State Rep. Richard DeBolt Announces Upcoming Retirement From House After 24 Years

State Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, received a long standing ovation and hugs from members of both the Republican and Democratic parties Thursday afternoon as he announced he will not be pursuing a new term.

DeBolt was granted a point of personal privilege as the House convened Thursday. 

He told the story of how he bought a pair of shoes 24 years ago shortly after going to Olympia when he was first elected in 1996. He noted that, over the years, he’s had to have them resoled from time to time. Last year, DeBolt said, they were no longer fixable. 

“It was then I knew it was time for me to retire,” he said. 

DeBolt, the former House minority leader, said he wanted to make the announcement from the House floor because of how important the House has been to his life. 

“I love this institution so much, and I love each and every one of you,” he said. 

He ended his brief announcement with a call for civility. 

“It’s OK to disagree,” he said. “We can’t fall into the trap of today — that if we disagree, I hate you.”

House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, quickly quipped that DeBolt’s announcement might be one of those times when they disagree. 

“Richard, this is one of those times where you and I disagree on the floor,” she said.

DeBolt’s colleagues were quick to praise his many years of service in the House and to thank him for the funding and attention he was able to secure for Lewis County and the Chehalis River Basin’s needs.  

“I had a good sense (the announcement) was coming, I just didn’t know when necessarily he would announce it,” said Sen John Braun, R-Centralia. “We’ve worked on a number of different projects in the last seven or eight years, most prominently though is the flooding work that we’ve done here in the Chehalis River Basin and funded … through the state capital budget. … It’s been a real pleasure to work with him. He has served this community very well.”

Braun noted that DeBolt’s position as lead negotiator for the House Republicans on the capital budget put him in a good position to advocate for Lewis County’s needs. 

“It was a time for me for reflection,” said Debbie Campbell, executive director of United Way of Lewis County. “Richard has been involved for 24 years. You’re kind of stunned (by) how much time has passed. … What all he has done, certainly for the 20th District as well as specifically for Lewis County, it’s pretty phenomenal.”

One of his most recent successes included finding money to pay for a new high school in Toledo. The small school district tried for years to pass a school bond, but cash-strapped voters were wary of a new tax. The building slid into worse and worse disrepair. 

Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, DeBolt’s counterpart in the 20th Legislative District, talked about how they worked together to guarantee a $10 million grant from the state for distressed schools and $8 million in state School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) funding — $18 million total — if the district passed a $7 million bond. 

“That was a very big one. We just had the groundbreaking on that a week ago,” Orcutt said. “There’s a variety of other things we’ve worked on over the years.”

Overall, Orcutt said he will miss a fellow representative who became a friend. 

“I’m going to miss Richard,” Orcutt said. “He has been a tremendous legislator. He’s done tremendous good for the people of the 20th District and Southwest Washington. He and I have gotten along so well. We‘re both kind of characters. We do very serious work but we have fun getting that work done.”