Patricia Lynn Murray (née Johns; born October 11, 1950) is an American politician who is the senior United States senator from Washington since 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, Murray was in the Washington State Senate from 1988 to 1992. She was Washington's first female U.S. senator and is expected to assume the role of Senate President pro tempore in the 118th Congress, becoming the first female to hold the position in history.