The GOP is 3 seats away from a majority. Wonder what this does to her deal with Tim Probst, the unfortunate running against Sen. Don Benton this time around. He still going to get that quarter million in hit-pieces he was promised?
.Thursday, May 3, 2012 - Page updated at 03:30 p.m
The Seattle Times
Local News
State Sen. Lisa Brown won't seek re-election
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated PressSen. Majority Leader Lisa Brown announced Thursday that she won't run for re-election and will leave her seat in the state Legislature after her term expires at the end of the year.
The Spokane Democrat said that after 20 years in the Legislature, she is ready to move on.
Brown, 55, said that she'll keep her part-time position teaching classes at Gonzaga University in Spokane, but otherwise is going to "wait and see what comes along."
"It wasn't something I was planning to do, it was just one of those epiphanies," she told The Associated Press.
She said that even after a tough legislative session followed by two special sessions, she had felt good about the work she and other senators had accomplished. Brown said she had fully expected to run again this year, and only made the decision to not seek re-election this past weekend, while taking a walk around a lake during a visit to a friend's cabin.
"It just felt like the right time, while I can still be open to other challenges," she said.
She said she's not running for any other office this year, but wouldn't rule out future campaigns for a statewide office, like governor.
"I'm not ruling anything out for the future," she said. "I'm just going to give myself some time to think about what would be the best next steps to take."
In a statement issued Thursday, Gov. Chris Gregoire called Brown a "true champion and true fighter for the people of Washington."
"Spokane is losing one of its most influential leaders," Gregoire wrote. "I'm proud to have served with her these many years."
Brown has served as Senate majority leader for eight years, and before that she was minority leader for two years. Prior to that, she served in the House.
She is the second female majority leader in the Senate. The first was Republican Jeannette Hayner of Walla Walla, who retired in 1992 and died in 2010.
More:Democrats hold a 27-22 advantage in the Senate, but this year, three Democrats crossed the aisle to work with Republicans on a key budget vote, essentially giving Republicans leverage on budget-related issues.
Lisa Brown was one of the few qualified ones. whatever you think of her politics, her leaving will lower the IQ of the Senate.
ReplyDelete20 years! Good god, she needs to get on with her life.
Well, she will get a job. Expect it to be a 6 figure appointment to a board of some sort. (Eastern Washington Growth Management Board, perhaps?)
ReplyDeleteBut if she was so smart... then how is it that she kept passing train wrecks for budgets over the last several years?
And her with a PhD in Economics?
Year after year of ignoring the bow-wave effect. Year after year of massive deficits. It's like Dr. Brown had never heard of economics once she became a senator.
In that regard?
I doubt she'll be missed.
It's actually pretty simple. It's like having a dog poop in the middle of the living room. The dog knows it's not supposed to do that, and when confronted the dog slinks away with it's ears and tail down.
ReplyDeleteThese political jerks know that wasting a whole session on ramming "Gay marriage" up everybody's asses was wrong, and after pooping in the middle of the floor they're slinking off.