A Republican senator has passed away at just 52 years old. Though his cause of death has not been released as of yet, the news of his passing comes just a few weeks after he revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
State Senator Doug Ericksen (R-Whatcom County) has passed away. The Washington State Senate Republican Caucus announced the news in a statement issued on Saturday, December 18th, the day after his death.
The news came from a Saturday afternoon press release from the Washington Senate Republican Caucus. https://t.co/34dPwGtfav
— Bellingham Herald (@BhamHerald) December 19, 2021
Ericksen leaves behind two daughters and a wife.
“We are heartbroken to share that our husband and father passed away on Friday, Dec. 17. Please keep our family in your prayers and thank you for continuing to respect our privacy in this extremely difficult time,” the senator’s family said in a statement.
His passing comes just a few weeks after he tested positive for COVID-19 in El Salvador. After receiving the results of the test, Eriksen was taken to a hospital in Florida, and reports indicated that he was in stable condition and on the road to recovery.
It is unclear whether Ericksen was vaccinated or unvaccinated. When asked about his status, the senator said: “You know, I think that’s a personal decision for people to make in terms of vaccine and whether they want to reveal that and I’m not for vaccines or against vaccines, but that’s up to each individual to make that decision on their own.”
Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued a statement about the senator’s death, saying: “Trudi and I send our deep condolences to Doug’s family, friends and colleagues. Our hearts are with them.”
Republican Senate Caucus leader John Braun also released a statement following his colleague’s death, which read: “I am deeply saddened by the news that Doug passed away yesterday. My prayers and thoughts are with his wife, Tasha, and his daughters. Doug could be larger than life and our caucus will miss him greatly. He was passionate about his duties as a member of the Legislature and dedicated to his constituents.”
It is with deep sadness and prayers of healing for his family that we mourn the passing of Sen. #DougErickson. We attended the same high school and sat together as chair and ranking member of our committee. Our political battles were rough. Our friendship stood above it. #waleg
— Sen. Reuven Carlyle (@Reuvencarlyle) December 18, 2021
