Doug Cloud was born in Tacoma in 1957 and grew up on Fife Heights when that Pierce County neighborhood was both still largely woods and also a part of the old Sixth District. His parents, Ridge and Bonnie Cloud, had both come to the Northwest as children in the years of the Great Depression and taught Doug and his two older sisters from an early age the value of self-reliance and hard work. Doug maintains he has been gainfully employed almost continually since age 7!   Doug's first job was a weekly paper route.  At 8 Doug added a paper recycling business, collecting old newspapers for sale to a tree and wreath firm.  Doug being a typical child often would spend hours reading the collected papers in the garage rather than bundling them for resale.  Doug's lifetime love of reading and newpapers was the result.  Doug worked as a farm laborer for 5 summers and also worked at  golf course before age 15.  In High School Doug worked at a factory for  6 months and at a Lumber yard.  While in College Doug worked two summers for the Pierce County Park district.   Doug also spent many years while in college and thereafter working at the Kingdome as a program and novelty salesman.  This job forced Doug to overcome his essential shyness which was absolutely necessary for him to progress.  While at the Kingdome Doug was a shop steward for the SEIU and participated in union contract bargaining.  At least one significant change in the union contract was suggested by Doug. Doug’s entire public school career was spent in the Fife School District, then still a traditional rural-suburban American educational entity with excellent teachers and administrators. Doug played sports and excelled at academics. He was always popular and a natural leader, being in turn Class, then Student Body President and he is still blessed with many lifelong friendships from those years.

After graduation from Fife in 1975, Doug enrolled in the University of Washington, beginning 8 years in Seattle, his only time, aside from a brief period in Federal Way early in his marriage, living outside this district. He majored in Economics at the “U” and joined the Sigma Pi Epsilon Fraternity. While in college Doug worked as a vendor at sporting events and other public entertainments, selling programs, t-shirts and so on at the Puyallup Fair, the Kingdome and various local venues. He obtained his undergraduate degree in 1980 and then was accepted to the UW Law School. A summer job between his second and final year studying the Law took Doug to Knoxville, Tennessee to work at The 1982 World’s Fair. That summer he met Elice Blackburn, a blonde University of Tennessee student from New Orleans by way of Morristown, Tennessee. They dated during the summer and maintained contact after Doug returned to Seattle to receive his Law degree in 1983. Several visits convinced both that they were made for each other and they married in Knoxville in 1984.

Doug and Elice eventually settled in Gig Harbor and have now lived in the area for over 20 years. At the time of the wedding, Doug was working as an Assistant Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Pierce County but soon went on to Kitsap County as a full Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for about two years. He then elected to try his hand at becoming a stockbroker, enrolling in the Merrill-Lynch training course in 1986. By the next year Doug had decided that sales was not enjoyable to him and he returned to the law, this time in private practice, first for a Tacoma firm, then running his own office. During these years the Clouds bought a home and started a family: Thomas was born in 1988, Allison (or Allie) in 1991 and Anna in 1995. Doug, Elice and their family have been active church members in Gig Harbor and Doug has coached children’s sports for the Peninsula Athletic Association. Doug played church league softball for many years as a third basemen.  Doug has snow skied all his life and is an expert skier. D oug maintains a private, independent law practice in Tacoma.

Doug maintains a private, independent law practice in Tacoma . Doug has had a varied legal practice encompassing most areas of the law including criminal law,  employment, personal injury, appeals, administrative law, family law and professional malpractice.  This experience handling ordinary people's most complex and emotional issues while dealing with the complexities of modern institutions has hardened Doug with the wisdom and compassion necessary for the tasks ahead.  He believes that any human dispute must first be really examined for its root cause and then the dispute must truly be resolved or the people involved will continue to suffer.  Likewise, Doug believes in resolution of political issues so society can  move forward to a better future.  Doug has spent many hours since he was eighteen studing economics for enjoyment.  He has utilized economic theory in every aspect of his life from how he advises his legal clients to his analysis of political policy.  He has a broad understanding of the law and our governmental institutions.  He is capable of careful and experienced analysis and leadership.

Doug Cloud believes in freedom, in people, in success, in family and in the future of America and the world. He has the tools to succeed and he needs and deserves your vote at this crucial time in our nation’s history.