examiners, and volunteers to capture the monster known as the “Green River Killer,” who senselessly murdered countless women in Washington State during the 1980s and 1990s.
Dave was honored by the National Sheriffs’ Association with its “Sheriff of the Year” award, was a two-time Washington State Medal of Valor Award recipient, and was also given the Attorney General’s Award for “courageous action.”
In 2004, responding to calls for service in Washington, D.C., Dave ran for and won election to Washington’s 8th Congressional District, covering large parts of King and Pierce Counties. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the sixth freshman representative in history to be named chairman of a subcommittee when he led the Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee. He would later become a senior member of the Ways & Means Committee.
After leaving Congress in 2019, Dave responded to a modern-day humanitarian crisis by working throughout Central America to combat human trafficking. And he has been instrumental in helping law enforcement across the country obtain Rapid DNA, a technology that provides a full DNA profile in just 90 minutes.
