Rep. Shelly Short appointed to Washington Senate; GOP again holds 25-24 edge in chamber

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Republican Rep. Shelly Short has been appointed to replace former Sen. Brian Dansel, who resigned from the state Senate last week to take a job with the administration of President Donald Trump.


Short, of Addy, was selected Monday to represent the 7th District in northeast Washington. When Short is sworn in later this week, Republicans — with the help of a Democrat who caucuses with them — will regain their slim 25-24 majority in the chamber.

A replacement will appointed for Short's seat in the House.

Dansel left the state to take a job as special assistant to the U.S. secretary of agriculture. Fellow Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen also took a job with the Trump administration. He was named temporary communications director for Trump's transition team at with the Environmental Protection Agency, but has said he doesn't plan to resign his seat in the state Senate, and instead will fly back and forth to the state as needed during the state's 105-day legislative session.