Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig says he won’t run for re-election

OLYMPIA – Eastern Washington’s highest -ranking legislator announced Monday that he won’t run for re-election.

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, said he’ll finish his term and serve as majority leader until a new one is elected in the fall.

Billig’s surprise news follows the announcement of U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers last month that she also won’t run for re-election.

As of next year, Spokane will lose the influence of a 20-year member of Congress and a voice for Spokane in the highest levels of lawmaking in Olympia.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, a former state Senate majority leader, called Billig’s departure “a huge loss for Spokane.”

“It’s a big deal what you can do as majority leader,” Brown said. “Not everything you work on has your name on them. You’re really marshaling what bills make it and what bills don’t make it, and if you forge a good relationship with your Transportation chairs, and your Ways & Means chair, and the House speaker, and the governor, you can accomplish so much more.”

Billig, 55, was first elected to the Legislature in 2010 to represent the Third Legislative District in central Spokane. He was elected to the Senate in 2012 and as majority leader in late 2018.

State Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, followed up Billig’s news with an announcement that he will run to take over his Spokane neighbor’s seat in the Senate.

Billig will not run for Congress, he said, and he has no plans to run for any other elected office soon.

“I will miss representing Spokane,” Billig said. “But I know I will continue to serve the community in other ways. I feel good for what we’ve accomplished, and for how I’m leaving the Senate – the institution. This place has become more diverse, more effective, more productive, more transparent, more bipartisan.”

The Spokane lawmaker said there were no big life events that influenced his decision to not seek re-election.

“I’ve been thinking about it for some time,” Billig said. “Each time I’ve run for re-election I take some time to reflect and talk to my family. I went through that same process this time and felt like after 14 years, this was the right time to step aside and go back to my full-time life in Spokane.”

An hour after Billig told the public he’d be stepping down, Riccelli announced his bid to take Billig’s place in his seat.

“Andy has been a tremendous statesman and public servant,” Riccelli said. “He is somebody who has been a great teammate to represent Spokane.He has really shined in a very difficult leadership role to help our entire state. Those of us around him and in public service should strive to live up to his high standards.”

Riccelli added the Senate majority leader’s office holds a special place in Spokane’s lawmaking history.

Billig’s six-year term as majority leader is the third-longest in state Senate history, surpassed by Jeannette Hayner who held the seat for a total of seven years along with his former seatmate, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, who served eight years as majority leader from 2005 to 2012.

Brown added she thinks the job of majority leader is different from when she held it.

“From what I can see on the outside, it is tougher to serve than it used to be,” Brown said. “The ability to work in a bipartisan way is seemingly diminished in the current environment. To me, that’s pretty obvious at the national level – definitely having the top Republican candidate makes it clear that if you’re not with him, he’s going to get you, and I think some of that has seeped into the state level as well.”

Senate Democrats will elect a new majority leader for the 2025 legislative session following the 2024 general election in November.

Billig chose to make his announcement three days before the 2024 legislative session adjourns for the year, so he has time to say goodbye to his colleagues in Olympia.

“I really think an important part of leadership is knowing when it’s the right time to step aside and let others lead,” Billig said.

The first bill Billig sponsored was legislation in 2011 to protect the Spokane River by prohibiting lawn and plant fertilizers that contain phosphorus.

During his tenure in the Legislature, Billig secured numerous capital and transportation projects for Spokane. He said he was proud of the University District Gateway Bridge for bikes and pedestrians, the Division Street Bus Rapid Transit Line and the expansion of the Carl Maxey Center, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Black communities in Spokane.

Billig mentioned he was proud of passing legislation to secure funding to open Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

“I’m as energized and excited about this job since the day I arrived 14 years ago,” Billig said. “I feel really good about what we’ve accomplished here. In almost every policy area, Washington is leading the way based on progress we’ve made in the last six years.”

Billig said that during his time as majority leader the Legislature made serious improvements to state laws to address climate change , K-12 education funding, gun violence and access to child care.

The senator added he was proud of fostering ongoing collaboration across the aisle, particularly with Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia.

“When it comes to gun violence prevention, reproductive rights and climate action, we wholeheartedly disagree,” Billig said. “But that’s the exception, not the rule. Even when we disagree, we find a way to do it respectfully.”

Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, said he was “hit hard” by news of Billig’s departure, but after listening to the senator’s perspective, he was not surprised by his decision to leave. As this year’s session came close to wrapping up, speculations circulated through political circles about whether Ormsby will run for his own re-election. Ormsby didn’t provide a concrete answer when asked by a reporter if he will run for re-election. But he hinted that news of Billig’s departure might inspire him to stick around for another term.

“Every year after the session, I spend a couple grueling weeks self-evaluating,” Ormsby said. “I will do that again, but I also think that it doesn’t serve the 3rd District particularly well to have three new folks representing our community, my community that I carefully guard. So that will factor into my evaluation.”

Sen. Mark Schoesler. R-Ritzville, said he wishes his colleague well in the next chapter of his life. Schoesler was named Republican leader of the Senate in 2012 when a coalition put Republicans in charge of the Senate.

Billig’s decision to step down surprised Schoesler.

“I’ve been majority leader,” Schoesler said. “I know it’s a challenging job. I know the challenges of being a parent while you’re in Olympia.”

Billig, who has two children, said he looks forward to returning to his job in Spokane as the chief executive officer of the company that owns the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team.

Reflecting on his more than a decade of tenure in the Senate, one of Billig’s takeaways has been the value of kindness and treating people with respect, he said.

“When I first ran for majority leader, one of the critiques was that I was ‘too nice’ to be majority leader,” Billig said. “I think I’ve shown that you can be effective and be nice at the same time. Kindness goes a long way. I think the traditional model of being a chamber leader is to rule with an iron fist. That’s not who I am, so I did it differently.”

Reporter Emry Dinman contributed to this report.