Just one month after telling a Seattle radio station he had tested positive for COVID19, Republican State Senator Doug Ericksen has died from the virus. He was 52.
Ericksen said he had tested positive for the coronavirus while in El Salvador, though his cause of death wasn’t immediately released. The state Senate Republican Caucus confirmed his passing Saturday but did not say where he died.
FILE – Washington Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, talks to reporters on Feb. 2, 2017 at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Ericksen died Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, after saying in November that he tested positive for COVID-19, although his cause of death was not immediately confirmed on Saturday. He was 52. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Ericksen’s family announced his death through a statement issued Saturday by the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus, but they did not state the cause of his death as he was staunchly opposed to the vaccines and often shared his own theories on how the virus was spread. “We are heartbroken to share that our husband and father passed away on Friday, December 17th. Please keep our family in your prayers and thank you for continuing to respect our privacy in this extremely difficult time,” the statement said.
Ericksen had repeatedly called for the resignation of Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, in numerous posts on his website. His last post, dated November 1st, said the state was the “national leader in authoritarian government,” overlooking Inslee’s work on climate action and other issues impacting the Pacific Northwest. “Throughout this COVID situation, Inslee has been out of step with the rest of the country,” Ericksen said in the release. “He says his vengeful act was based on science, but it’s certainly not the science understood by public health officials and elected leaders in every other state of the union.”
Trudi and I send our deep condolences to Sen. Doug Ericksen's family, friends and colleagues. Our hearts are with them.
Inslee released a statement Saturday in response to news of Ericksen’s death, saying he and his wife send “our deep condolences to Sen. Doug Ericksen’s family, friends and colleagues. Our hearts are with them.”
