State Senator Judy Warnick announces retirement
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month AGO
State Sen. Judy Warnick has announced she will not run for reelection and will retire at the end of her current term.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | March 11, 2026 12:42 PM
MOSES LAKE — State Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, has announced her retirement from the Washington Legislature at the end of her term in January 2027.
"I did decide that it's time," she said in an interview Wednesday.
Warnick represents the 13th District and has been in the Senate since 2015.
Warnick expressed her appreciation to her constituents.
"I want to thank all the people of my district for the honor of serving them for so many years," she said.
Senators approved a resolution Wednesday afternoon recognizing Warnick for her years in the Legislature
"Senator Warnick has earned the respect of colleagues across the aisle for her collaborative approach, principled leadership and steadfast dedication to the people of Washington," the resolution said.
She said she considered it a good career.
“Serving the people of the 13th Legislative District has been the greatest honor of my professional life,” Warnick wrote in a press release issued Wednesday. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together to protect our water rights, support our small businesses and empower the next generation of leaders.”
Warnick was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006. She has focused on agriculture during her years in the Legislature, as well as youth and women’s sports, regional economic development and community involvement.
Warnick was elected as Senate Republican Caucus chair in 2021 and had served as the vice-chair before that. She said she plans to stay involved in her legislative work until the end of her term.
“I have always believed the most important job of a lawmaker is to listen. The people deserve to be heard, and that philosophy has been the basis for every vote I’ve cast in both the House and Senate,” she said. “There is still much to be done, and I intend to work just as hard as I did on my first day in office until my very last day in office to ensure our communities remain a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
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