Denny Heck

Denny Heck
Official portrait, 2021
17th Lieutenant Governor of Washington
Assumed office
January 13, 2021
GovernorJay Inslee
Bob Ferguson (elect)
Preceded byCyrus Habib
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 10th district
In office
January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byMarilyn Strickland
Chief Clerk of the Washington House of Representatives
In office
January 14, 1985 – January 12, 1987
Preceded byDean R. Foster
Succeeded byAlan Thompson
Majority Leader of the Washington House of Representatives
In office
January 10, 1983 – January 14, 1985
Preceded byGary A. Nelson
Succeeded byJoseph E. King
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 17th district
In office
January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1985
Preceded byEugene Laughlin
Succeeded byKim Peery
Personal details
Born (1952-07-29) July 29, 1952 (age 72)
Vancouver, Washington, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Paula Fruci
(m. 1976)
Children2
EducationEvergreen State College (BA)

Dennis Lynn Heck (born July 29, 1952) is an American entrepreneur and politician serving as the 17th lieutenant governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the U.S. representative for Washington's 10th congressional district from 2013 to 2021 and as a state representative from 1977 to 1985.

In 2010, Heck was the Democratic nominee for the 3rd congressional district, but was defeated by Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler. Following redistricting, Washington added a 10th congressional district in which Heck lived representing Pierce, Thurston, and Mason counties. He won that U.S. House seat in 2012, where he served there from 2013 until 2021. In 2020, he ran for lieutenant governor of Washington, a position he won and has served in since January 2021. He won reelection to a second term in 2024.[1]

  1. ^ Cornfield, Jerry. "Heck launches re-election bid for lieutenant governor". Washington State Standard. Retrieved November 3, 2024.