Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt was appointed to the Washington State University Board of Regents in December 2024. He is a long-time member of the Washington Legislature and a Washington State University Alumnus.
Regent Hunt grew up in Yakima and is a former Pasco school teacher and Pasco City Council member. He left Pasco to work for the Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction and then moved to Washington, D.C., to work on the US Senate Appropriations Committee for Senator Warren G. Magnuson. He returned to Olympia to work in numerous government roles, including the staff of the Washington State Senate, Governor Booth Gardner and the state Department of Information Services. His work in education includes serving two terms on the North Thurston Public Schools Board of Directors.
Regent Hunt spent more than two decades as an elected member of the Legislature, with 16 years in the House of Representatives and eight in the Senate. He represented the 22nd Legislative District which includes Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and northern Thurston County.
First elected to the House in 2000, he held numerous committee positions, including chairing the State Government, Elections, and Tribal Affairs Committees in both chambers, as well as serving on the House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means Committees, and the Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
He led the way in passing legislation making Washington State’s elections the nation’s most accessible, secure and accurate.
His service also includes being a former board member of the Nature Conservancy of Washington and the Washington State Historical Society.
Regent Hunt graduated from WSU in 1967 and earned a permanent teaching certificate in 1970.
Regent Hunt resides in Olympia and has two adult children and one grandchild who also live in the area.
Office: Member
Term Expires: September 30, 2030