Murray, 57, was first elected to the Senate in 2006 after serving 11 years in the Wash. House of Representatives. He was a leading voice in favor of passage of the state’s marriage equality bill, which voters affirmed last week. Murray joins Assembly Speaker John Perez in California, House Speaker Gordon D. Fox in Rhode Island and incoming House Speaker Mark Ferrandino in Colorado as the only currently serving openly gay legislators to land their chambers’ top jobs. In Oregon, out lesbian Rep. Tina Kotek is expected to be elected Speaker of the House this week after Democrats won control in last week’s elections.