Washington House of Representatives explained

House of Representatives of Washington
Term Limits:	None
New Session:	January 9, 2023
Legislature:	Washington State Legislature
Coa Pic:	WAHouseLogo.png
House Type:	Lower house
Leader1 Type:	Speaker
Leader1:	Laurie Jinkins (D)
Election1:	January 13, 2020
Leader2 Type:	Speaker pro tempore
Leader2:	Tina Orwall (D)
Election2:	January 11, 2021
Leader3 Type:	Majority Leader
Leader3:	Joe Fitzgibbon (D)
Election3:	November 21, 2022
Leader4 Type:	Minority Leader
Leader4:	Drew Stokesbary (R)
Election4:	April 23, 2023
Term Length:	2 years
Authority:	Article II, Washington State Constitution
Salary:	$56,881/year + per diem ^[1]
Members:	98
Structure1:	Washington State House 2021.svg
Structure1 Res:	278px
Political Groups1:	Majority Minority
Last Election1:	November 8, 2022 (98 seats)
Next Election1:	November 5, 2024 (98 seats)
Redistricting:	Washington Redistricting Commission
Session Room:	WaCapitolRepInterior.jpg
Meeting Place:	House of Representatives Chamber Washington State Capitol Olympia, Washington
Website:	Washington State Legislature

The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 districts, each of which elects one Senator and two members of the House. They are elected to separate positions with the top-two primary system. All members of the House are elected to a two-year term without term limits. The House meets at the State Capitol in Olympia.

Leadership of the House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker and the Speaker Pro Tem are nominated by the majority party caucus followed by a vote of the full House. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leadership position and controls the flow of legislation. In the absence of the Speaker the Speaker Pro Tem assumes the role of Speaker. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the House.

The Speaker of the House during the first session of the 65th legislature (2019) was Democrat Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) of the 43rd Legislative District. He stepped down at the end of the session and John Lovick (D-Mill Creek) of the 44th Legislative District served as speaker pro tempore until the second session, when Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) was elected speaker.^[2] The Majority Leader is Joe Fitzgibbon (D) of the 34th Legislative District. The Republican Minority Leader is Drew Stokesbary (R-Auburn) of the 31st Legislative District.^[3]

Composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total
	Democratic	Republican			Vacant
End 67th legislature		57	41		98	0
Begin 68th legislature		58	40		98	0
Latest voting share

Members (2023-2025, 68th Legislature)

District	Position	Representative	Party	Residence^[4]	Counties represented	First elected
	1			Democratic		King (part), Snohomish (part)	2019*
	2			Democratic			2016
	1			Republican		Pierce (part), Thurston (part)	2016*
	2			Republican			2010
	1			Democratic		Spokane (part)	2012
	2			Democratic			2003*
	1	Suzanne Schmidt		Republican		Spokane (part)	2022
	2	Leonard Christian		Republican			2022†
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2018
	2			Democratic			2018
	1			Republican		Spokane (part)	2016
	2			Republican			2018
	1			Republican			2017*
	2			Republican			2004
	1	Stephanie Barnard		Republican		Benton (part)	2022
	2	April Connors		Republican			2022
	1			Republican			2015*
	2			Republican			2007*
	1	Clyde Shavers		Democratic	Oak Harbor	Island, Skagit (part), Snohomish (part)	2022
	2			Democratic			2018
	1	David Hackney		Democratic		King (part)	2020
	2			Democratic			2012
	1			Republican		Chelan, Douglas, Grant (part), Okanogan (part)	2018
	2			Republican			2016
	1			Republican		Grant (part), Kittitas, Lincoln, Yakima (part)	2014
	2			Republican			2019*
	1			Republican		Clark (part), Klickitat, Skamania, Yakima (part)	2018
	2			Republican			2014#
	1	Bruce Chandler		Republican		Yakima (part)	1998
	2	Bryan Sandlin		Republican			2022
	1	Mark Klicker		Republican	Walla Walla		2020
	2			Republican			2018
	1	Kevin Waters		Republican		Clark (part)	2022
	2			Republican			2010
	1	Stephanie McClintock		Republican		Clark (part)	2022
	2	Greg Cheney		Republican			2022
	1			Republican			2016#
	2	Joel McEntire		Republican			2020
	1			Republican		Clark (part), Cowlitz (part), Lewis (part), Thurston (part)	2020
	2			Republican			2002^
	1			Democratic		Snohomish (part)	2014
	2			Democratic			2014*
	1			Democratic		Thurston (part)	2022†
	2			Democratic			2020
	1			Democratic		Kitsap (part)	2020
	2			Democratic	Bainbridge Island		2023*
	1			Democratic			2016
	2			Democratic			2010
	1			Republican		Pierce (part)	2018
	2			Republican			2020
	1	Spencer Hutchins		Republican		Kitsap (part), Pierce (part)	2022
	2			Republican			2014
	1			Democratic		Pierce (part)	2010
	2			Democratic			2012
	1			Democratic		Pierce (part)	2018
	2			Democratic			2020
	1			Democratic		Pierce (part)	2018
	2	Sharlett Mena		Democratic			2022
	1			Democratic		King (part), Pierce (part)	2020
	2			Democratic			2022†
	1			Republican		King (part), Pierce (part)	2014
	2			Republican			2020
	1			Democratic		King (part), Snohomish (part)	2010
	2			Democratic	Shoreline		2018
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2008
	2			Democratic			2013*
	1	Emily Alvarado		Democratic		King (part)	2022
	2			Democratic			2010#
	1			Republican		Kitsap (part), Mason, Thurston (part)	2014
	2			Republican			2022
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2022
	2			Democratic			2020
	1			Democratic		King (part)	1998
	2	Chipalo Street		Democratic			2022
	1	Julio Cortes		Democratic		Snohomish (part)	2022
	2	Mary Fosse		Democratic			2022
	1	Sam Low		Republican		King (part), Skagit (part), Snohomish (part)	2022
	2			Republican			2017*
	1			Democratic		San Juan, Skagit (part), Whatcom (part)	2018
	2			Democratic			2020*
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2013*
	2			Democratic			2018
	1			Democratic		Whatcom (part)	2020
	2	Joe Timmons		Democratic	Bellingham		2022#
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2016
	2			Democratic			1994
	1			Democratic		Snohomish (part)	2021*
	2			Democratic			2020
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2006
	2			Democratic			2004
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2011*
	2	Darya Farivar		Democratic			2022
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2018
	2			Democratic			2022#
	1			Democratic		King (part)	2017*
	2			Democratic			2018
	1			Democratic		Clark (part)	2011*
	2			Democratic			2016†

*Originally appointed

#Sworn in early to fill vacant seat

†Had previous tenure in Washington House of Representatives

^Redistricted during current tenure

‡Originally elected in special election

§Member of no caucus

Notable former members

The first women elected were Frances Cleveland Axtell^[5] and Nena Jolidon Croake^[6] in 1912.

Past composition of the House of Representatives

See main article: Political party strength in Washington (state).

See also

• Washington State Capitol
• Washington State Legislature
• Washington State Senate
• List of Washington state legislatures
• List of United States federal legislation, 2001–present

External links

• Washington House of Representatives
• Map of Legislative Districts

Notes and References

1. Web site: Salary Information | Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials . salaries.wa.gov.
2. Web site: Washington House Democrats select Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma to succeed Speaker Frank Chopp . 2019-07-31 . The Seattle Times . en-US . 2019-12-20.
3. Web site: House of Representatives Leadership . leg.wa.gov.
4. Web site: Voter's Pamphlet, Washington State Elections, November 2, 2021. Washington Secretary of State. 2021-12-10.
5. Web site: Frances Cleveland Axtell (1866-1953) . National Women's History Museum . 8 June 2016.
6. Web site: Nena Jolidon Croake . Washington State Historical Society . 8 June 2016.