She was born in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington. Fraser moved to Lacey and was the first woman to serve on the city council after her appointment in 1973 at the age of 28. She became mayor in 1976 and was elected to the Thurston County Commission in 1981. During her 28-year tenure in the state legislature, Fraser sponsored 90 bills that became state laws and held senior leadership positions in the Washington Senate.[2] She served on the Rules Committee and on many other policy committees. She was a leader in state level international relations.[3] Fraser was also the first woman President of the Washington State Association of Counties.
Fraser was an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor in the 2016 primary election, which she ultimately lost to fellow Democrat Cyrus Habib. In October 2017, the Olympia Woodland Trail was renamed to the Karen Fraser Woodland Trail in her honor.[4] She retired from office in 2017 and later became the head of Evergreen State College's board of trustees in 2019.[5]
Fraser was born in Seattle and currently resides in Thurston County, Washington. She has one daughter and two grandchildren. She enjoys outdoor recreation, such as hiking, sailboat racing, marathon running, and travel.
