Facebook/bio Doug Ericksen with his wife
Washington State Senator Doug Ericksen, a Republican, has died after a fight with COVID-19.
Ericksen, 52, was a critic of vaccine mandates. The Seattle Times described him as “a stalwart conservative voice in the Legislature, former leader of Donald Trump’s campaign in Washington and an outspoken critic of COVID-19 emergency order.”
Tributes flowed on Facebook and Twitter for Ericksen. The news of Ericksen’s death was initially released by the Washington Senate Republican Caucus on its Facebook page. The caucus shared a statement from Ericksen’s wife and kids confirming his death.
Governor Jay Inslee, whom Ericksen had called to resign over vaccine mandates, released a statement on Facebook, saying, “Trudi and I send our deep condolences to Sen. Doug Ericksen’s family, friends and colleagues. Our hearts are with them.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Ericksen’s Wife & Kids Described Themselves as ‘Heartbroken’
“Sen. Doug Ericksen Passes,” read the statement on the Senate Republican Caucus’s Facebook page.
“OLYMPIA…The Senate Republican Caucus received the following communication from Senator Doug Ericksen’s wife Tasha and his two daughters,” it said, before sharing this family statement:
“We are heartbroken to share that our husband and father passed away on Friday, Dec. 17. Please keep our family in your prayers and thank you for continuing to respect our privacy in this extremely difficult time.
-Tasha, Elsa, and Addi Ericksen.”
According to the Seattle Times, Ericksen contracted COVID-19 while traveling in El Salvador, but his cause of death was not released. The Times noted that, in November, Ericksen asked fellow Republicans if they would help him get treatment for COVID-19 in El Salvador.
“I took a trip to El Salvador and tested positive for COVID shortly after I arrived,” he wrote, according to the newspaper. “I cannot get back home, and it’s to the point that I feel it would be beneficial for me to receive an iv of monoclonal antibodies (Regeneron). I have a doctor here who can administer the iv, but the product is not available here.”
After Ericksen got COVID-19, he pretty much disappeared from the public eye, sparking speculation about where he was.
Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, released the following statement after learning of the death of Senator Doug Ericksen.
“I am deeply saddened by the news that Doug passed away yesterday. My prayers and thoughts are with his wife, Tasha, and his daughters. Doug could be larger than life and our caucus will miss him greatly. He was passionate about his duties as a member of the Legislature and dedicated to his constituents,” Braun wrote in the statement.
2. Ericksen Was Elected to the State Senate in 2010
Ericksen’s Senate biography says he was “born and raised in Whatcom County.”
“After serving six terms in the House, he was elected to the Senate in 2010. Senator Ericksen represents Whatcom County’s 42nd District, from Bellingham to the Canadian border,” the bio reads.
“Senator Ericksen is ranking minority member on the Senate Energy, Environment and Technology Committee. He also serves on the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee. His legislative priorities include providing solutions to keep energy prices low, create jobs and enhance our quality of life.”
3. Ericksen’s Wife, Tasha, Is a High School Teacher
According to Ericksen’s bio, he “received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s from Western Washington University.”
He was married with two children. “He and his wife Tasha, a high-school teacher, are raising their two daughters in Ferndale,” the biography says.
On his Facebook page, friends offered prayers for Ericksen in the past few weeks. “Hoping and praying for Doug and his family. Keep fighting! Keep praying!” wrote one on December 4. “Please pray for Senator Doug Ericksen. He is in the middle of the fight with covid,” wrote another on November 18.
4. Ericksen Proposed a Bill to Prohibit ‘Discrimination Against the Unvaccinated’
The most recent press release on Ericksen’s Senate website, from November 2021, opposes vaccine mandates.
“State Sen. Doug Ericksen, author of a bill that would prohibit discrimination against the unvaccinated, says Washington state has become a national leader in authoritarian government,” the press release says.
“Washington state is Number One in government coercion,” said Ericksen, R-Ferndale. “But I don’t think this is an honor the people of Washington want. This is the natural result of a system that allows the governor to declare an emergency and then keep his sweeping emergency powers as long as he likes. We passed the 600-day mark on Oct. 21, no end is in sight, and there are indications it could get worse.”
In October 2021, he called for the governor of Washington State to resign, writing, “As the COVID pandemic winds down and the rest of our country returns to life as normal, Washington state has emerged as a leader in oppression. Nearly 2,000 state-government employees got the ax Oct. 18 for defying the governor’s decree that they be vaccinated for COVID-19. No other state has taken vaccine mandates to this extreme.”
5. Tributes Flowed on Twitter & Facebook for Ericksen
Politician Loren Culp wrote on Facebook, “The entire Culp for Congress family just learned of the passing of Washington State Senator Doug Ericksen—a fierce defender of individual freedom and liberty. We would like to send our deepest condolences to the entire Ericksen family and his colleagues in the Washington State Senate.”
Jon Mutchler, a pastor, wrote on Facebook, “With unspeakable grief and tears flowing we share the heartbreaking news that friend, colleague, and mentor Sen. Doug Ericksen passed away yesterday. My prayers and sorrow are with Tasha and their beautiful daughters. Doug was passionate about his conservative principles and never forgot his Ferndale roots.”