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by Jerry Cornfield Add Democratic state Sen. Harriet Spanel of Bellingham to the growing list of legislators who won’t be returning in 2009.
Spanel broke the news to Democratic supporters at events this past weekend.
She told me that it was a “gut level” decision to seek office 22 years ago and the same powerful intuition is telling her it is the right time to leave.
“I’m very comfortable with my decision,” she said.
Spanel is in her fourth term in the Senate after serving six years in the House of Representatives. She is presently the chairwoman of the Senate's ruling Democratic caucus.
As far as successors, she said she's staying out of that process.
There are now 10 legislators – two senators and eight representatives - who have publicly said they won’t be back to Olympia in January.