State House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon of West Seattle admits being drunk on the job

Thanks for the tips about citywide-media reports that 34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, who serves as State House Majority Leader, has acknowledged being drunk on the job. We requested and obtained his statement from the State House Democrats‘ office:

I deeply regret and apologize for the fact that I consumed alcohol before the work of the Appropriations Committee was completed on Wednesday, and the result was obvious. This was a serious mistake for many reasons. Being impaired in that situation was harmful to my work and to my co-workers. This was a painful and embarrassing lesson, one I won’t forget, and I will not put myself and others in this situation again in the future. Again, I apologize.

“The result” is visible/audible in video from a hearing, as recorded by TVW (and embedded here).

Fitzgibbon has been in the 34th District’s State House Position 2 for 15 years and has been House Majority Leader for three years. He has filed to run for re-election this year, after winning his current term in 2024 with 84 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Jolie Lansdowne.

We also have received a statement from State House Speaker Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) about the situation:

We expect professionalism in the workplace, and while Rep. Fitzgibbon did not meet that standard Wednesday night, he has acknowledged that behavior is unacceptable and has apologized. The people of Washington expect and deserve their legislators to be fully focused and clear on the work we are here to do on their behalf, and House Democratic Caucus leadership stands with Rep. Fitzgibbon as he takes whatever steps he needs to ensure his well-being.

We’ll add anything more we find out about fallout.

WSeaProud February 26, 2026 (3:56 pm)

What a shame. I was very happy to vote for Rep. Fitzgibbon and admire his work, particularly on environmental issues, but this behavior is unacceptable for an elected official. The apology is welcomed but needs to be accompanied by a resignation. Our community deserves better representation in Olympia and this man needs help.

Ivan Weiss February 27, 2026 (7:22 am)

Reply

Joe isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be re-elected in a landslide, and all you self-righteous hand-wringers, pearl-clutchers, and self-appointed moral scolds will be put in your place by the majority of voters. There is no record of Joe exhibiting any such behavior before this one incident, and I’m betting he’ll be justly chastened by it and that it won’t happen again.
- No Name February 27, 2026 (10:29 am)
  
  Reply
  
  This is very well said. West Seattleites have no idea how good they have it with Joe. Those intimately familiar with the State Legislature understand that Joe is one of the most talented, effective and respected legislators in Olympia. He is also universally recognized as an incredibly decent human being who is doing this work solely for the good of his community, not for notoriety or personal gain. Joe made a mistake, apologized, and will likely reflect on and learn a lot from his actions. I am so tired of Republicans acting with impunity and always circling the wagons and protecting their own while Democrats always expect their members to be better than and always revert to the internal firing squad. Lets accept Joe’s apology and let him move on to doing good work on behalf of our community. I promise you we wont do better. PS, if you think there aren’t other legislators with drinking problems in Olympia, I’ve got some news for you.
- K February 27, 2026 (10:59 am)
  
  Reply
  
  I think it’s unlikely this is the first time he had a drink on the job, it’s likely this is the first time he pushed the envelope envelope the drinking was apparent to other. I do believe you’re right that he will be reelected, but it will be due to lack of a better candidate on the ballot, not because everyone is going to forget and move on. He is a talented legislator, so finding a better candidate will be difficult.And yes, the federal government is getting away with everything, but that doesn’t make it okay.
  - Ivan Weiss February 27, 2026 (12:11 pm)
    
    Reply
    
    I think it’s unlikely that you, or I, or anyone else who has commented here, know anything at all about his drinking history one way or the other. Innuendos are not facts.
- Justin February 27, 2026 (5:17 pm)
  
  Reply
  
  That’s great. He’ll survive so he can preside over taxing us all to death. Hooray!

Anne February 26, 2026 (4:05 pm)

Maybe he was in a drunken stupor when he came up with the idea of raiding the LEOFF 1 pension fund?

Howard February 26, 2026 (4:07 pm)

Completely unacceptable. While I sympathize with anyone
abusing substances this cannot be tolerated in any workplace, let alone the
leader of the House of Representatives. Drug and alcohol testing is mandatory
for “safety sensitive” positions, I’ve never understood how this has not been
applied to those elected to pass the very laws that govern our lives.

“and House Democratic Caucus leadership stands with Rep.
Fitzgibbon” Where is the pollical party that
stands with the people? The 34th should demand a higher standard from those who represent us.

Alki resident February 26, 2026 (4:11 pm)

I watched the video of him rambling. How embarrassing to put yourself in that position.

Derek February 26, 2026 (4:31 pm)

What a joke. Maybe we can get a progressive challenger to run and win now. Never liked him.

RayC February 26, 2026 (4:31 pm)

Absolutely an irresponsible and unacceptable behavior from an elected official. I would imagine he drove drunk to the hearing, and drove home drunk too?? Wrong on so many levels. Everyone needs to call his office to demand his resignation. Here’s the number to his office:360-786-7952Washingtonians deserve better.

Janet February 26, 2026 (4:32 pm)

Let’s try and be supportive, he may have more personal issues going on, this is not ideal but I’ve known many good people in powerful positions who’ve done the same, glad he’s admitting it. Didn’t vote for him but still can acknowledge that he’s human like all of us. I’ve been drunk at work and have realized how poor that decision was and never did it again, as a school teacher it was highly irresponsible. I had major trauma that week and I don’t excuse my behavior.

Justme February 26, 2026 (5:38 pm)

Reply

Thank you Janet
Marly February 27, 2026 (7:35 am)

Reply

Seriously? Drunk in the classroom?

WSOwl February 26, 2026 (4:33 pm)

I accept the apology.

Brian February 26, 2026 (4:35 pm)

I say let him cook.

Jordan February 26, 2026 (4:37 pm)

Don’t care what your political beliefs or leanings are. This is completely unacceptable. Not only is he a state rep, he is the majority leader in the house and was drunk during a public hearing?! He needs to resign.

jissy February 26, 2026 (4:44 pm)

Hope this is the catalyst for him to move on from office. Never did care for him after meeting with him in his office in Olympia and realizing the kid (yep, he was an early 20’s kid at that time) had never held a job outside of politics. Realized he’d be “mentored” into voting party line regardless of the issues and I was wasting my breath. As a small business owner I set out to try to engage with my neighbor and Rep and discuss actual real word concerns but alas, he’d never had any experience with anything related to my concerns & never would as a lifetime politician. Feels par for the course in the 34th. Oh well, I’m sure Dow’s got some cushy ST job of some kind waiting for him.

K February 26, 2026 (5:07 pm)

Reply

The ageism is unnecessary though, hard to take your complaining seriously.
- jissy February 26, 2026 (7:35 pm)
  
  Reply
  
  Oh please, K… assume much? I was only in my 30’s myself.
Justin February 27, 2026 (5:19 pm)

Reply

He has never responded to any email I have sent his office. He and our new mayor have a combined zero years of actual work experience. What could go wrong! He also failed to show up for the virtual town hall this week. He’s so sorry he won’t face the public. Ridiculous.

Rhonda February 26, 2026 (4:48 pm)

That explains a lot of his bad policies. West Seattle deserves far better than that. It’s time for him to step aside, take care of his health, and let someone else represent the district.

onion February 26, 2026 (5:46 pm)

Reply

I don’t know if Fitzgibbon should resign, but he SHOULD look long and hard in a mirror and acknowledge that he has a problem beyond a momentary lapse in judgement. How he handles — or doesn’t handle — his problem should help determine whether he is worthy of the public’s trust.
helpermonkey February 27, 2026 (9:25 am)

Reply

Tell me, Rhonda, how you feel about Pete “Kegsbreath” Hegseth being publicly drunk on the job? On more than one occasion, I might add! His job has far more safety impact on the American people than Joe Fitzgibbon’s, you know.

Dave February 26, 2026 (4:51 pm)

This is bad, but I will say I’d maybe tolerate it if some personal tragedy (like a close family member dying) had just taken place. Kind of like the pharmacist in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Like Jissy said, Fitzgibbon is so connected, either way he will land on his feet.

Duwamesque February 26, 2026 (10:29 pm)

Reply

“You know what, Mr. Fitzgibbon, I’d say you’re nothing but a drunken little spider!”
- Dave February 27, 2026 (9:12 am)
  
  Reply
  
  Duwamesque, your comment made my day!

A February 26, 2026 (4:53 pm)

The hand ringing in the comments is off the charts. Clearly not a great thing, but I also just don’t think people realize the kind of pressure lawmakers go through during the 60-day session. I think it’s a one-off and we should move on. If it happens again, maybe then we can all be more judgemental.

Derek February 26, 2026 (5:10 pm)

Reply

Don’t think bar is super high to ask someone not to drink on the job. Are you also okay with him driving himself home in that condition?
Jordan February 26, 2026 (5:19 pm)

Reply

The State has a 2 billion dollar budget deficit. It is not serious, it’s not a crisis, it’s now a catastrophe. And our elected rep is in a hearing, drunk, discussing how to solve that. He’s making decisions impaired that affects millions of people’s lives? And you think that’s hand ringing?
WS Person February 26, 2026 (6:08 pm)

Reply

“I think it’s a one off”. Are you kidding me? If you got caught it’s happened a ton of times. I can drink all I want on the weekend or after hours, but I never show up to work drunk. Not in the middle of the day, not when I had to drive there and drive home. Do away with the apologist behavior
Peter February 26, 2026 (6:08 pm)

Reply

Being well compensated for a cushy sit down job isn’t pressure. He wouldn’t last two minutes at my workplace.

KT February 26, 2026 (5:11 pm)

Shameful. He should resign his leadership position immediately.

Admiral2009 February 26, 2026 (5:14 pm)

jissy – agreed!

BDR February 26, 2026 (6:01 pm)

This makes me question. Many things about him. An apology is nice. Seeking some type of treatment might give hope that he is serious about not letting this happen again. He should have been smart enough to realize how wrong it was to show up in that condition. Not sure a simple apology is enough. Show up to any regular job in that condition a person would be fired.

Peter S. February 26, 2026 (7:15 pm)

Here, here. Totally unacceptable. I agree with the majority in saying he should voluntarily or be forced to resign. I seriously doubt he would’ve admitted to it and apologized had he not been forced by obvious evidence. Don’t really care about whatever personal crisis might’ve contributed. Serious lapse of judgement, he should’ve realized he was in no position to think rationally, and excused himself or called in sick. How can his constituents trust his judgement going forward?

For the record, I voted for the guy and am non-partisan when it comes to party. While not the direct threat to life like pilots or other safety-critical jobs, his decision-making affects millions of people. Can you imagine the (rightful) collective outrage if Trump pulled the same stunt?

Martin Stir February 26, 2026 (7:38 pm)

Get a grip, everyone. So he was drunk – how many people died as a result of his actions? How many were wrongfully imprisoned, lost their jobs, homes, health, money as a result of his drinking?Meanwhile, here in the non-pearl-clutching reality, the entire country (and the world, for that matter) is being run by a gang of incompetent sociopaths, self proclaimed alpha males, self-serving billionaires who’d sell their mothers if they could get $3 for them, racist wannabe commandos, and other assorted scum, some drunk, but mostly sober. All of them literally caused deaths of hundreds of thousands with many more to follow. Somehow, they get to keep their jobs. But sure, let’s all get worked up about some guy’s one beer too many. Would someone think of the children!!!

The Real JP February 26, 2026 (10:37 pm)

Reply

You may have a problem, Martin.

Other Brian February 26, 2026 (7:39 pm)

I agree with Brian. Let the man cook. I didn’t vote for him last time but I will now.

A Musician February 26, 2026 (7:44 pm)

Who does he think he is? A musician??

JUSTIN February 26, 2026 (7:58 pm)

He doesn’t even seem that drunk at all. He just seems loose and conversational, and if anything more relatable. Nothing to fuss over in my humble opinion. Thanks for all that you do, Mr. Fitzgibbon.

uncle loco February 26, 2026 (8:08 pm)

I think this situation leaves him with only one option. Resign and run for office in DC. He’ll fit right in.

Duwamesque February 26, 2026 (8:38 pm)

Reply

Maybe Secretary of Defense!
- uncle loco February 27, 2026 (7:04 am)
  
  Reply
  
  Speaker of the House!

Seattlite February 26, 2026 (8:33 pm)

It is all about character which includes a strong moral compass. Losing control of one’s consumption of alcohol while on the job is disrespectful to co-workers and in this case constituents. Hopefully, Mr. Fitzgibbon takes some time off of work to get his head together and to think about his future. Let’s all hope that he has enough common sense not to drive while intoxicated.

Scarlett February 27, 2026 (9:21 am)

Reply

“Moral compass?” Are you kidding? We’re a nation of gutless, moral cowards, conveniently aligning our principles outrage with our self-interests, whether political party or social coterie. Maybe we should all look at ourselves before rolling out the guillotine.

Joe February 26, 2026 (9:38 pm)

Secretary of Defense!👍👍👍

Rob February 26, 2026 (10:39 pm)

Big question is did he drive home after that meeting? Or anywhere for that point. One has to ask.

Rob February 26, 2026 (11:42 pm)

That might explain his dismal voting record and inability to cut insane spending and balance the budget.

Sean February 27, 2026 (5:37 am)

Sorry folks, normal people in ‘white collar jobs’ if they are caught drunk on the job, they get a warning and are forced to seek counseling/help and are put on probation. If this is more than a one-off, they are terminated. Stop protecting people who drive the state into a 2 billion dollar deficit. The touchy-feely crap has to stop, when officials come for tax payer dollars so they can binge drink and come to work. That’s a problem. don’t sugar coat it. I don’t care about their home life. If you are incapacitated, stay home, don’t trot your issues into the work place.

Mike February 27, 2026 (7:26 am)

In order to fully take accountability, he needs to resign and enter a course of rehab. Being drunk in this situation, (and the particulars that status implies), is a really big deal. Getting sober could make this the best thing that ever happened to him.

SunriseHeights February 27, 2026 (7:49 am)

While it doesn’t excuse it, I think it’s worth noting that this was an evening hearing. I’ve done various kind of political meetings and events in Olympia during the legislative session. Legislators are regularly invited to attend evening receptions hosted by organizations and interest groups. These always have appetizers and drinks. Networking dinners (also usually with drinks) are also part and parcel of the culture of the session. We might not like the thought of it, but I would guess a legislator showing up to an evening hearing having had a drink or two may not actually be that uncommon. Obviously. JF had too many, and maybe no one should ever show up having had any alcohol at all, but I think that would take a total culture change that is unlikely to happen. I don’t excuse the behavior, but I can see how it would happen and would guess he’s not the first and won’t be the last. He just didn’t hide it as well as others. To all the Republican voters enjoying a little schadenfreude over this, have your moment, but don’t imagine the people you voted for are abstaining. Human frailty exists on both sides of the aisle.

Rd February 27, 2026 (12:25 pm)

Reply

This makes no sense. He should have abstained from drinking. If he or anyone can’t abstain from drinking alcohol before work meeting you have a drinking problem.

Genesee5Points February 27, 2026 (8:15 am)

THIS IS IT… He’s officially ready for Washington DC, now.

lucy February 27, 2026 (8:41 am)

My goodness, yall have your panties in a twist. No one knows what else is going on in this man’s life. He owned his actions and has asked forgiveness. Have any of you ever made an unwise choice? Please spare me the hand wringing and the outrage. I’m not saying this was ok, but for crying out loud, screaming for his scalp is unbecoming a forgiving and accepting society.

WS MOM February 27, 2026 (9:26 am)

Joe F. is a good, progressive representative who has done lots of good for WA. And, he made a big mistake and clearly is an alcoholic. I say this because he was drinking at work and the hearing was at 4 pm if I am not mistaken, so drinking during the day. Not good at all. I think he needs to go to some kind of addiction treatment when the session is over. But, he’s done a lot of good and I am willing to look past this, and have him continue to be our representative in the legislature, as long as he seeks treatment for his substance abuse disorder.

Conjunction Junction February 27, 2026 (10:15 am)

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Is it serious? Sure. But let’s grant a pass in this situation, no one was hurt, no hate speech, no grabbing of asses, not the “deciding vote” in a landmark case. Now, if it happens again, then Joe needs to find another situation. All the commenters freaking out need to examine their own privilege, that the mistakes they have made weren’t called out in the media.

Littlebrowndog February 27, 2026 (10:36 am)

At a MINIMUM he should immediately schedule a substance abuse treatment program and inform of us of the start date. Talking about how stressful the work is or how maybe he’s experiencing some trauma in his life is merely enabling problem drinking. And yes, showing up for work visibly under the influence is not just poor decision making, it’s problem drinking. Acknowledging it’s wrong and apologizing is classic unless accompanied by committing to and following through on treatment. I voted for him. If he gets treatment, because recovery is possible this won’t be the deciding factor for me when he’s next up for election. But the behavior occurred in public, on the job, and follow through with a firm commitment to treatment must also be public.

wander February 27, 2026 (10:51 am)

If you show up to work drunk, you get fired.Hope he does not run again. He clearly demonstrates that he believes he is above it all.

Just saying February 27, 2026 (1:03 pm)

For what it is worth, in addition to this unprofessional and entitled exhibition, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbons is against fufilling the constitutional duty of fully funding education.

Jennifer M February 27, 2026 (1:14 pm)

To all my “grant a pass” neighbors, I do not. That’s not who I want representing me. I hope for his sake he gets the help he so clearly needs.

Admiral2009 February 27, 2026 (3:15 pm)

No excuses, he needs to resign!

helpermonkey February 27, 2026 (3:58 pm)

Reply

do you feel the same way about the often drunk in public while on the job, Secretary of Defense? You’ve got double standards if not.
- Admiral2009 February 27, 2026 (5:05 pm)
  
  Reply
  
  helpermonky – yes

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy February 27, 2026 (6:12 pm)

He has apologized. If this is the only time it has happened and he doesn’t have a history of substance abuse, I don’t see the big deal. He made a mistake. A pretty big embarrassing one, but people make mistakes and deserve some amount of forgiveness. Would be interesting to know the context of how he came to be inebriated. I have gone to a group work lunch and had two beers and felt absolutely wasted and didn’t expect that to happen. Thankfully everyone in attendance was participating so I wasn’t alone. (And before the pearl clutchers in this thread freak out, we could walk to lunch).

Average Dan February 27, 2026 (7:03 pm)

Joe,
I hope you’re reading the WSB. I voted for you. An apology is a starting
point but without real consequences it’s just words. Do the honorable thing: resign
and get treatment (that’s for your health, not serving your constituents.)
After that you can run again. We voters can be forgiving when we see someone
who paid a price, especially when they did it voluntarily. You should hold
yourself to at least the same standard we are all held to in the workplace. You
may think that you’re still just as able to do your job but this violation of the
public trust is not just about you. Without accepting consequences you
represent the double standard in our society for those who have power and the
rest of us, not the 34th.

Laura C February 27, 2026 (7:23 pm)

I don’t care how talented and well-liked you are as a legislator, it’s not acceptable to get wasted while serving in your public role. Joe has worked at the capitol for 15 years – I’m sure this is not the first time he’s been drunk at work. Everyone knows there is a well-established and toxic drinking culture at the capitol, normalized by people who actually have drinking problems but hide them behind the “stress” of their jobs and their own sense of entitlement. This is actually a great opportunity for Joe to hold himself accountable and get sober. I hope he does the best thing for himself and his family.