DeBolt was first elected to office in 1996. He ran for office with the goal of focusing on economic development and business-friendly policies, and he has said that increased employment is key to solving issues such as uninsured residents. In 2006, he was re-elected minority leader over
Mike Armstrong and
Bruce Chandler after the Democratic Party won a 62-36 majority in the House. He held this position until 2014 when he stepped down due to health issues. In 2012, the
Washington Supreme Court ordered the State Legislature to fully fund K-12 public education in the
McCleary v. Washington decision. Although the Legislature increased funding, they did not fully comply with the mandate and, two years later, were found to be in contempt. This was a campaign issue in the 2014 election, with DeBolt pledging not to institute new taxes to fund schools, in contrast with his opponent. DeBolt argued that the State Supreme Court's actions were politically motivated and represented a violation of the
separation of powers, and he sponsored a bill to require State Supreme Court Justice candidates to declare their political party while running for office. In 2013, DeBolt was selected to be the Ranking Republican on the House Capital Budget Committee, a position he held until his retirement from the legislature. After 24 years in office, he retired from the House in 2021 and became Executive Director of the Lewis Economic Development Council. == Personal life ==