Matt Shea
A candidate for State Representative, Pos. 2, Legislative District 4 (Spokane Valley) in the 2014 Nov. 4 Washington General Election
Party: Republican
Age: 50
City: Spokane Valley, WA
Occupation: Lawyer
Education: Graduated from high school in Bellingham. Earned bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Gonzaga University in 1996. Earned law degree from Gonzaga in 2006.
Political experience: Elected to state House every two years since 2008. Serves as assistant ranking minority member on the House’s Labor and Workforce and Judiciary committees.
Work experience: Attorney at M. Casey Law since 2013. Formerly handled personal injury cases at Keith S. Douglass and Associates. Co-founded the Washington Family Foundation. Served 4 ½ years in the army, entering as a lieutenant in 1996, including eight months in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Later served 11 months in Iraq as a captain in the Army and Army National Guard.
Family: Divorced and remarried. No children.
Contact information
More about Matt Shea
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Shea (R) | 25,105 | 57.75% |
| Josh Arritola (R) | 18,365 | 42.25% |
Related Coverage
WALeg Day 17: Splitsville for Washington? History says not likely
OLYMPIA – Eastern and Western Washington are so different they should be two separate states, says a new bill that would set up a way to split them apart. Sound familiar? Maybe that’s because legislators from east of the Cascades have been saying it – and trying to find a way to divvy up the state – for at least 100 years.
Gun activists gather, as control activists plan to grade legislators on which way they vote
OLYMPIA – Voter-approved background checks on private gun purchases are unconstitutional and therefore not law, Rep. Matt Shea told gun-rights activists Thursday on the steps of the Capitol. “An unconstitutional law is no law at all,” said the Spokane Valley Republican, who is also a private attorney. He told activists the measure that passed in November violates state and federal constitutions. But the right to bear arms is inalienable and can’t be taken away by voters or the courts.
Shea tells gun rights activists I-594 not law
OLYMPIA — Rep. Matt Shea told gun-rights activists today voter-approved background checks on private sales violate state and federal constitutions and aren’t law. “An unconstitutional law is no law at all,” said Shea told about 300 protesters on the Capitol Building steps.
‘Constitutionalists’ protest at Spokane Valley Police Precinct
A protest spurred by a Spokane County sheriff’s deputy’s statement that angered self-described constitutionalists drew more than 300 people to the Spokane Valley Police Precinct parking lot Saturday afternoon. Many of those in attendance carried rifles, handguns or both. A series of speakers criticized Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and called on him to give back the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle (MRAP) that the department received for no cost as military surplus.
300 protest against deputy comment; activist says people should be ‘armed equal to the police’
A protest spurred by a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy statement that angered self-described constitutionalists drew more than 300 people to the Spokane Valley Police Precinct parking lot Saturday afternoon.
Washington election: Campaigns spending heavily as deadline nears
OLYMPIA – With control of the Washington Senate in the balance, legislative candidates could pull in record amounts of money, and some ballot measure campaigns are spending heavily as the election deadline approaches. Their fates may be decided by a relatively small number of voters. Early turnout is light throughout the state, and less than half of Spokane County’s eligible voters are expected to return their ballots this fall.
Shea, Arritola fight for 4th District
There was a moment in last week’s sole debate between state Rep. Matt Shea and his challenger, Josh Arritola, that summed up the race between the two Republicans. Arritola dispensed with a question regarding his disbelief in the human impact of climate change and pivoted to a recitation of fees connected to an off-road vehicle law Shea sponsored.
4th District legislative candidate Q-and-A
Legislative candidates for the state House Position 2 in the 4th Legislative District were allowed 50 words to respond to each of five questions. The incumbent in the race, state Rep. Matt Shea, did not respond to repeated requests to participate in this candidate Q&A.