State Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, was ousted as majority deputy leader by his fellow Republicans in the upper chamber after a closed-door caucus vote Monday.
Although he ran for re-election to the leadership position, Benton said he made it clear to his colleagues in the meeting his “preference would be to chair a committee.”
“Our caucus is expanding, we have more people and we need to make sure everyone has a position. Those of us who were doing multiple jobs don’t have to work as hard,” said Benton, adding he feels comfortable taking on a policy role now that the caucus is on “stable ground.”
Republicans gained control of the state Senate in the November election. In the previous legislative session, two Democrats switched sides to caucus with Republicans and form the Majority Coalition Caucus.
“It’s like in Boy Scouts,” Benton said. “I can remember when I was the troop leader, the awards chairman and lot of other jobs. And as we got more parents involved I didn’t have to do as much. It’s kind of the same type of situation.”
Benton was replaced by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, as majority deputy leader.
Benton said he was pleased with the Republican caucus’s choice of Sen. Mark Schoesler of Ritzville as the new Senate majority leader for a two-year term.
“I’m sure Mark Schoesler will avail himself of my experience and wisdom, which is why I’m excited to take on a policy position,” said Benton, a fifth-term senator.
Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, was re-elected to her post as majority whip.
“I’m thrilled to have such tremendous support from my caucus,” Rivers said after the vote.
About two years ago, Rivers and Benton were involved in a dispute that stemmed, in part, from Rivers’ decision not to vote for Benton in his unsuccessful bid for caucus chair after learning he took a discreet trip to Hawaii in November 2012, a crucial time in his tight race against Democrat Tim Probst.
When Benton confronted Rivers about the caucus chair vote, she brought up the sunny getaway and said Benton tends to “blow up emotionally when faced with adversity.”
In 2013, they had a couple of more spats — one on the Senate floor and another in a closed-door caucus meeting — and Benton later told Senate leaders that Rivers had behaved like a “trashy, trampy-mouthed little girl.”
Benton said the outcome of Monday’s vote was not linked to the disputes he had with Rivers.
The votes, he said, aren’t about “some argument or skirmish a senator had a month ago or a year ago. They are about the future direction of your caucus and that’s what these are about.”
Committee assignments have yet to be made and Benton said it’s premature to talk about which committee he would like to chair.
Benton was appointed as the director of Clark County’s environmental services department in 2013, a position he currently holds.
Schoesler replaces Democratic Sen. Rodney Tom of Medina, who retired.
The 2015 legislative session starts Jan. 12.
