Background
Pritchard was born in Seattle, Washington to Frank, Senior and Jean Pritchard on May 5, 1925.
Pritchard was born in Seattle, Washington to Frank, Senior and Jean Pritchard on May 5, 1925.
He attended public schools as a child and attended Marietta College from 1946 to 1947.
He served in the United States. House of Representatives and as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Washington. At the rank of Sergeant, he served in the United States Army from 1944 to 1946 and was president of the Griffin Envelope Company in Seattle from 1948 to 1971. He was elected to the Washington House of Representatives representing Washington"s thirty-sixth district in 1958 where he served from 1959 to 1967, being reelected in 1960, 1962 and 1964.
In the state house, he worked closely with future United States. Senators Daniel J. Evans and Slade Gorton.
In 1966, he was elected to the Washington State Senate where he served a single term from 1967 to 1971. The measure was approved statewide by voters in November 1970, making Washington the first state to in which abortion was legalized by a popular vote.
In 1970, Pritchard ran for the United States. House of Representatives to represent Washington"s first district, challenging nine-term incumbent Thomas Pelly in the Republican primary. Pelly was renominated, but by a smaller margin than anyone expected.
He was easily reelected in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1982, serving from 1973 to 1985.
He chose not to run for reelection in 1984. In 1988, he made a successful run for Lieutenant Governor of Washington becoming president of the Washington Senate. He was reelected in 1992 and served from 1989 to 1997.
He died on October 9, 1997 in Olympia, Washington, of lymphoma.
Along with a few of his friends, Pritchard invented the game of pickleball at his house in 1965. 1992 Race for Lieutenant Governor of Washington
Joel Pritchard (R) (inc), 1,072,968
Richard Kelley (Doctorate), 862,063
Tom Isenberg (L), 75,933
1988 Race for Lieutenant Governor of Washington
Joel Pritchard (R), 960,655
George Fleming (Doctorate), 839,593
1982 Race for United States. House of Representatives
Joel Pritchard (R) (inc), 123,956
Brian Long (Doctorate), 59,444
1980 Race for United States. House of Representatives
Joel Pritchard (R) (inc), 180,475
Robin Drake (Doctorate), 41,830
1978 Race for United States. House of Representatives
Joel Pritchard (R) (inc), 99,942
Janice Niemi (Doctorate), 52,706
1976 Race for United States. House of Representatives
Joel Pritchard (R) (inc), 161,354
Dave Wood (Doctorate), 58,006
1974 Race for United States. House of Representatives
Joel Pritchard (R) (inc), 108,391
Will Knedlik (Doctorate), 44,655
1972 Race for United States. House of Representatives
Joel Pritchard (R), 107,581
John Hempleman (Doctorate), 104,959
Craig Honts (Southwest), 1,401.
In 1970 Pritchard, a member of Washington Citizens for Abortion Reform (WCAR), introduced a bill allow abortions in the first four months of pregnancy. lieutenant was approved and went to the voters as Referendum 20. After the end of his second term as Lieutenant Governor, Pritchard went into retirement and became a board member of TVW, Washington"s public affairs network.
Children: Peggy, Frank, Anne, Jeanie.