Representative Kresha delivers farewell speech on the House floor

Representative Kresha delivered his farewell address on the House floor, saying he was leaving public life after serving multiple terms and urging colleagues to favor humility over pride. "Madam Speaker, I rise to get my final speech on the House floor," he said, opening a remarks that mixed humor, gratitude and procedural caution.

Kresha told members he had learned that "success leads to the greatest failure, which is pride," saying public service requires "forgetting yourself" to serve constituents. He urged members to use the House as a forum for debate, not to stifle disagreement, and warned against introducing bills on the final day of a session because "bills introduced on the last day are rarely considered and bad votes still going to be on your record forever."

He praised nonpartisan staff as "knowledgeable, accommodating and professional," saying he was not aware of any ethics complaints against them and urging members to recognize staff sacrifices. Kresha named a number of staff and colleagues who shaped his time in office, including Speaker Lisa DeMuth and former education chair Jenny Leung, and described committee work as an opportunity to learn from policy experts and fellow legislators.

Kresha recounted his decision to run after redistricting, saying he was elected in 2013 and describing the job as "challenging, emotional, exhausting, disappointing and rewarding." He closed by thanking his wife, Wendy, and their children for their support and telling the chamber he looked forward to new opportunities outside the Legislature.

The remarks were delivered as a floor statement; no motions or votes were recorded in connection with the speech.