OLYMPIA, Wash. — No information has been made available for weeks about the location or condition of Republican state Sen. Doug Ericksen of Ferndale since he was reportedly in a Florida hospital being treated for COVID-19.
Ericksen (R-Whatcom County) wrote to legislative colleagues in November saying he tested positive for COVID-19 in El Salvador and needed monoclonal antibodies.
A Republican Senate liaison told KING 5 it was a "family matter."
Ericksen's aide referred calls to him directly, but Ericksen has not responded to requests for comment. His cellphone went directly to voicemail.
Ericksen represents Washington's 42nd Legislative District, which includes areas hit hard by recent flooding that displaced hundreds of people and caused millions worth of damage. Ericksen was publicly absent from the flooding response.
Sumas Mayor Kyle Christensen told KING 5 he has not heard from Ericksen. Sumas dealt with floodwaters for days following historic storms in November.
Meanwhile, the Legislature is set to convene for its regular session on Jan. 10.
The last time Ericksen's official legislative website was updated was Nov. 1 with a statement from the senator regarding the state's vaccine mandate. In it, Ericksen pushes back against firing employees who refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Washington state is Number One in government coercion,” Ericksen says in the statement. “But I don’t think this is an honor the people of Washington want. This is the natural result of a system that allows the governor to declare an emergency and then keep his sweeping emergency powers as long as he likes. We passed the 600-day mark on Oct. 21, no end is in sight, and there are indications it could get worse.”