Hargrove retiring from state Senate after more than 30 years in Legislature

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Jim Hargrove, a long-serving state senator from Hoquiam, is leaving the Legislature.


The Democrat announced his retirement from the floor of the Senate on Thursday. Hargrove served in the Legislature for more than 30 years. He has been a member of the upper chamber since 1993 and had previously served in the state House.

Hargrove, who gave his fellow senators bibles as parting gifts, become emotional when addressing his colleagues. Gov. Jay Inslee came to the Senate to speak of Hargrove's service and many state senators praised him, some citing passages from the bibles he had given them.

Other lawmakers who have announced that this session will be their last include Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, Sen. Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Olympia, and Sen. Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup. Fraser is running for lieutenant governor and Dammeier has said he will run for Pierce County executive.