Controversial Spokane Valley Republican Matt Shea is not seeking re-election to the Washington legislature. The filing deadline was Friday, May 15, 2020. According to Wikipedia,
“In October 2018, Shea acknowledged that he had distributed a four page manifesto which called for the killing of non-Christian males if a war were to occur and they do not agree to follow fundamentalist biblical law. Shea was referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for investigation as a result. In April 2019, Shea was removed as State House Republican Caucus Chair for advocating violence against religious minorities and offering state surveillance of political enemies to members of hate groups.
“An investigative report commissioned by the House, issued on December 1, 2019, found that Shea ‘participated in an act of domestic terrorism against the United States’, organized and supported ‘three armed conflicts of political violence’, and advocated replacing the government with a theocracy and ‘the killing of all males who do not agree.’ A former ally of Shea provided documents showing that Shea and his supporters were planning to seize control of the region after the outbreak of civil war, installing Shea as governmental leader in order to institute ‘constitutional changes’ to ‘sanctify to Jesus Christ’. Immediately after the report was issued, Shea was removed from the House Republican Caucus, though he refused to resign.”
Also according to Wikipedia, Shea’s ex-wife alleged he was abusive and was granted a protective order against him; “pulled a gun” on another motorist in a “road rage” incident; and was fined $4,761.34 for damaging the state capitol building by pouring olive oil on the marble steps to thwart Satanist demonstrators. Shea has been a state representative since 2008, hosts a talk-radio show, and is licensed to practice law in the State of Washington.
Photo: GOP Washington State Rep. Matt Shea
Shea’s withdrawal sets up a November contest between Republican Leonard Christian and Democrat Lori Feagan. Christian, a real estate agent and Trump supporter, represented the district in 2014-2015 after being appointed to fill a vacancy, but lost in the primary when he ran for election, and lost elections for county offices in 2010 and 2018. Feagan, a WSU graduate, is a nurse practitioner and first-time office-seeker.