PORT ORCHARD – Rep. Drew Hansen (D-Bainbridge Island) has been appointed to represent the 23rd Legislative District in the Washington State Senate.

Hansen, who has served in the state House of Representatives since 2011, was selected to fill the open seat following a vote of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday. Hansen replaces Christine Rolfes, who resigned last week to fill a vacant seat on the commission.

“I’m grateful to be able to continue serving our community in the Senate,” Hansen said. “It’s been an extraordinary honor to serve in the House for the past decade and open up opportunities for people in Kitsap County to get trained for good jobs that support their families. The partnerships we have built with Olympic College, Western Washington University, our apprenticeships and more have transformed peoples’ lives, and I look forward to continuing to work on these issues in the Senate.”

Hansen has chaired the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee since 2020; before that, he chaired the House Higher Education Committee from 2014 to 2020. Hansen has led efforts on historic legislation in recent years, including this year’s Shield Law (HB 1469) to protect those who pursue or provide legal reproductive care in the state.

Hansen also sponsored Washington’s landmark free college tuition law and the nation’s first state-level net neutrality law. He also led efforts on the New Hope Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that helps people who have spent time in prison rebuild their lives, the DREAM Act 2.0 to protect state financial aid eligibility for DACA students, and the Public Broadband Act, which opens up opportunities for public broadband networks in Washington State.

“I am pleased with this appointment,” said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane.) “Sen. Hansen is an experienced leader and has been a pleasure to work with over the years on a variety of issues. He is someone who will be able to step right in and get to work in the Senate on behalf of the people of the 23rd Legislative District.”

Hansen will serve the remainder of the term ending in 2024.