WA Rep. Michelle Valdez announces she won’t seek reelection for state House
State Rep. Michelle Valdez, a Gig Harbor Republican, announced Feb. 24 that she won’t run for reelection to the Washington state House.
Valdez, formerly Caldier, has served the 26th Legislative District spanning parts of Pierce and Kitsap counties for 12 years. In January she announced her last-name change after getting married.
A Feb. 24 news release states that Valdez made the decision to not vie for reelection after considering the district’s changing political direction and her personal priorities. The lawmaker called serving her 26th District constituents “one of the greatest honors of my life.”
“For more than a decade, I have worked to protect foster youth, seniors, individuals with disabilities, crime victims, and working families — always striving to pair compassion with fiscal responsibility and accountable government,” Valdez continued.
The announcement comes months after Valdez lost her bid for the district’s Senate seat against Democratic Sen. Deb Krishnadasan.
Valdez told McClatchy on Feb. 24 that recent elections have led to an imbalance in state government, where the Democrats have enough power to pass budgets without a single Republican “yes” vote. She said the majority party doesn’t necessarily need the votes of Democrats in swing districts to pass legislation either.
Valdez is worried that Republicans will likely lose more seats later this year, paving the way for Washington Democrats to accomplish more of their aims without significant resistance.
She’s also concerned that Washington’s relationship with businesses, particularly the tech industry, will sour because of the state’s tax burden.
Elected officials should be faithfully representing their constituents, she said.
“I have a long track record of putting up big fights and standing up for the people in spite of what my party wanted, in spite of what my leadership wanted, and had tough races because of it,” Valdez said. “I’m proud of that, because that’s how a legislator should be. My number one duty should be to the people, and a lot of legislators who are here don’t do that.”
Valdez expressed frustration with the state’s current direction. She said she wants to see more fiscal responsibility, and for criminals to be held to account.
Could Valdez run for office again? If so, she said, it’d be for state government: “I am not interested in going to Congress at all.” She said she feels like she’s maintained good relationships with Republicans and across-the-aisle colleagues.
“But for right now, I think that I just need a little break from politics,” she said.
Soon after Valdez’s announcement, a contender threw her hat in the ring.
Port Orchard native Katy Cornell — a community advocate, pastor and nonprofit leader — issued a news release stating that she would run to fill Valdez’s seat. Valdez said that Cornell has her full support.
There’s a little over two weeks left in the 2026 legislative session. Once it ends, Valdez said that she’s hoping to plan a trip to England with fellow lawmakers, and to take time off to “enjoy our life a little bit.”
The lawmaker noted she turns 50 in April and said she’s blessed to have wonderful kids and grandkids.
“I love the district. I love the people who I work with,” Valdez said. “I am so grateful and so honored that the people have entrusted me to represent them for this long.”
The primary for Position 2 in the 26th Legislative District is scheduled for Aug. 4 and the general election is Nov. 3. Valdez’s term ends Jan. 11, 2027.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Rep. Michelle Valdez.
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 3:25 PM.
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