Locke's father was born on October 15, 1917, in Taishan, and moved to the United States in 1931. He died on January 5, 2011, at the age of 93.[10] Locke did not learn to speak English until he was five years old and entered kindergarten.[11]
In 1996, Locke won the Democratic primary and general election for governor of Washington, becoming the first Chinese American governor in United States history. His political committee was fined $2,500 by regulators in 1997 after admitting to state campaign finance law violations.[15]
Locke faced criticism from fellow Democrats for embracing the Republican Party's "no-new-taxes" approach to Washington's budget woes during and after the 2001 economic turmoil. Among his spending-reduction proposals were laying off thousands of state employees; reducing health coverage; freezing most state employees' pay; and cutting funding for nursing homes and programs for the developmentally disabled.
In his final budget, Locke suspended two voter-passed school initiatives and cut state education funding. Supported by the state's political left, former Washington Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge announced his plans to challenge Locke in the 2000 Democratic primary, but Talmadge ended his campaign early for health reasons. Locke went on to win reelection in 2000.
Susan Paynter, a columnist at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, suggested that racist slurs, insults, and threats that Locke and his family received, especially after his rebuttal to Bush's State of the Union address, may have played a role in Locke's decision to leave office after two terms.[18] The governor's office received hundreds of threatening letters and emails; others threatened to kill his children.[18] His official portrait, painted by Michele Rushworth, was unveiled in the state capitol by Governor Christine Gregoire on January 4, 2006.
On February 25, 2009, Locke was announced as Obama's choice for Secretary of Commerce,[15] and his nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate by unanimous consent on March 24.[22] Locke was sworn in March 26 by District Judge Richard A. Jones,[23] and by Obama on May 1.
Locke was the first Chinese-American Secretary of Commerce, and one of three Asian Americans in Obama's cabinet, joining Secretary of EnergySteven Chu and Secretary of Veterans AffairsEric Shinseki. Politico reported Locke was a popular cabinet member among both businesses and the executive branch.[24] A declaration of assets made in March 2011 showed Locke to be the sixth-richest official in the U.S. executive branch.[25]
Gary Locke's official portrait for the U.S. Department of Commerce was painted by Michele Rushworth
A photo of Locke carrying his own knapsack and ordering his own coffee at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport went viral in China on the Sina Weibosocial network, with many commentators approving of his humble, low-key style.[29] At his first news conference after arrival in Beijing, Locke pledged to promote bilateral cooperation and understanding between the two countries.[30]
Early in Locke's ambassadorship, Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng escaped from house arrest and sought refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing in April 2012. On May 2, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded an apology from the U.S. for its role in the incident.[31] In an editorial on May 4, Beijing Daily questioned Locke's motives by taking Chen in,[25] describing Chen as "a tool and a pawn for American politicians to blacken China."[32]
In late November 2013, Locke announced that he would step down as ambassador to spend more time with his family in Seattle. In an analysis of his ambassadorship, Sun Zhe, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said, "It is not an easy job to be the American ambassador to China. Gary Locke is not a shining star, but a simple and unadorned ambassador." Shen Dingli, dean of the international studies department at Fudan University in Shanghai, largely concurred, commenting that Locke "showed us how a U.S. minister-level official behaves by taking economy-class flights" but "caused a twist" when he allowed Chen refuge in the U.S. embassy.[33]Max Baucus, a former United States Senator from Montana, was Obama's nominee to replace Locke and was confirmed by the Senate 96–0; Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of office on February 21, 2014.[34]
Post-ambassadorship career
On February 17, 2016, Locke joined the board of AMC Theatres.[35] After dumping more than $1.7 million in AMC stock in June of 2021.[36] Locke was a named party in a shareholder lawsuit against the board in August of 2023.[37]
On May 31, 2016, Locke joined the board of the Seattle-based global health nonprofit PATH.[38]
Locke has been a major proponent of affirmative action in Washington State. He publicly endorsed I-1000 in the 2019 Washington State general election. Those efforts were overturned by a majority of voters in the state of Washington in 2019.[39]
Locke was tapped to be the interim president of Bellevue College on May 28, 2020, following the resignation of the college's president due to a controversial defacement of a campus mural.[6] He assumed the acting post on June 15, 2020.[41] On March 29, 2023, it was announced that David May would become permanent president.[42][41] May took office on July 1, 2023.[43]
In March 2021, local media speculated that Locke could run for Mayor of Seattle in the 2021 election. Commentators noted that this was unlikely, as he resided in Bellevue, Washington, outside of Seattle city limits.[44] Locke chose not to run, instead endorsing the campaign of Bruce Harrell, who was elected.[45]
Locke's first marriage, to a law school classmate, ended with a divorce in the 1970s.[47] On October 15, 1994, Locke married Mona Lee, a television reporter for the NBC affiliate KING 5 television in Seattle and former Miss Asian America 15 years his junior.[48] They divorced in 2015.[49][50]
The Lockes have three children: Emily Nicole (b. March 1997), Dylan James (b. March 1999), and Madeline Lee (b. November 2004).[51] He is a Protestant.[52]
Regarding his ethnicity and being the only person of Chinese descent to have served as an ambassador to China, he said, "I’m proud of my Chinese heritage. I’m proud of the great contributions that China has made to world civilization over thousands of years. But I’m thoroughly American. I’m proud of the great values that America has brought to the entire world and all that America stands for."[53]
Political views
When asked if there is place for Asian Americans in politics, Locke had this to say:
"I think our native cultures have emphasized respect for our elders, care of our elders, but also focusing on education. But my overall response is that Asian Americans are part and parcel of the great success of America. Our grandparents came over in the 1800s to work in the railroads, work the lumber camps, goldmines, worked in the canneries, farmland that most people thought could never raise a crop, worked as merchants in cities that were just emerging. They fought in world wars, died for our freedoms and our liberties. Asian Americans have given our blood, sweat and tears to the communities and to this country. There's a prosperity that we on the west coast enjoy. So much of the prosperity and progress of the western states is because of the blood, sweat and tears of Asian Americans. From doing the dirty work to fighting in our world wars and contributing to our society now as doctors, researchers, people in high tech, as innovators, in all different professions. We have every right, indeed a responsibility, to help set the policies that will move our communities and our nation forward."[54]
^Clinton, Bill (February 4, 1997). "Remarks By The President In State Of The Union Address". The White House. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2009. Gary Locke, the newly elected Governor of Washington State, is the first Chinese American governor in the history of our country. He's the proud son of two of the millions of Asian American immigrants who have strengthened America with their hard work, family values and good citizenship. He represents the future we can all achieve. Thank you, Governor, for being here. Please stand up.
