US Rep. Derek Kilmer announces he won't seek reelection to Congress in 2024
U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, announced Thursday that he won't seek reelection in 2024, and by Friday at least one Democratic candidate had emerged and a local Republican expressed some initial interest.
Kilmer, who has represented the 6th District in the House of Representatives since 2013, announced the decision in a lengthy – and personal – statement on Thursday, saying in part, "In a letter I recently shared with my kids, I told them what I am now sharing with the folks I represent: I will not seek re-election next year."
"I’ve looked at life in chapters," he added. "The decade I spent working in economic development. The eight years I spent in the Washington State Legislature. The nearly eleven years I’ve already spent in the U.S. House of Representatives. I never intended for this chapter to be something I’d do for the rest of my life, and – as I shared with my kids – I’m excited to start a new chapter when my term is complete."
Kilmer, 49, and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters, Sophie and Aven. The Port Angeles native entered politics in 2005 when he was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives from the 26th District. He moved over to the state Senate in 2007, and served through 2012, when he succeeded longtime Sixth District Rep. Norm Dicks. Kilmer had worked in economic development in Pierce County prior to that.
Kilmer has been known for his support of Kitsap's military community, fighting for issues of pay equity for service members and ensuring retirement benefits for shipyard workers, to name a few pieces of legislation he sponsored, or arguing against reductions in service at Naval Hospital Bremerton.
Kilmer has also been well known as a moderate member of the Democratic Caucus in Washington, D.C., leading the bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which has enacted several measures to help Congress function more efficiently and effectively, and joining a regular group of younger Republicans and Democrats who meet over meals to foster bipartisanship. He also helped lead what's known as the New Democratic Coalition, a moderate group of Democrats focused on problem-solving.
By: Kitsap Sun staff
Source: Kitsap Sun