Photo courtesy of Washington State Senate

When former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton traveled south to Olympia, he assumed he was just coming to talk with state senators about the new legislative boundaries that he and the other State Redistricting Commission members finalized recently.

But unbeknownst to Gorton, the Senate had a surprise in store for him – a resolution honoring him on his long and influential career in state and national politics.

The bipartisan resolution, sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Mike Hewitt, was read aloud while Slade, his wife, Sally and their daughter, Betsy Jack, sat at the rostrum. Afterward, many senators on both sides of the aisle praised Gorton for his years of public service.

During his brief remarks, Gorton drew laughter when he said he hopes the lawmakers are happy with their new legislative districts.

Earlier in January, Gorton was the main attraction for an event focusing on the new book about his long career, entitled “Slade Gorton: A Half Century in Politics,” written by John C. Hughes, chief historian for The Legacy Project in the Office of Secretary of State.