State Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield.
OLYMPIA, May 29.—State Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, who stunned lawmakers with his filing-week announcement that he will not be seeking re-election, now says he’s going to be making an early exit. Zarelli steps down Thursday from the Senate seat he has occupied for the last 17 years.
In a brief announcement issued Tuesday, the Senate Republican budget chief said he will pack it in the last day of the month. “Now that I’ve made the decision not to seek re-election, it’s time for me to start focusing on where I’m going next and to begin that journey. Moving forward now is the right decision for me and my family. It’s also the right decision for the people of the 18th District, who will be able to transition right away to a new state senator who can take a full and active role over this interim.”
Zarelli’s decision to step aside paves the way for state Rep. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, to take his place, should commissioners in Clark and Cowlitz counties decide to cooperate. Party officials in the 18th Legislative District will forward three names to the two county legislative bodies, and it will be up to commissioners to name a replacement. If commissioners say yes to Rivers, that makes it possible for her to campaign as an incumbent.
Zarelli is one of the most prominent members of the Senate Republican Caucus, having served as budget leader since 2004. He was one of the architects of the budget revolt in the Senate this year, soliciting votes from disaffected centrist Democrats for a spending bill that did not shift current expenses into the next budget period, as the Democratic caucus had proposed. By reaching across the aisle, Zarelli found three votes. Combined with the 22 Senate Republican votes, that gave the more conservative budget proposal a 25-vote majority, and it prompted a dramatic vote on the Senate floor March 2 that changed the course of the session.
Zarelli announced his decision to leave the Legislature May 18 in a deft filing-week maneuver that aimed to give freshman House member Rivers the strongest possible shot at the seat. Zarelli made no announcement of his intention to step down, but rather simply chose not to file – and delayed issuing the standard farewell press release until after the 5 p.m. deadline on the last day of filing week. Rivers filed for the position minutes before the filing period closed. Only one Democrat had filed for the seat, party volunteer Ralph Schmidt of Camas, under the presumption that Zarelli would run again.
In his statement, Zarelli said, “It’s been a pleasure and an honor to serve the people of the 18th District and our state. I will always look fondly on my time in the Legislature and the friendships I formed here. Although my legislative service will end on Thursday, those friendships and the work many of us did together will remain.”
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