Kent E. Pullen (May 4, 1942 – April 14, 2003) was a

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

politician in the Republican party.

Political career

Pullen held political office for over 30 years. In 1972 he was elected to the

Washington House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...

and in 1974 he was elected to the

Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Washington State Capitol, Legis ...

representing the 47th District, serving until 1990. In 1989, Pullen was elected to the

King County Council The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure is ...

representing the 9th Council District, narrowly winning by 306 votes. He would chair the Law and Justice Committee and from 1994-1995, he would serve as the chair of the King County Council.

Ideology

Pullen described himself as a conservative who could work well with others. He strongly supported unions, labor rights, and county employees, unlike his republican colleagues. He would be a strong supporter of civil rights by passing legislation that prohibits disciplinary action against workers who speak a language other than English on the job, and voting against legislation clamping down on teenage "cruising." Pullen supported law enforcement and victims of crimes. As chair of the Law and Justice Committee, he would pass laws that created stricter penalties for sex offenders, supported victims of crime and victims of domestic violence. Pullen was pro-gun rights, and had the nickname of "pistol-packin' Pullen". While in the Washington State Senate, While on the Washington State Senate floor, Pullen openly carrying a

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American Firearms manufacturer, firearm manufacturer headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith (inventor), Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the ...

and would successfully pass legislation allowing gun owners to leave their firearms in their cars. Pullman was a longtime supporter of alternative medicine. He assisted in establishing the King County Natural Medicine Clinic in

Kent, Washington Kent is a city in King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metropolitan area and had a population of 136,588 as of the 2020 Unit ...

, the first government-subsidized natural medicine clinic in the United States.

Death

In March 2003, Pullen announced that he was ill with a minor adrenal gland problem but denied any serious illness. He received both traditional and nontraditional care. On April 13, 2003, Pullen was admitted into Enumclaw Community Hospital, where he would die later that day. After his death, the King County Council voted to name the Regional Communication and Emergency Coordination Center after him.

Personal life

Pullen was a University of New Mexico graduate, and he met his wife there. In 1967, Pullen graduated from the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

with a Ph.D. in

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

. When the state legislature was not in session, he worked at

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

and was a former councilman in the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA). Pullen was an avid

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

player and tied for first place in the 1985 Washington State Chess Championship. Pullen was married for 39 years and is survived by his wife Fay and two children, Kathy and Walter.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pullen, Kent Republican Party members of the Washington House of Representatives Republican Party Washington (state) state senators King County Councillors Boeing people University of Washington alumni 1942 births 2003 deaths 20th-century members of the Washington State Legislature