EVERETT— Three weeks after publicly announcing his disdain for Washington State and leaving for Idaho in a social media post, former Washington state Representative Robert J Sutherland (R-Granite Falls) announced Saturday, April 18, he is running for the Washington State 39th District House seat and telling multiple people that his statement on his move to Idaho was “taken out of context” or “misinterpreted.”
Sutherland at the Snohomish County Republican Central Committee Meeting that took place in the Snohomish County Administration Building in downtown Everett, shared his intention to run for outgoing State Rep. Carolyn Eslick’s (R-Sultan) seat—the only female Republican elected to the House from Snohomish County who he called “very weak” in a March 30, 2026, Facebook post that is now edited.
In a March 31, 2026, interview with political commentator and journalist Jason Rantz on the The Jason Rantz Show [24:30 to 39:55 minute mark], on him leaving Washington state to Idaho, Sutherland shared that he sold his Granite Falls home and for several weeks have been moving his belongings to North Idaho with a closing date of April 27, 2026.
“And so, we’ve been slowly moving [to Idaho] ever since,” Sutherland told Rantz, “Just coming out every couple [of] weeks, bringing a load of stuff. And our home in Washington has sold; we have a closing date of April 27th. And, you know, God willing, if all goes well, then we will be fully out [of Washington] and we’ll be over here in Idaho and enjoying our new adventure.”
Rantz, a few days prior to his interview with Sutherland, shared that he spoke with Sutherland who was in a moving truck driving to Idaho.
According to real estate records confirmed by the Lynnwood Times, Sutherland’s Granite Falls single-family home was placed on the market on March 4, 2026, for $1.175 million. An offer was accepted on March 8 and the sale is pending—most likely awaiting financing to complete the Lynnwood Times was told by a real estate agent.
Images on Refin, show a barren interior less some staging furniture and a shed full of tools and stacked lumber.
Property records reviewed by the Lynnwood Times of Sutherland’s Granite Falls home reveal that he purchased it in 2012 for $369,000 and paid it off, according to a deed of reconveyance, in March of 2023.
Voter registration records reviewed by the Lynnwood Times show as of April 18, 2026, Sutherland is still registered in Washington state and has not registered to vote in Idaho.
In a March 27, 2026, social media post, that is now edited, Sutherland announced he is leaving Washington state to Idaho “where our Rights are respected and our property isn’t slowly being taken from us, more and more each year.”
The original Facebook post by Sutherland read: “After 36 years of living, working and raising our four kids in WA State it is time for us to move on. My wife and I have purchased a house in Idaho and are in the process of moving. Why? Because we prefer to live in a State where our Rights are respected and our property isn’t slowly being taken from us, more and more each year. We’ve met some great people over the years and we are going to miss you all dearly. But we look forward to meeting new friends as we begin this new chapter in our lives. Peace out.”
As of April 18, the same post now reads: “After 36 years of living, working and raising our four kids in WA State it is time for us to consider our options moving forward. My wife and I have purchased a house in Idaho and are planning to retire there in the next few years. Why? Because we prefer to live in a State where our Rights are respected and our property isn’t slowly being taken from us, more and more each year. Therefore, our days here in WA are numbered, I’m sad to say.”
According to edit history from Facebook on the post, the post was altered on 11:21 a.m., April 16, 2026, to align with a narrative multiple sources have told the Lynnwood Times that Sutherland is telling them and others, that his move to Idaho was “taken out of context” or “misinterpreted.”
In the first sentence, the original March 27 post read, “WA State it is time for us to move on” which now reads, “WA State it is time for us to consider our options moving forward [bold font emphasizing the change].”
In the second sentence, the original March 27 post read, “My wife and I have purchased a house in Idaho and are in the process of moving,” which now reads, “My wife and I have purchased a house in Idaho and are planning to retire there in the next few years [bold font emphasizing the change].”
Also, a post by Sutherland criticizing outgoing Rep. Carolyn Eslick, whose seat he will be vying for, was altered 11:09 a.m., April 16, 2026, from its original posting on April 3. In that post, Sutherland referred to Eslick, the only female Republican representing Snohomish County as “very weak” and implied she was not a Republican by following that statement with Republican in quotes. In this post, it is the first time Sutherland began he narrative of a “planned departure” stating that he has two homes—one in Idaho and one in Washington state.
Eslick announced on Tuesday, March 31, that she will not seek reelection at the end of her current term, concluding nearly a decade in the Legislature and almost 30 years in public service.
In a third Facebook post again edited 11:14 a.m., April 16, 2026, from the original post on March 30, a day before Eslick formally announced her intention to not seek reelection, Sutherland wrote that he “fought long and hard, trying to better the lives of ALL Washingtons” and that he and his wife have made the “hard decision, as I have, to pack up and LEAVE WA State.”
Now the post as of April 18 includes: “Not leaving yet! But my wife and I are planning to retire in a few years in Idaho,” prior to the “fought long and hard…” and the words “when the time comes” after “…LEAVE WA State.”
Here is the full caption of the now altered post from its original posting on March 30: “Not leaving yet! But my wife and I are planning to retire in a few years in Idaho. I have fought long and hard, trying to better the lives of ALL Washingtonians (Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Libertarians). Ever increasing property taxes, sales taxes, gas taxes, B&O taxes, REET taxes, Capitol Gains taxes and now Income taxes have convinced MANY to come to the realization that the Democrat majority, backed by the Mainstream Republicans of WA State (MRW), are hell-bent on taking as much of their hard-earned income as they can possibly get away with. And they’ve made the hard decision, as I have, to pack up and LEAVE WA State when the time comes. It’s a sinking Titanic.”
Mounting evidence shows that Sutherland—or someone with access to his Facebook account—was re-writing “history” on April 16, 2026, with a narrative to conceal from the public his move to Idaho from Washington state to presumably run for the Washington State Legislature. Facebook captures all edit history for each and every post.
In constructing a timeline of events, here is what we know so far:
- March 4, 2026: Sutherland puts Granite Falls home on the market.
- March 8, 2026: Sutherland accepts offer on his Granite Falls home on the market for $1.175 million.
- March 18, 2026: Redfin website updated reflecting sale of Granite Falls home as “pending.”
- March 27, 2026: Sutherland announced to Facebook his move to Idaho from Washington state.
- March 27, 2026, through March 31, 2026: Multiple news outlets report Sutherland is leaving Washington for Idaho.
- March 30, 2026: Sutherland posted to Facebook that he and his wife are in the process of packing up to leave Washington state.
- March 31, 2026: Sutherland confirms with Jason Rantz in an interview that his home is sold and that he will complete that sale of his home on April 27, 2026. Rantz just days earlier shared on another podcast that he spoke with Sutherland on the phone who was in a moving truck on his way Idaho.
- March 31, 2026: Rep. Carolyn Eslick announced she is not seeking reelection.
- April 3, 2026: Sutherand posted to Facebook criticizing Rep. Eslick’s tenure in the House as “very weak” and begins a narrative of a now “planned departure.”
- April 16, 2026: Edits—all within 12 minutes of each other (11:09 a.m., 11:14 a.m., and 11:21 a.m.)—to original Facebook posts from March 27 through April 3 to align with a narrative that Sutherland has not moved to Idaho and/or is not in the process of leaving Washington state.
- April 18, 2026: Sutherland announced at the Snohomish County Republican Central Committee Meeting that he will run for outgoing State Rep. Carolyn Eslick’s (R-Sultan) seat.
- April 18, 2026: Lynnwood Times confirmed with a real estate agent that Sutherland has accepted a bid on his $1.175 million Granite Falls home (his only Washington state residence) and that the sale is pending.
Sutherland, who identifies as a Libertarian Republican, served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023 representing the 39th Legislative District, which covers portions of Snohomish and Skagit counties. During his 4-year tenure, he passed no legislation that he introduced to the legislature.
He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and biochemist who studied at Gonzaga University, he previously ran unsuccessfully for Snohomish County auditor, Snohomish County council and U.S. House of Representatives.
Sutherland is no stranger to controversy and dirty politics
Sutherland drew criticism for telling followers on Facebook to “prepare for war,” shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a major lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election and he declared Joe Biden was not his president. He referred to the election outcome as a “coup” against President Donald J Trump.
He was one of three Republicans who attended in August 2021 the Mike Lindell’s “Cyber Symposium” on election-fraud in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Public records show that he used taxpayer funds to travel to the event. Sutherland defended the trip in emails to reporters, saying he planned to use information from the symposium to draft election-related legislation for the 2022 session.
Sutherland was also a very vocal opponent to COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandates in the Legislature. In March 2022, the House issued him a formal reprimand for inappropriate conduct toward the Sergeant-at-Arms, which he later paid $2,500 to settle a related state ethics complaint alleging harassment of a legislative employee.
During a speech at a rally on the state Capitol campus in Olympia on March 5, 2022, Rep. Sutherland shared an incident he had the day before with the Sergeant-at-Arms. During the encounter, according to Rep Robert Sutherland, he told the law enforcement official, “F*** You.”
State Rep Robert Sutherland screaming about being locked out of the legislative chambers and screaming fuck you at a cop. They got some serious anger issues. pic.twitter.com/JYTq0oABi8
Sutherland’s remarks towards the Sergeant-at-Arms came after he was not allowed into the state Capitol building because he had not taken the required COVID test.
In a King 5 interview, Sutherland said the officer acted in a “very intimidating” way and that he thought the officer “was going to physically do something” to him or “throw” him down and arrest him.
According to the letter of reprimand, the official investigation determined that on Friday, March 4th, Sutherland was escorted out of the John L. O’Brien building, his office location, because he “failed to adhere to the House testing protocols by failing to test for COVID-19.”
On Saturday, March 5, 2022, Sutherland attempted multiple times to enter the John L. O’Brien building in violation of House testing protocols. The Sergeant-at-Arms arrived at approximately 11:07 a.m. to assist with the situation. As the Sergeant-at-Arms explained why he could not let Rep. Robert Sutherland (R-Granite Falls) into both the John L. O’Brien and the Legislative buildings, Sutherland yelled, “F*** You Sergeant!”
According to the document, Sutherland continued to swear and act inappropriately towards the Sergeant-at- Arms for several minutes.
Sutherland provided several contradictory statements during the official investigation which, according to the letter state, are “concerning and contributes to a lack of credibility on your [Sutherland’s] part.”
Below is a summary of alleged contradictions to Sutherland’s testimony during the investigation:
- First Written Statement
- Sergeant at Arms was threatening through intimidation of violence and that Sutherland was drawn into a shouting match.
- Investigative Interview on March 8
- Sutherland stated he could not remember what was said and that the Sergeant at Arms initiated the foul language. But when confronted with the statements during the March 5 rally, Sutherland admitted what he said the Sergeant-of-Arms.
- Security video contradicts Sutherlands claim that the Sergeant at Arms rushed up to his vehicle yelling at him in an agitated state. The surveillance video and eyewitnesses also contradict Sutherland’s claim that the Sergeant at Arms engaged in conversation in a manner causing him “fear of harm” as alleged by Sutherland.
- Second Written Statement on March 10
- Sutherland’s revised written statement includes the foul language he used towards the Sergeant at Arms but leaves out the part he alleged the Sergeant at Arms acted in a threatening manner. It adds information about the Sergeant at Arms rushing toward Sutherland from his car.
“Your multiple contradictory versions (statements on the rally podium, two written statements, investigative interview, media statement, and media interview) of the sequence of the interaction appear to be continually refined to reflect your actions in a way to absolve you of your conduct,” wrote Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk for the House of Representatives in the letter of reprimand.
He continued, “You stated during the investigative interview that you were immediately remorseful for your behavior, yet you bragged about your behavior approximately an hour after the incident while speaking at a rally on campus (as captured on Twitter). Calling out the staff position with whom you had recently interacted in an inciteful way on the podium, claiming that you had almost been arrested, potentially could have brought harm to the individual or to other security on site that day.”
Sutherland filed a counterclaim against the Sergeant at Arms following his investigative interview, which the House determined to be retaliatory in nature – a violation of House policy. The investigation found that Sutherland acted in a retaliatory manner when he filed a counter complaint and spoke to the press disparagingly about the Sergeant-at-Arms.
On July 1, 2022, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson dismissed a lawsuit lead by Rep. Sutherland and five others, claiming vaccination requirements for lawmakers conducting business in the House of Representatives were discriminatory and a violation of rights and freedom.
Also in 2022, Sutherland faced criticism for allegations of false political advertising. In a political mailer received by voters, Sutherland claimed he is endorsed by Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney. After receiving emails from residents questioning the validity of the endorsement claim, the Lynnwood Times confirmed with Rep. Sutherland he never asked for the sheriff’s endorsement for 2022 and that this was an endorsement from his 2020 campaign run.
“I haven’t reached out to Adam to ask for his endorsement,” Rep. Sutherland told the Lynnwood Times. “The last line were endorsements from 2020, and I state that.”
Democrat Borynack, Republican Sutherland, and a common pledge
In 2024, allegations surfaced between Sutherland and a democrat “opponent,” who the Democratic Party denounced as not being a known democrat.
Zephaniah Borynack ran for the Washington State House of Representatives to represent the 39th District Position 1 as an alleged “Democrat.” He had a fair share with legal trouble over the years, from explosives charges to a pattern of sexual misconduct—including a charge of unlawful intercourse with a minor more than three years younger than him in age, in Riverside County, California.
In March 2012, as part of a plea agreement, Borynack was sentenced to a combined 140 days in a Work Release Program, ordered to stay within 10 yards away from the property of the victim, and ordered to pay restitution. He was also put on probation for 36 months which he appeared to have violated that December.
In October of 2013, Borynack was arrested along with his brother and father, and charged with 14 counts of Unlawfully Possessing a Destructive/Explosive Device in Riverside County, California. Borynack pled not guilty in that case and all 14 counts were reduced to Manufacturing, Importing, Selling, or Possession of any Metal Knuckles. He was ordered to pay a $140 fine.
Skagit County Democratic Chair Lynn Campbell informed the Lynnwood Times that Borynack is not endorsed, recommended, or otherwise supported by the Skagit County Democrats. The Snohomish County Democrat Party shared similar sentiments with Chair Monica Chilton informing the Lynnwood Times:
“The Snohomish County Democratic Central Committee (a.k.a. Snohomish County Democrats) did not nominate Mr. Borynack, nor has our organization endorsed Mr. Borynack. To my knowledge, he has never attended any of our meetings and is not affiliated with the Democratic Party in any capacity.”
An investigation by the Lynnwood Times showed alleged tie between Sutherland and his opponent Borynack who both signed a Declaration of Dependence on God pledge authored by the Truth in Love Project.
Author: Mario Lotmore
