The land east of Seattle's Lake Washington half a century ago was quiet countryside. Orchards and vineyards flourished in the rich, moist soil just below the rise of the Cascades Mountains, while farms and broad pasturelands spread toward 14,410-foot Mount Rainier like a living green quilt. But as Seattle has grown over the years, people have crossed the pontoon bridge across Mercer Island to Bellevue and have made this Eastside area one of the most vibrant parts of metropolitan Seattle. Bellevue now has 109,000 people and enough office space to make it an edge city; its population in 2000 was 17% Asian, the highest percentage in Washington's 15 largest cities. While downtown Seattle specialized in banks and law firms and trading companies, Bellevue and other communities in Overlake specialized in high-tech startups. Redmond, just to the north, is the headquarters of Microsoft, and there are dozens of other firms here that make this one of America's leading high-tech centers.

The 8th Congressional District includes most of the eastern edge of metro Seattle. It includes most of Bellevue, Mercer Island and the affluent suburbs on Lake Washington--Medina, Clyde Hill, Yarrow Point, Hunts Point, Beaux Arts--where Bill Gates has built his 66,000-square foot high-tech home (the 8th does not include Redmond, however). It also includes the suburbs to the south in King and Pierce Counties. It goes up to the crest of the Cascades Mountains and includes all of Mount Rainier.

Map of 8th District

Congressman Reichert has worked in a bi-partisan way to secure appropriations for projects important to Washington's Eighth Congressional District. These projects are requested by local groups and organizations, such as local governments and citizens advocacy groups. See a map of projects here.