LaCrosse native Terry Nealey set to begin Olympia duties

A new generation in the Nealey family will begin service in the state legislature when the session begins in January.

Dayton attorney Terry Nealey was sworn in Nov. 3 as state representative for the 16th legislative district after winning the seat in a special election in November.

Nealey is the son of the late Darwin Nealey of LaCrosse who served as a 9th district representative from 1983 to 1993. Darwin Nealey died five years ago.

Terry’s Nealey twin brother, Tedd Nealey, ran unsuccessfully for the 9th district representative seat in 2006.

Terry Nealey said he campaigned for the 16th district seat because he felt the Democratic majority did not represent the interests of southeastern Washington.

“Also I felt the Democrats were over spending the budget. It made me angry enough that I decided to run. That was the one focal point that triggered me to make the decision to run,” Nealey said in an interview with the Gazette Dec. 21.

Nealey said his father really put a value on citizens getting involved in government.

“My dad felt that very strongly,” he said. “We’ve apparently inherited that feeling that if we want to have any say in how our government is operated and how the decisions are made, that we ought to step out and make those decisions.”

Nealey and his wife, Jan (formerly Jan Copp), who have been married for 40 years, will continue to live in Dayton and travel to Olympia for the first 60-day session in January.

The election in the 16th district this year was a special election to fill a vacancy.

A graduate of the Gonzaga Law School, Nealey served previously as the Columbia County prosecuting attorney. He also coached basketball in Dayton for 12 years before retiring four years ago.

He and his brother Tedd worked on the family farm growing up, helping to produce wheat, cattle and hay.

One of his main interests as state legislator is helping retain jobs in agriculture. He is also interested in the future of renewable energy.

The Nealey twins attended WSU together and graduated in 1969. Terry served in Korea, and Tedd went on to serve in Vietnam.

Jan Nealey grew up in Hooper and also graduated from WSU in 1969.