Throughout his career as a legislator and pioneering nonprofit leader, Frank worked tirelessly to advance and protect social services and the safety net for those in need, leaving behind a legacy without comparison. His many contributions and accomplishments will live on through the policy, legislation, and low-income housing he fought for.

“With Frank’s passing, Washington state has lost a tireless advocate for communities, housing, and homeless services,” says Shalimar Gonzales, Solid Ground CEO. “He accomplished so much in his lifetime, never resting and never giving up on his vision of bringing every person inside.” 

Frank will be remembered for his long and successful career as leader of the House of Representatives and his unwavering commitment to human services and social justice, including equitable education, health care, affordable housing, living-wage jobs, and the safety net. 

“With Frank’s passing, Washington state has lost a tireless advocate for communities, housing, and homeless services. He accomplished so much in his lifetime, never resting and never giving up on his vision of bringing every person inside.” 

~Shalimar Gonzales, Solid Ground CEO

Frank was also a powerful force at the Fremont Public Association (FPA), a neighborhood social service agency that grew into Solid Ground. Frank served as the organization’s “engine room,” keeping the fires of social justice stoked and driving the agency to develop many of its most impactful programs and services during its first two-and-a-half decades. 

Frank will also be remembered for his humility, as someone who sought to stay in the background, out of the limelight, and often deflected credit to others. His ability to bring people together from different sides of an issue was remarkable, as was his ability to make things happen with his “can do” approach.

“Chopp’s ability to advance progressive legislation has improved the lives of countless Washingtonians,” The Seattle Times editorial board wrote in a 2020 endorsement. “That includes children with more early learning opportunities, students with improved access to higher education, and thousands of adults living in affordable housing advanced by Chopp.”

‘Citizen activist’ to speaker of the house 

A self-described “citizen activist,” Frank was deeply engaged in civic and public service throughout his life. As the son of a shipyard electrician and school cafeteria worker, Frank’s career was, in large part, shaped by his experience as “a child of assisted living,” drawing on firsthand knowledge of the importance of support systems and affordable housing for those living in poverty.  

“We hear a lot about freedom today … and freedom means more than just ‘freedom from fear,’” Frank said in 2005 at the dedication of the Frank Chopp Place affordable housing complex in his hometown of Bremerton. “It also means freedom from want, and freedom from poverty. Freedom from poverty means having a home! There is nothing more basic than having a home!” 

Early in his career, Frank served as manager of the North Seattle Community Service Center. After stints at other local community-based organizations, Frank served as executive director of the Fremont Public Association from 1983 to 2000. He later served as Solid Ground’s senior advisor, focusing on strategic initiatives and resource development. 

“Freedom means more than just ‘freedom from fear.’ It also means freedom from want, and freedom from poverty. Freedom from poverty means having a home! There is nothing more basic than having a home!” 

~Frank Chopp, 2005

In 1994, Frank was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives of the 43rd Legislative District. He became co-speaker of the House in 1999 and then served as sole speaker from 2002 to 2019, becoming the body’s longest-serving leader. He continued to serve in the house until 2025, when he was succeeded by Shaun Scott, then a community organizer at Solid Ground.

During Frank’s tenure, he played a key role in the founding of the Seattle Human Services Coalition (SHSC), Washington state’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF), and many other organizations and initiatives that target poverty and social inequities. In addition, Frank co-founded the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) in 1991 after it became clear that a new nonprofit housing organization was needed to develop innovative solutions to the state’s housing problems. 

Coalition, compromise, and common sense 

Frank’s success was largely due to his ability to create coalitions, and he often described his positions and strategies as commonsense legislation. Despite his liberal constituency in Seattle’s 43rd District, Frank led with the goal of retaining the Democratic House majority, at times declining to advance bills sought by the left wing of his caucus to ensure consensus. However, Frank was steadfast and firm in his support of affordable housing, health care, and social services.

“By almost any objective measure, the guy has been the most successful politician in the history of Olympia,” state Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-43rd, told the Seattle Times in 2018. He credited Frank with protecting the state’s social safety net through economic downturns and years when Republicans controlled the state Senate: “Frank laid down on the tracks and said over my dead body will you get rid of ‘fill-in-the-blank’ program.”

Frank’s coalition-building efforts around food banks led to the Survival Services Coalition which, in turn, led to what we now know as the Seattle Human Services Coalition. In addition to seeking coalition around services, Frank was also gifted at envisioning and creating long-term government funding streams, such as the Housing Trust Fund’s Document Recording Fee to fund homelessness services. 

“I think there is tremendous respect for Frank and his service and his strategy. As a student of political science, he is an absolute marvel to watch,” state Rep. Noel Frame, D-36th, told The Seattle Times in 2018.

Though Frank was a progressive, his focus was bringing people together to achieve the common good. House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-2nd, credited Frank in a 2018 tweet as “one of the last links to a truly statewide point of view.” 

In Frank’s Legislative Session Opening Day Speech as Speaker of the House of Representatives on January 8, 2018, he stated: 

“For many years, we have focused on the idea of One Washington. Where we bring folks together for a common purpose. Where we look out for communities all across our state. Where we give everyone a fair shake. And where we act by putting people first. We do this work not for the glory, not for the money, not for the courts. We do this work for the people.  Using common sense, we work together for the common good. Many advances have been made, but there is much more to do.” 

Awards & Accomplishments

Frank was recognized for his many contributions to the community through numerous awards and achievements, including, but by no means limited to, the following:

• One of the longest-serving state House Speakers in the nation.

• Co-founded Washington state’s Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and the Seattle Tenants Union, building affordable housing and fighting for the rights of tenants.

• Co-founded Washington state’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF), which has invested more than $2 billion to help build or preserve more than 58,600 affordable housing units statewide.

• Received LIHI’s “Housing Hero Award” in 2004 in honor of his “tireless, unwavering, longtime leadership and support of protecting and strengthening housing and services for vulnerable low-income individuals and families in Washington, in the face of extraordinary fiscal and political barriers.”

• Farmworker housing: He successfully worked with legislators statewide to double funding for farmworker housing.

• General Assistance – Unemployable Program: He was deeply involved in the lengthy fight to keep the GA-U program and to increase health care coverage for uninsured families and children.

• Frank Chopp Place: LIHI named a low-income housing development in his honor in 2005. The facility, providing 56 affordable housing units, is the former site of Harrison Hospital in Bremerton, where Frank was born.

• Hospital and Health Care Hero Award, Washington State Hospital Association in 2007

• Outstanding Leadership, Public School Employees of Washington in 2007

• Champion of Justice, Equal Justice Coalition in 2002

• Randy Revelle Award for Outstanding Contributions to Mental Health, Washington State Psychiatric Association in 2014

• Walter C. Woodward Freedom’s Light Award, Washington Newspaper Publishers Association in 2014

• Lifetime Achievement Award, Solid Ground, 2024

• Lifetime Achievement Award, El Centro de La Raza, 2024

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Photo at top: Fremont Public Association (FPA) leaders around 1988 (l to r): Pat Hayes, Yanira Cuellar, Frank Chopp, Cheryl Cobbs Murphy, and Paul Haas