OLYMPIA… Sen. Lynda Wilson announced today that she will not seek another term in the Legislature.

Wilson, R-Vancouver, was elected to the Senate in 2016 after a term in the House of Representatives. She won a second term in 2020 but will not be a candidate for the 17th District seat later this year.

“It’s been such an honor to serve the people of our beloved state, particularly my neighbors in southwest Washington,” said Wilson, “but I am looking forward to having more time to be a mother, grandmother and small-business owner, as I was a decade ago.

“We had one grandchild when I ran for office the first time, now we have six. I’m coming up on being cancer-free for five years. We have a family business that is transitioning into the third generation and I want to be more involved in the process. This week I voted to pass three good voter initiatives into law. Part of me doesn’t want to go, because there are more things needing to be done, but the other part knows it’s a good time to step away.”

While Wilson’s business background was a factor in her decision to seek election to the House, it didn’t take long – especially after she became a senator – for her to become known as a staunch defender of law enforcement, veterans, the Second Amendment and shooting sports, resulting in numerous “legislator of the year” honors and being welcomed into the Hunters Heritage Hall of Fame this year.

Throughout her tenure as a lawmaker, she consistently championed tax relief and demonstrated a steadfast commitment to government accountability – including a multi-year effort during and after the pandemic to limit the governor’s powers and expand the legislative branch’s oversight authority during a state of emergency.

Her leadership on the state operating budget included two years of dealing with pandemic-related appropriations, followed by two more years of working to control spending in anticipation of a slowing state economy. That led to strong bipartisan support in the Senate for the budget adopted in 2023 and the reflection of Republican priorities in the supplemental budget this year.

Out of the many bills she sponsored that have become law, Wilson points to four as highlights.

Her 2019 legislation to legalize pink as hunter-safety clothing reflected her love of hunting and her recent breast-cancer diagnosis. After undergoing cancer treatment during that year’s legislative session she became an even stronger advocate for cancer-related policies, leading to the passage of her breast-cancer screening bill in 2023 and advocating for biomarker testing. She has secured millions of dollars in funding for cancer research and support services.

The 2020 repeal of the sales tax on feminine-hygiene products reflects Wilson’s efforts on tax relief, while her priority on public safety led to the Tiffany Hill Act, a law aimed at protecting domestic-violence victims from their abusers. After a Vancouver mother and former Marine named Tiffany Hill was murdered by her estranged husband in November 2019, Wilson worked tirelessly with others in Clark County to get the proposal passed.

This session she has been out front on the Senate’s efforts to deal with the fentanyl crisis, and is hopeful that her “One Pill Kills” legislation (SB 5906) will reach the governor’s desk after being passed in the Senate and House.

After the Legislature adjourns tomorrow, Wilson says she will meet with residents of her district to report on the session, then focus this summer and fall on raising awareness about the three voter initiatives that are not being passed by the Legislature, placing them on the November general-election ballot.

“My experience as a legislator has been fulfilling, educational, trying, and humbling, all at the same time,” she said. “But I’m not done. I’ve made this decision but will keep going full-tilt until it’s time to hand off to someone else… and you never know after that.”