Joel Pritchard

Joel M. Pritchard

Pritchard in 1967
14th Lieutenant Governor of Washington
In office
January 11, 1989 – January 15, 1997
Governor Booth Gardner
Mike Lowry
Preceded by John Cherberg
Succeeded by Brad Owen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1985
Preceded by Thomas M. Pelly
Succeeded by John R. Miller
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 36th district
In office
January 9, 1967 – January 11, 1971
Preceded by Charles P. Moriarty, Jr.
Succeeded by John S. Murray
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 36th district
In office
January 12, 1959 – January 9, 1967
Preceded by Gladys Kirk
Succeeded by John S. Murray
Personal details
Born May 5, 1925
Seattle, Washington
Died October 9, 1997(1997-10-09) (aged 72)
Olympia, Washington
Political party Republican
Profession Politician, Businessman
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Army
Years of service 1944-1946
Rank Sergeant
Battles/wars World War II

Joel McFee Pritchard (May 5, 1925 – October 9, 1997) was a Republican politician from Washington. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Washington.

Pritchard was born in Seattle, Washington to Frank, Sr. and Jean Pritchard on May 5, 1925. He attended public schools as a child and attended Marietta College from 1946 to 1947. At the rank of Sergeant, he served in the United States Army from 1944 to 1946 and was president of the Griffin Envelope Company in Seattle from 1948 to 1971. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1956 that renominated Dwight D. Eisenhower for the presidency. He was elected to the Washington House of Representatives representing Washington's thirty-sixth district in 1958 where he served from 1959 to 1967, being reelected in 1960, 1962 and 1964. In the state house, he worked closely with future U.S. Senators Daniel J. Evans and Slade Gorton. In 1966, he was elected to the Washington State Senate where he served a single term from 1967 to 1971. In 1970 Pritchard, a member of Washington Citizens for Abortion Reform (WCAR), introduced a bill allow abortions in the first four months of pregnancy; it was approved and went to the voters as Referendum 20. The measure was approved statewide by voters in November 1970, making Washington the first state to in which abortion was legalized by a popular vote.[1] In 1970, Pritchard ran for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Washington's first district, challenging nine-term incumbent Thomas Pelly in the Republican primary. Pelly was renominated, but by a smaller margin than anyone expected .

In 1972, Pelly retired and Pritchard ran for the U.S. House of Representatives again, this time successfully, defeating opponents John Hempleman and Craig Honts in a closely contested election. He was easily reelected in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1982, serving from 1973 to 1985. He chose not to run for reelection in 1984. In 1988, he made a successful run for Lieutenant Governor of Washington becoming president of the Washington Senate. He was reelected in 1992 and served from 1989 to 1997.

After the end of his second term as Lieutenant Governor, Pritchard went into retirement and became a board member of TVW, Washington's public affairs network. He died on October 9, 1997 in Olympia, Washington, of lymphoma.[2]

Along with a few of his friends, Pritchard invented the game of pickleball at his house in 1965.

Electoral history

References

  1. ↑ http://digital.lib.washington.edu/findingaids/view?docId=WACitizensAbortionReform1865.xml
  2. ↑ http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19971011&slug=2565467
  3. ↑ https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/results_report.aspx?e=&c=&c2=&t=737&t2=2&p=&p2=&y=
  4. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/09/us/washington-state-journal-where-nobody-is-absolutely-real.html
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Thomas M. Pelly		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 1st congressional district
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1985 		Succeeded by
John R. Miller
Political offices
Preceded by
John Cherberg		 Lieutenant Governor of Washington
January 11, 1989 – January 15, 1997 		Succeeded by
Brad Owen
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