House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle (left) and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, have been reinstalled in their respective party leadership posts in the state House.

Overshadowed by the furor in the Senate about the possibility of a middle-of-the-road ruling coalition, the two party caucuses in the state House Friday announced their leadership teams for the 2013 legislative session. No surprises here: Frank Chopp of Seattle is in line to once again be speaker of the House, and Richard DeBolt of Chehalis has been installed as Republican leader. Though the decision about House Speaker technically is made the first day of the session, this year on Jan. 14, Democrats have a solid majority in the state House. The key decision is the one that came Friday behind closed doors. The exact split has yet to be determined – that hinges on the final count in a House race in Vancouver between Republican Julie Olson and Democrat Monica Stonier.

Here’s what the leadership slate looks like. First, on the Democratic side:

House speaker-designate – Frank Chopp, Seattle.

Majority Leader – Pat Sullivan, Covington.

Majority Caucus Chair – Eric Pettigrew, Seattle.

Majority Whip – Kevin Van De Wege, Sequim.

Majority Floor Leader – Tami Green, Lakewood.

Assistant and deputy positions still must be named, as well as a speaker pro tempore. In the case of House Democrats, the temporary speaker position is an important one, as Chopp, unlike many speakers of the past, presides over only a small percentage of the House floor sessions. Like the speaker, the speaker pro tem also is formally installed by a vote of the full floor on the first day. Republicans typically nominate their own candidates for the speaker and speaker pro tem positions, but the election of a candidate from the majority party is a formality.

Rep, J.T. Wilcox of Yelm replaces Charles Ross of Naches as minority floor leader.

On the Republican side, the big news is the elevation of Yelm lawmaker J.T. Wilcox, now serving his second term in the state House. He will replace Charles Ross of Naches as Republican floor leader.

The Republican slate is as follows:

Minority Leader – Richard DeBolt, Chehalis.

Deputy Minority Leader – Joel Kretz, Wauconda.

Minority Caucus Chair – Dan Kristiansen, Snohomish.

Minority Floor Leader – J.T. Wilcox, Yelm.

Minority Assistant Floor Leaders – Matt Shea, Spokane, and Liz Pike, Camas.

Minority Whip – Paul Harris, Vancouver.

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