Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen (R), a vocal
critic of coronavirus vaccine mandates, died Friday at age 52,
the Associated Press reported, weeks after reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus while abroad.
Ericksen’s
family confirmed his death in a statement. Ericksen is survived by his wife, Tasha, and two daughters, Addi and Elsa. No cause of death was provided.
The lawmaker told his Republican colleagues he tested positive while on a trip to El Salvador in November,
according to local media reports, and asked them for guidance in securing monoclonal antibodies, a treatment for covid-19 that has been shown to be effective at preventing severe disease.
Former state lawmaker Luanne Van Werven (R) later in November
told the Bellingham Herald that Ericksen was evacuated from El Salvador and was in stable condition at a Florida hospital. The location of his death was not provided.