Dan Evans and his wife Nancy in Seattle, on Oct. 11, 1983, after Evans won the Republican primary for the Senate seat to replace Henry M. Jackson. (AP Photo/Barry Sweet)
Last week, we lost a giant of Washington state politics. Former Gov. Dan Evans leaves a rich legacy that warrants reflection. Dan’s story inspires me, and his influence on both politics and people cannot be understated. He was a man who liked to get things done. During his impressive political career, Dan advocated for civility, worked tirelessly to preserve wilderness areas, established the nation’s first community college system, and served as a mentor for young people.
Dan was the rare politician who walked away from power. In 1988, then-U.S. Sen. Dan Evans penned an op-ed to the New York Times announcing that he would not seek re-election. The piece, titled “ Why I’m Quitting the Senate ”, excoriated members of both parties for the dysfunction of the “higher body” of our federal government’s legislative branch. Evans lamented the use of procedural tactics to block important debates, sprawling spending bills that no one read (he insisted on individual appropriations bills to pass the budget), and schedules that did not allow senators to return home to meet and listen to their constituents.