Washington State Republican Party chair stepping down

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington State Republican Party Chairman Caleb Heimlich said Monday he is leaving the position.

Heimlich, 37, wrote in a message to state GOP officials obtained by The Seattle Times Monday that while it has been a tremendous honor to serve as the chairman for more than five years, he has accepted a job with a national grassroots organization that will provide a better quality of life for his family, the newspaper reported.

His resignation is effective Aug. 12, when the GOP’s state committee will meet in Olympia to elect a new chair.

“After 12 and a half years working at the Washington State Republican Party, it is time for a change,” Heimlich wrote in the message to state GOP officials, citing the commute from his Pierce County home to Bellevue as a reason for the change.

Heimlich was elected in 2018, following former TV news anchor Susan Hutchison.

Before taking the top position, Heimlich had worked for the state party since 2011 as political director and the executive director.

Heimlich departure comes amid state Republican Party struggles. Republicans now hold no statewide elected offices, and the party lost a congressional seat and seats in the Legislature in last year’s midterm elections.