State Senate honors U.S. Rep. Denny Heck for career that began in the state Legislature
U.S. Rep. Denny Heck’s journey in elective office began in 1976, when he was elected to the state House of Representatives at the age of 24.
On Monday, he returned to the Legislative Building as the Senate approved a resolution honoring him for his work in the Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. Heck, a Democrat, has represented the 10th Congressional District that includes parts of Thurston, Pierce, and Mason counties since 2013. He announced in December that he will not seek re-election this year, saying the discourse in Washington, D.C., left him feeling discouraged.
State Sen. Sam Hunt, the Olympia Democrat who sponsored the resolution, said Heck “has been a real public servant for over 45 years for the state of Washington, from the Legislature, to the governor’s office, to Evergreen State College, and to Congress, where he has served very valuably and ably.”
Heck served five terms in the state House, and was Gov. Booth Gardner’s chief of staff from 1990 to 1993. Gov. Christine Gregoire in 2009 appointed Heck to the board of trustees of his alma mater, The Evergreen State College, and he served for two years.
Sen. Hans Zeiger, R-Puyallup, said shortly after winning his first term in Congress, Heck convened a large group of area officials to work on the completion of state Route 167 in Pierce County.
“As a fairly new legislator, I was impressed by his willingness to invite people to the table, to make sure that we were defining the vision, making the call to action. As a result of that, and working the phones thereafter, Denny deserves a lot of the credit for Highway 167 being completed,” Zeiger said.
Sen. Steve O’Ban, R-University Place, said he was sorry to see Heck leave Congress.
“He’s going out on his own terms. There’s a healthy inference there and that is political life is not the be-all and end-all. There are other more important things in one’s season, one’s life, that one might be able to pursue. I’m not sure what your next endeavor will be, Denny, but it’s a healthy message to send,” O’Ban said.
In brief remarks to the Senate, Heck, who has said he plans to write books, said the resolution “felt like the first stop on a farewell tour.”
Heck said when he entered Congress, he set two standards for himself: “Never personalize a disagreement with somebody over policy” and “never, ever stop looking for common ground, even with those with whom I disagree.”
Heck added: “I offer that to you because if we are going to have a hope or a prayer to elevate civic discourse in this country, I think they are two pretty good touchstones.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 5:45 AM with the headline "State Senate honors U.S. Rep. Denny Heck for career that began in the state Legislature."