State Sen. Mike Carrell, of Lakewood, Pierce County
OLYMPIA — Republican Sen. Mike Carrell, of Lakewood, Pierce County, died Wednesday from complications related to his treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome.

Sen. Carrell, 69, was undergoing treatment for the blood disorder, also known as pre-leukemia, with stem-cell transplants and chemotherapy, according to information released by Senate Republicans. He died in his sleep with friends and family nearby.

"Mike Carrell always looked at his time in the Legislature as a way to represent and serve his neighbors, the people of the 28th District," Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler said in a statement. "He fought to improve the safety of our communities and for an efficient and effective criminal-justice system that above all else would focus on compassion for the victim and protection of the community."

Sen. Carrell, a retired math and science teacher, was first elected to the state House 1994 and moved to the state Senate in 2004. He was chairman of the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee this past session.

Schoesler noted that Sen. Carrell sponsored the "Becca" laws, which help identify at-risk youth who skip school so they can be given assistance, as well as anti-sex trafficking laws aimed at protecting victims and giving law enforcement more tools to apprehend and prosecute traffickers, among other measures.

Sen. Carrell missed the final weeks of the regular legislative session earlier this year and the current special session, which started May 13, so he could undergo treatment.


In addition to his wife, Charlotte, Sen. Carrell is survived by three sons, Matthew, Larry and Carlton, and five grandchildren.

By Andrew Garber
Seattle Times Olympia bureau
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He was a champion of Ft. Steilacoom Park and helped restore the adjacent cemetery where patients at the mental hospital were buried, often without their names on markers. He also helped secure funding to preserve the four remaining houses from the historic fort.

Sen. Carrell was instrumental in changing the Washington State laws regarding releasing the names of persons buried in Western State Hospital as well as other Washington mental facilities graveyards. His bill has been used as a model by other states to reform their laws.