Washington state GOP chair Caleb Heimlich is stepping down

The head of the Washington State Republican Party is stepping down. Caleb Heimlich announced this week that he is leaving the role after five years, and a total of 12 years working for the state party.

He plans to officially step down on Aug. 12, when the GOP committee will meet to elect a new chair.

“Serving as the Chairman of the WSRP has been one of the highest honors of my life," Heimlich said in a statement. "Traveling this great state, meeting thousands of committed people, working tirelessly with them to help elect great candidates, each moment has been both challenging and rewarding. However, for the purpose of being more present in my family’s life, it’s time for a change.”

Read Heimlich's full statement below.

The change Heimlich refers to will include working for an unnamed national grassroots organization, according to The Seattle Times. He said the new job will provide a better quality of life for his family — he lives in Pierce County with his wife Mackenzie and three kids. Heimlich also told the Center Square that poor, sluggish traffic between his Puyallup home and the state GOP's office in Bellevue contributed to the decision.

At 37, Heimlich has been one of the youngest state party chairs in the United States. Washington's GOP notes that he has also been the longest-serving state party chair since Jennifer Dunn in the 1980s. Heimlich took over as state chair in 2018, after former TV broadcaster Susan Hutchison left the job. Before that, Heimlich became its political director in 2011, and its executive director in 2013.

It's been a difficult slog for Washington's Republican Party for at least the last three election cycles. Washington's GOP is in the minority in both the state House and the state Senate. In 2022, Republicans lost their hold on the 3rd Congressional District in southwest Washington. Republicans also do not hold any statewide offices.

In a statement about his exit, Heimlich said:

Serving as the Chairman of the WSRP has been one of the highest honors of my life. Traveling this great state, meeting thousands of committed people, working tirelessly with them to help elect great candidates, each moment has been both challenging and rewarding. However, for the purpose of being more present in my family’s life, it’s time for a change.

While I will be working for a different organization and engaged in a different capacity, I will continue to advocate for common-sense solutions, constitutionally limited government, and more freedom. I am committed to restoring balance to Washington state government and believe our citizens would be better served by more representation of diverse views than we currently see from the majority party in Olympia.

I am immensely grateful for the tens of thousands of donors, the volunteers, and the dedicated staff who have supported our work. I look forward to seeing the WSRP continue to make a positive impact for the people of Washington State. Despite my intention to step down as Chairman, I assure you, I will never stop working to make our state a better place.