Drew MacEwen moves from House to Senate, takes lead on energy

35th District lawmaker is ranking Republican on Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee

Drew MacEwen takes the oath of office in the state Senate as the 2023 Legislature opens for business, Jan. 9, 2023.

OLYMPIA – Drew MacEwen is taking a lead role on energy and the environment in the state Senate as he moves to the upper chamber of the Washington Legislature.

After 10 years in the House, the 35th District’s MacEwen was elected to the Senate last November, following the retirement of longtime Sen. Tim Sheldon. Already he has a key assignment, as ranking Republican on the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.

MacEwen, R-Union, took his new seat in the Senate Monday as lawmakers returned to Olympia to open their 2023 legislative session. The 105-day session is due to end April 23.

“After a decade in the House, I am humbled and honored to be returned by the people of the 35th District in this new role,” he said. “I want to thank people for their faith, and I’ll repay it by putting our district first.”

The 35th District, most rural in the state, covers Mason County and parts of Thurston and Kitsap counties.

Top issues for the district include better schools, taxpayer relief and public safety, MacEwen said. As lead Republican on the Senate committee overseeing energy and environmental issues, MacEwen will play a key role in some of the biggest issues before the Legislature, from gas prices to environmental cleanups, and the role of the free market in Washington’s energy future. “We all want new technologies to advance, but we don’t want to harm our economy in the process,” he said. “We need to explore all forms of new energy – and we need to protect what we already have.”

MacEwen’s other committee assignments are Business and Financial Services, Labor and Commerce, and Transportation.

MacEwen’s office number in Olympia is 360-786-7668. He can be reached by email at Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov, and by regular mail at P.O. Box 40435, Olympia, WA 98504.