Frank Vana Chopp (May 13, 1953 – March 22, 2025) was an American politician who was the 46th Speaker of the Washington House of Representatives from 1999 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Chopp represented Washington's 43rd legislative district for three decades (1995–2025).
Background
Frank Chopp was born on May 13, 1953, in Bremerton, Washington.Garber, Andrew. "Chopp melds strategy, clout as he leads battle for House." Seattle Times. July 23, 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2009. His father was a coal miner who moved to the shipyards and found employment as a union electrical worker and his mother, Anne, worked in a school cafeteria.Thomas, Ralph. "Chopp takes helm of House today – Rough times face Seattle Democrat." Seattle Times. January 14, 2002. Retrieved February 28, 2017. He attended East High School in Bremerton and graduated top of his class in 1971. While still in high school, Chopp led a protest against the Elks Club's refusal to allow black members. He later attended the University of Washington, graduating magna cum laude in 1975."Frank Chopp Voter Guide Statement." 2016 Voter's Guide, Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved March 1, 2017. As a student at the University of Washington, he organized efforts to preserve low-income housing in Seattle. To protest the demolition of low-incoming housing, Chopp lived in a geodesic dome situated in a parking lot in South Lake Union.Burkhalter, Aaron. "43rd Legislative District: Round Two." . Real Change. October 29, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
Chopp was married to Nancy Long and they had two children. He lived in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Chopp died on March 22, 2025, at the age of 71 from myocardial infarction.
Early career After graduating from the University of Washington, Chopp began his career as a community organizer focused on social services and education. From 1976 to 1983, Chopp held various managing and directorial positions for the Cascade Community Center, the Pike Market Senior Center, and the North Community Service Center before becoming executive director of the Fremont Public Association, now known as Solid Ground, in 1983.Corr, O. Casey. "Helping Hand Has Muscle – Lawmaker’s Activism Is Potent Force." Seattle Times. May 26, 1997. Retrieved February 28, 2017. As executive director of the FPA, Chopp promoted services such as an emergency food bank, a clothing bank, and an employment program."Our History." Solid Ground. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp later served as the organization's president, and served as senior advisor since 2006."Frank’s Biography." Frank Chopp for State Representative. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
Chopp was involved with a number of groups, service agencies, and programs including the Coalition for Survival Services, King County Housing Opportunity Fund, Cascade Shelter Project, the Food Resources Network, the Workers Center, Lettuce Link, Community Voice Mail, the Sand Point Community Housing Association, PortJOBS, the Committee for Economic Opportunity, and the Low Income Housing Institute. Chopp co-founded the Seattle Tenant's Union in 1977 and was involved in efforts to organize three collective bargaining units for office workers, home care workers, and public transit drivers.
From 1992 to 1995, he held a part-time lecturer position at the University of Washington Graduate School of Public Affairs. Since 1972, Chopp served on over twenty nonprofit boards.
Politics Chopp was first elected to the House in 1994. He served as House Minority Leader from 1997 to 1998. In 1999–2001, Democrats and Republicans split the House and Chopp served as Co-Speaker in the 1999–2001 legislative sessions alongside Clyde Ballard.Oldham, Kit. "Clyde Ballard and Frank Chopp are elected co-Speakers of the state House of Representatives on January 11, 1999." HistoryLink. July 20, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp served as Speaker of the House from 2002 to 2019."Frank Chopp" House Democrats. Washington State Legislature. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
Issues In 2003, Chopp voted for an operating budget Democrats later condemned as the "Rossi budget" when its architect, Republican Senator Dino Rossi, ran for governor in 2004; most of Chopp's House Democrats voted against the budget.
In 2006, Chopp killed a bill requiring large employers like Wal-Mart to reimburse the state if they heavily relied upon state programs for employee health care.
Many fans of the former Seattle SuperSonics National Basketball Association franchise felt Chopp was a roadblock to keeping the team. Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Art Thiel stated "Sonics fans have come to know Chopp, D-Death Star, as the No. 1 legislative opponent of public help to keep the team in Seattle." New owners bought out the Seattle lease and moved the team to Oklahoma City before the 2008–09 season, where the team now plays as the Thunder.
In 2008, the Democratic Senate passed a bill, 27–20, giving Washington consumers statutory warranty rights in purchasing new homes. The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee before being denied a House floor vote by Chopp. The same thing had happened in 2007. Chopp's action was condemned editorially by both the Seattle Times and the Post-Intelligencer (then a print newspaper). In awarding Chopp a "Schrammie," Ken Schramm of KOMO News stated: "For the second year in a row, the Great and Mighty Speaker has had his way in killing a bill that would've provided homeowners with protection against shoddy construction." The Post-Intelligencer asked,"Why is Democratic House Speaker Frank Chopp yet again killing a bill that would protect this state's homeowners from being on the hook for shoddy construction? It doesn't look good that Chopp has friends at the Building Industry Association of Washington, the bill's main opponent (BIAW executive VP Tom McCabe said he'd love to see Chopp run for governor)."
In 2009, Chopp killed a Worker Privacy Bill that Democrats had promised to support during their 2008 campaigns. After a labor lobbyist warned some friends that organized labor might withhold support from Democrats, Chopp tried to have the lobbyist arrested by the Washington State Patrol; however, the Patrol exonerated the lobbyist.
By the 2017, legislative session, a faltering Chopp again faced the prospect of losing a state budget battle to Senate Republicans, as he had every session since 2003 in which Republicans were in control. On the eve of the June 30 vote to avert a state shutdown Chopp refused to make his budget compromise public.
Housing Prior to being elected, Chopp helped lead the campaign to approve a $50 million Low-Income Housing Levy and a $25 million Seattle Art Museum Levy.Yeager, John. "The Affordable Housing Crusader." KCTS-TV. December 1, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2017."Community Accomplishments." Frank Chopp for State Representative. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Chopp also initiated and organized efforts to create the Low Income Housing Institute; the Seattle Tenants Union; the King County Housing Opportunity Fund, which was the first King County allocated its own local tax dollars to provide low-income housing; the Sand Point Community Housing Project; the Broadway Emergency Shelter and the Family Shelter Program; the Cascade Shelter Project; and expanded the Housing Counseling Program, which assists low-income people who face eviction or foreclosure.Chopp, Frank. "Guest Editorial: We Need to Fight for Affordable Housing on Many Fronts." The Stranger. August 4, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
Chopp helped co-found Washington's Housing Trust Fund, which has provided over $1 billion for low-income housing since its inception"The Washington State Housing Trust Fund." Washington State Department of Commerce. Retrieved March 1, 2017. and also created the Housing Security Fund, which helps pay for housing and support services for the homeless."HB 2163." 59th Legislature. 2005 Regular Session. (WA 2005) Retrieved February 28, 2017.
Chopp designed the Home and Hope program, which repurposes unused public properties for affordable housing development. The program has built nearly 300 affordable apartment buildings in Seattle."Home and Hope." Enterprise Community. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
In 2015, Chopp took credit for legislation requiring Sound Transit to donate excess land around new light rail stations to non-profit affordable housing developers.
Healthcare Chopp co-organized the successful application, working with the Seattle-King County Health Department, for a Health Care for the Homeless Project from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as well as initiating a home care program. Chopp also initiated health programs for the elderly, people with disabilities, and those infected with AIDS.
In the 2007 legislative session, Chopp helped create Apple Health For Kids, which now covers over 800,000 young people in Washington State."HB 1071". 60th Legislature. 2007 Regular Session. (WA 2007) Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp also implemented Medicaid Expansion in Washington State.Chopp, Frank. "Statement from Speaker Frank Chopp on Governor Inslee’s budget and revenue proposal." House Democrats, Washington State Legislature. March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2017. He led efforts to help enact mental health parity, which Chopp cited as "the proudest moment of my service in the Legislature.""HB 1460". 60th Legislature. 2007 Regular Session. (WA 2007) Retrieved March 1, 2017.Reynolds, Ross and Hannah Burn. "Speaker Frank Chopp’s Tearful Story of Sister With Mental Illness." KUOW. December 18, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp also helped save and reform the Disability Lifeline program, which provides services for people with disabilities.Chopp, Frank. "Speaker Frank Chopp’s Opening Day Speech." House Democrats. Washington State Legislature. January 9, 2012. February 28, 2017.
In 2019, Chopp passed "Cascade Care," a public option for health insurance available to all Washington residents. When the program takes effect in 2021, it will be offered under a hybrid public-private model that lawmakers selected to control healthcare costs while reducing premiums and co-pays for patients."Will Washington State's New 'Public Option' Plan Reduce Health Care Costs?" NPR. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
Economy Chopp was an early proponent of the Community Jobs program, which helps welfare recipients gain skills and employment through various community-based nonprofit organizations in Washington State.Johnson, Clifford M. and Lana Kim. "Washington State’s Community Jobs Initiative." Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. September 7, 1999. Retrieved March 2, 2017. Chopp served as a founding board member of the Office of PortJOBS at the Port of Seattle. In this role, he initiated the Committee for Economic Opportunity, which developed partnerships with the Port of Seattle, businesses, labor unions, and educational institutions. Chopp also co-initiated and developed the Seattle Worker Center, which addresses the needs of dislocated and unemployed workers, through a Re-employment Support Center, the Trades Mentor Network, and Community Voice Mail (which won a national award for Innovations in State and Local Governments) sponsored by Harvard University and the Ford Foundation.
Chopp was one of the founding members of the successful minimum wage increase initiative in SeaTac in 2013.Martinez, Amy. "SeaTac’s wage initiative scores backing of Democratic officials." Seattle Times. September 18, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2017. He also led a coalition to increase Washington State's minimum wage to the highest level in the nation, which was the first time annual increases were tied to the cost of living.Camden, Jim. "Washington House passes bill to raise minimum wage to $12." Spokesman Review. March 4, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Chopp also passed legislation requiring paid sick leave, expanding collective bargaining rights, and banning wage theft.