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SEATTLE – Emily Alvarado (D-West Seattle) was selected by the King County Council Tuesday to replace former Sen. Joe Nguyễn, who was recently selected to lead the Washington State Department of Commerce. Alvarado was sworn into office shortly after.  “I’m honored to step into this new role and continue to serve my community,” Alvarado said. “Let’s get to work to make life better for the people of Washington.”   Alvarado was elected to the state House in 2022 to represent the 34th Legislative District, which includes West Seattle, Vashon Island, White Center, and west Burien. Since ...

OLYMPIA – Former Battle Ground Mayor Adrian Cortes was sworn into the Washington State Senate Monday.  “It’s an honor to represent the 18th Legislative District, and I look forward to bringing our southwest Washington values to Olympia,” Cortes (D-Battle Ground) said. “As mayor of Battle Ground, I worked to improve the residents’ lives by cutting utility taxes, making investments in public safety and roads, and passing a fiscally responsible budget. I’m ready to get to work on behalf of the 18th Legislative District, collaborating with my Senate colleagues to increase funding for schools and early ...

Sens. Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham) and Mike Chapman (D-Port Angeles) will take on new roles following a vote of the Senate Democratic Caucus Wednesday.  Shewmake will chair the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, while Chapman will chair the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.   The moves come following the departure of former Sen. Joe Nguyễn (D-White Center), who was recently appointed to head the Department of Commerce by Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson.  “I’m honored to have been named chair of the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee,” Shewmake said. “I’m ready to work ...

SEATTLE – Vandana Slatter (D-Bellevue) was selected by the King County Council Wednesday to replace former Sen. Patty Kuderer, who was recently elected to serve as Washington’s insurance commissioner. Slatter was sworn into office shortly after.  “It’s a privilege to serve the 48th Legislative District in this new role,” Slatter said. “I look forward to continuing to be a champion for higher education, workforce development, new technologies, and the health of our communities.”  Slatter was appointed to the House of Representatives in 2017 to serve the 48th Legislative District, which includes parts of ...

OLYMPIA — Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), Senate Ways & Means chair, issued the statement below in response to the release of Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget proposal Tuesday:  “I appreciate Gov. Inslee’s thoughtful and future-focused budget proposal, which highlights both the progress we’ve made as a state and the challenges that lie ahead. His plan recognizes the growing costs of inflation, increasing caseloads for safety net programs, and the need to maintain critical investments in areas like housing, education, behavioral health, and public safety.  “While budget writers will need to navigate a difficult fiscal environment ...

KEY PENINSULA – Former Peninsula School Board president Deb Krishnadasan was appointed Wednesday to the Washington State Senate, replacing former Sen. Emily Randall, who was recently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Krishnadasan was sworn into office following a joint vote by the Kitsap Board of Commissioners and the Pierce County Council.  “I am honored to serve the 26th district,” Krishnadasan (D-Gig Harbor) said. “Having served on the Peninsula School Board for more than six years, I know policy must come from a place of listening to my neighbors — to teachers and nurses, ...

SEATTLE – Tina Orwall, who has served in the House of Representatives for the past 15 years, was selected by the King County Council Tuesday to replace retiring Sen. Karen Keiser. She was sworn into office shortly after. “It’s an honor to continue serving my community in this new capacity,” Orwall (D-Des Moines) said. “I'm incredibly humbled to earn the trust of my community and will continue to do everything I can to improve the lives of all people living in our district and throughout our state.” Orwall’s first year in the House was in 2009. Since then, she ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. Mike Chapman was sworn in Friday to serve in the Washington State Senate representing the 24th Legislative District, which includes Clallam, Jefferson and Grays Harbor Counties on the Olympic Peninsula.  Chapman replaces former Sen. Kevin Van De Wege who resigned from the Senate in October after serving in the Washington State Legislature since 2007.  “It’s a tremendous honor to take on this role and I am so grateful to the people in our community who trust me to do this work for them in Olympia,” Chapman said. “We have ...