OLYMPIA—Former Republican House Minority Leader, J.T. Wilcox (R-Yelm) and Senator Lynda Wilson (R-Vancouver), announce their retirements from the Washington State Legislature.
Rep. Wilcox, who serves the Second Legislative District, in a letter on February 28 to lawmakers in the House and Senate, shared that he intends to retire after 14 years from the Washington State House of Representatives at the end of 2024.
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to represent my friends and neighbors who live in the small towns and countryside of rural Pierce and Thurston Counties,” Wilcox, opened in his letter.
He shared his jubilance of the new Republican leadership and colleagues saying, “It is the best version of this caucus that I’ve ever served with.”
“My successor as House Republican Leader, Drew Stokesbary, is probably the most intelligent and talented person in the Capitol Building today,” wrote Wilcox. “I’m equally impressed with my close friend, John Braun, who was my counterpart as Senate Republican Leader.”
Critical of the rise to “activism” and “theatrics” in politics, he portents of the risk of not resolving issues affecting the lives of real people.
“The incentives line up with the “performance,” not the results. This is why the federal government is such a mess, and one of the reasons our state government is becoming less functional,” wrote Wilcox.
J.T., as he is called in political circles, grew up on his 1,500-acre family farm—Wilcox Family Farm—in rural Pierce County, where he still lives today. His great-grandfather, Judson Wilcox, moved to the area during the Klondike Gold Rush. Before becoming a representative in 2011, J.T. helped run the family farm, served as a volunteer fireman, led the national “Got Milk” ad campaign, managed forest lands, advised family-owned businesses, and volunteered with the Yelm Public Schools.
Wilcox was selected on March 8, 2018, by his colleagues as House Party Leader, replacing Rep. Dan Kristiansen (R-Snohomish) who announced his retirement earlier that year. During his tenure in the legislature, Rep. Wilcox fought against capital gain, carbon, and head taxes. He led the Republican caucus in 2021 and 2022 to fix Democratic police reform bills that contributed to increase violent crime and restricted police pursuits.
Wilcox, astute in finance, serves on the House Appropriations, Finance, and Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans committees.
The second big retirement announced was that of cancer survivor Lynda Wilson (R-Vancouver) on March 6, who was elected to the Senate in 2016 after a term in the House of Representatives.
“I congratulate Senator Lynda Wilson on her retirement from the Legislature,” wrote Lt. Governor Denny Heck in a statement on Wilson’s retirement. “She has been a principled conservative and has maintained the capacity to work across party lines. I was privileged to work with her at a small credit union in Vancouver 45 years ago, and I have been equally privileged to work together again the last four years. She bravely fought and defeated cancer while continuing to serve, an inspiration to all. I wish her well in her retirement.”
“It’s been such an honor to serve the people of our beloved state, particularly my neighbors in southwest Washington,” said Wilson, “but I am looking forward to having more time to be a mother, grandmother, and small-business owner, as I was a decade ago.”
On the announcement of Wilson’s retirement, Representative Wilcox wrote on X, “Lynda is gracious, smart and aggressive when she needs to be. She will be hard to replace. There is a lot of talent leaving the Legislature this year and pressure is on for caucuses to recruit high quality replacements.”
Lynda is gracious, smart and aggressive when she needs to be. She will be hard to replace. There is a lot of talent leaving the Legislature this year and pressure is on for caucuses to recruit high quality replacements. https://t.co/bFB5YpIeGm
— Rep. JT Wilcox (@jtwilcox111) March 7, 2024
While Wilson’s business background was a factor in her decision to seek election to the House, it didn’t take long – especially after she became a senator – for her to become known as a staunch defender of law enforcement, veterans, the Second Amendment and shooting sports, resulting in numerous “legislator of the year” honors, and being welcomed into the Hunters Heritage Hall of Fame this year.
Throughout her tenure as a lawmaker, she consistently championed tax relief and demonstrated a steadfast commitment to government accountability – including a multi-year effort during and after the pandemic to limit the governor’s powers and expand the legislative branch’s oversight authority during a state of emergency.
Her leadership on the state operating budget included two years of dealing with pandemic-related appropriations, followed by two more years of working to control spending in anticipation of a slowing state economy. That led to strong bipartisan support in the Senate for the budget adopted in 2023 and the reflection of Republican priorities in the supplemental budget this year.
Out of the many bills she sponsored that have become law, Wilson points to four as highlights.
Her 2019 legislation to legalize pink as hunter-safety clothing reflected her love of hunting and her recent breast-cancer diagnosis. After undergoing cancer treatment during that year’s legislative session, she became an even stronger advocate for cancer-related policies, leading to the passage of her breast-cancer screening bill in 2023 and advocating for biomarker testing. She has secured millions of dollars in funding for cancer research and support services.
The 2020 repeal of the sales tax on feminine-hygiene products reflects Wilson’s efforts on tax relief, while her priority on public safety led to the Tiffany Hill Act, a law aimed at protecting domestic-violence victims from their abusers. After a Vancouver mother and former Marine named Tiffany Hill was murdered by her estranged husband in November 2019, Wilson worked tirelessly with others in Clark County to get the proposal passed.
This session she has been out front on the Senate’s efforts to deal with the fentanyl crisis and is hopeful that her “One Pill Kills” legislation (SB 5906) will reach the governor’s desk after being passed in the Senate and House.
Over the summer and fall, Wilson intends to advocate for the three remaining Let’s Go Washington initiatives that were not heard nor passed by the Democratic-led legislature, resulting in these being placed on the November general-election ballot.
“My experience as a legislator has been fulfilling, educational, trying, and humbling, all at the same time,” she said. “But I’m not done. I’ve made this decision but will keep going full-tilt until it’s time to hand off to someone else… and you never know after that.”
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
