Report: State lawmaker resigns after revealed he's registered voter in Ohio, too

EVERETT -- State Rep. Mike Hope, R-Mill Creek, resigned Thursday after it was revealed that he had become a registered voter in Ohio last year while still registered here and serving in the Washington Legislature, the Everett Herald reported.

According to the newspaper, Hope sent a brief statement to Gov. Jay Inslee that said it was an honor to serve in the state House since 2008 but "I can no longer serve the remainder of my legislative term."

The Herald said Hope became a registered voter in Lake County, Ohio, last August via the state's motor-voter law, but that Hope said he didn't recall doing that.

"I had no idea that I was ever registered somewhere else," the paper quoted him as saying. "I had no clue that's what I did."

Hope, a former Seattle police officer, told the paper that he intends to settle in Ohio when he completes his financial services training with Morgan Stanley.  Hope announced in December that he would not seek re-election this November.