One of Washington State’s longest serving and most beloved state legislators has decided against seeking reelection and will retire at the end of this term.
Senator Sam Hunt (D‑22nd District: Olympia) informed his colleagues and the public of his decision today, saying he feels it’s time to pass the torch.
“The time has come to let somebody else face the challenge of being a state senator,” Hunt said. “I would like to thank the many legislators with whom I have served, as well as the bright and dedicated staff who enable the Legislature to do its work. Without civility among members working together and the excellent staff, Washington would not be in the great shape we find it today.”
Hunt was first elected to the House in 2000 and moved over to the Senate in 2016, after Karen Fraser’s retirement. He has spent much of his time in the Legislature working on voting justice and access to democracy.
“During Hunt’s tenure as chair of the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee and as chair of the Senate State Government and Elections Committee, Washington passed landmark election legislation,” the Senate Democratic caucus noted in Hunt’s retirement announcement.
“Universal vote-by-mail, the Washington Voting Rights Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, online and election day voter registration, paid return postage for mailed ballots, secure state-funded ballot drop boxes were all reforms brought about on Hunt’s watch. He also sponsored and passed legislation to modernize Washington’s elections, switching our state from a caucus to primary system.”
“I am particularly proud that under my guidance, we have the most secure, accurate, and accessible election system in the country,” Hunt said.
“Washington is a model for other states to follow.”
“My career in Olympia began in 1980 when I came to work for the Washington State Senate,” Hunt wrote in his letter. “I also worked for Governor Booth Gardner and the Department of Information Services (now part of DES) before being elected to the House of Representatives.”
“During my legislative tenure I also served on the House Appropriations, Natural Resources, Rules, Labor, and K‑12 Education Committees and Senate Early Learning & K‑12 Education and Ways & Means Committees.”
“In addition, I served 11 years as the chair of the House Democratic Campaign Committee, starting what is the longest consecutive time as the majority party in the House. I was involved in advocating for considerable civil rights measures, including the state’s landmark marriage equality law.”
“We have seen impressive increases in funding for education from preschool through higher education, including the Elson Floyd School of Medicine at Washington State University (Go Cougs!), the second Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a wider Interstate 5 between Olympia and Seattle and improvements to I‑90 across Snoqualmie Pass. The list of major accomplishments is, indeed, very long.”
“I would like to thank the many legislators with whom I have served, as well as the bright and dedicated staff who enable the Legislature to do its work. Without civility among members working together and the excellent staff, Washington would not be in the great shape we find it today.”
NPI does a lot of work on electoral reform and revenue reform because these have positive benefits for a long list of critical issues, so we have had many opportunities to work with Senator Hunt over the years. He is one of the kindest and most thoughtful legislators we know — an exemplary lawmaker.
Importantly, Senator Hunt stood with us in our effort to get rid of Tim Eyman’s malicious push polls, which Eyman falsely called “advisory votes.”
Thanks to Senator Hunt and our prime sponsor Senator Patty Kuderer — who has also worked with Hunt for many years as a member of the Senate State Government & Elections Committee — we were able to get that legislation out of the Senate twice. Last year, with the help of our champion State Representative Amy Walen and State Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, we got the bill to Governor Inslee’s desk and it was signed into law last spring.
Fittingly, Senator Hunt was with us for the bill signing.
He will be missed in the statehouse.
His good humor and good sense is widely appreciated and admired. Senator Hunt is a treasure, and we wish him the very best as he begins his next chapter.
The 22nd District is a progressive bastion, so the party should have no difficulty keeping the seat in Democratic hands this autumn. Both of Hunt’s House counterparts are Democrats: Jessica Bateman and Beth Doglio. One of them may now switch to running for the Senate to take over for Hunt in 2025.
Sam was originally a teacher in the Tri-Ciites area. He ran for state house in ’72, vying against a 19 year old Democrat who, at the time, was the student body president at Walla Walla Community College. I was living in Walla Walla at the time and helped campaign for the 19 year old, whose name was Bob Barnes.
Sam beat Barnes in the primary and would lose in the general to Republican Jeanette Hayner, who would go on to a long career in the legislature, eventually serving in the state senate.
Sam, like me, eventually moved to the West side of the state, where he would serve
in the legislature and also, eventually serve in the senate.