Stevens County, Wash.—Today, Suncrest resident Pat Bell, 41, announced his candidacy for the 7th Legislative District, State House of Representatives, Position 2 being vacated by State Rep. Joel Kretz.
“I’m running to make sure our district has a strong voice in the State House. I look forward to traveling to every corner of the district, hearing about the issues facing our hardworking families, and getting results on the issues they care about most,” Bell said.
Bell served as a senior staff member for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers for eight years, from 2010-2012 in Washington, D.C. and from 2018-2023, managing her re-election campaign and later her three district offices in Eastern Washington.
In endorsing Bell, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers stated:
“Pat knows the district, he knows the people, and he knows the issues. I am excited to see him step up as a next-generation leader, and know he will be a strong voice for the people of the 7th.”
Bell’s family are fifth generation farmers in the district, first homesteading more than a hundred years ago in the Okanogan Highlands. His mother, Debra (Dainard) Bell was raised in Oroville, and his father, Duane Bell, was raised in Tonasket.
Two of Bell’s grandfathers were also World War II veterans, with one a three-conflict veteran serving in Korea and Vietnam. Their service to the country helped inspire Bell’s interest in joining the Congresswoman’s staff, ultimately leading him to supervise casework and outreach to veterans experiencing issues with the benefits they had earned.
“Pat is an effective and stalwart advocate for our veterans and their families. From volunteering his time to cook for Gold Star Families on our homestead, to helping a long-missing WWII pilot’s family repatriate his remains with honor, Pat helps veterans. I know he will take that same passion to the State House,” said Andrew Holstine, a Marine veteran and co-founder of a veteran-serving nonprofit in Clayton, WA.
Bell grew up on his family’s farms in Springdale and Camano Island, Washington. He was part of the first generation in his family to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Later he went back for a Masters in Public Administration, earning a prestigious U.S. Fulbright Fellowship to study Energy Economics abroad.
Bell currently works for Spokane County, and in his free time helps market his family ranch’s beef. He and his wife Resa, a social worker, have been married for 15 years, and have two children in local public schools.
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