Outgoing state Sen. Mike Padden to join congressman-elect Michael Baumgartner’s office

Congressmen-elect Michael Baumgartner has tapped longtime state Sen. Mike Padden to advise him in his new role.

“In addition to being a great friend, perhaps my favorite thing about Mike is that he notably cast the first ever electoral college vote for Ronald Reagan,” Baumgartner said in a Wednesday announcement. “I’m extremely pleased that Mike will be able to help advise on policy and assist us in serving constituents across Eastern Washington.”

Padden, who announced his retirement from the state Legislature in April, will serve as a senior adviser in Baumgartner’s Eastern Washington office starting in January. He said he looks forward to continuing to serve the region.

Padden was first elected to the state House in 1980, where he represented Washington’s 4th Legislative District for 15 years. He was returned to the Legislature as a senator in 2011, after a multiple terms as a Spokane County District Court judge.

“I’m happy to do it,” Padden said. “It’ll cut down on any time I was going to spend watching soap operas.”

Baumgartner and Padden have a bit of a history; the longtime Spokane Valley lawmaker was a chair of Baumgartner’s campaign during his congressional run, and the two spent seven years working together during their stints as state Senators.

Padden said the jump to the federal level will be a bit of an adjustment for both of them. There’s a lot more fellow elected leaders to build relationships with, some different processes and Baumgartner now represents a much larger district than he did in his capacity as a state senator.

Nonetheless, Padden said he believes Baumgartner is the right man for the job, and he looks forward to assisting the congressman-elect over the next two years.

“It’s a different world, and a lot of people in a different system,” Padden said. “But I think he’s got some unique talents that can really do well.”