Washington state senator Doug Erickson is MIA.
Erickson was last reported to have been medevacked from El Salvador to Florida for Covid-19 treatment. That was three weeks ago. Not a word about him since.
At the time, he was seeking Regeneron, a last-ditch drug therapy used to save critically ill Covid-19 patients like Donald Trump was in October 2020. It sometimes works. Trump is still around, in Florida, licking his election defeat wounds and bruised ego ungracefully.
Erickson had gone to El Salvador to observe an election, and may have picked up the virus there. A Republican, he’s opposed vaccine mandates and his own vaccination status “is unknown,” according to the Bellingham Herald newspaper (story here).
Since being airlifted to Florida, he’s gone dark. Calls aren’t being returned, his Facebook page isn’t being updated, his legislative staff say they “can’t comment,” state senate administration says they haven’t “seen any communication from him,” the county GOP chairman told the Herald he’d “heard nothing,” another local Republican said she’s “praying” for him. but they’re nonresponsive. His staff also won’t say whether he plans to run for reelection next year.
“On Nov. 19, Ericksen was reported in stable condition at a Fort Lauderdale hospital and improving after receiving treatment for COVID-19, according to former state Rep. Luanne Van Werven, who said she had spoken with the Ericksen family,” the Herald said. But since then, Van Werven has “told the Herald she had no new information and it would be best to contact Ericksen’s family.” Reporters made “multiple” attempts, but can’t reach them.
“Ericksen wasn’t listed as a patient in large Fort Lauderdale hospitals on Friday,” the Herald said.
That sure makes it sound like he’s dead and manatees are feeding on his ashes. But keep in mind he could be stashed in a strip-mall hospital on a Vitamin C drip, unable to speak because of the lump in his throat from all the flowers arriving at his bedside, not realizing they’re the kind of flowers grieving well-wishers send to funerals.
I wish him and his family well, and hope for his and their sakes this works out for them. Meanwhile, he doesn’t need to worry about tending to his storm-battered and flooded district. It’s making out without him. The Democratic governor has been up there, and he’s still on the job.