OLYMPIA — Tina Podlodowski, a former Seattle City Council member, was elected chairwoman of the Washington State Democratic Party on Saturday afternoon at the party’s reorganization meeting.

Joe Pakootas of Spokane was elected Vice-Chairman of the party. Rob Dolin was re-elected as Secretary and Habib Habib was re-elected as Treasurer.

“It is a new day and we are going to build a new Democratic Party that will organize in every part of our state for working families against the special interests and extremist politicians,” Podlodowski said. “We will immediately begin organizing the grassroots to contest elections everywhere, from school board and City Council to the special elections this fall where we will take back the State Senate so we can solve the problems facing Washington families.”

Podlodowski, who ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State last fall, said more than 65 percent of the state committee is newly elected, “joining seasoned leaders to bring a new energy and resolve to the Democratic Party.”

In addition to working for Microsoft and serving on the Seattle City Council, Podlodowski has held leadership roles in Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Puget Sound, the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Washington Citizens for Fairness, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Victory Fund. Podlodowski is the first openly LGBT chair and only the second female chair in the history of the Washington State Democratic Party. She lives in Seattle with her wife and three children.