Sen. Mike Padden offered this statement today after receiving word that Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, died late this morning at a Seattle hospital from complications related to treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, which had been diagnosed earlier this year.

“From the start of his service as a legislator in 1995, Mike was passionate and worked very hard to learn about the issues. I left the Legislature during his first year in office; when I returned in 2011 and we began serving together again after many years, I instantly saw how Mike still had that passion and work ethic but also had become an accomplished statesman, able to work with people on both sides of the aisle.

“He really was a role model for what a legislator should be – the way he cared about the people of his district, how hard he worked and studied the issues. The fact that the 28th District, which is a ‘swing’ district politically, had returned him to office at every opportunity is a real tribute.

“When Mike became a state representative I was chairman of the House Law and Justice Committee. He served on my committee then, and this year, when I became chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, he was on my committee again. In fact, we were on each other’s committees this year, because he was chairman of the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee. We worked extremely closely, especially on bills that overlapped between our committees; Mike was a staunch ally, and I feel particularly privileged to have served with him at the beginning and the end of his legislative career.

“According to Mike’s wife Charlotte he passed away very peacefully in his sleep. That’s of some comfort, but still, this is such a loss for our state, his legislative district and of course his family. Mike was a kind and considerate person, and we will miss him dearly, even though he’s with the angels and saints now. It’s hard to think about being at the Capitol without him.”