About Peter
Peter Abbarno is a small business owner and attorney with Althauser Rayan Abbarno, LLP, Representative for the Washington State 20th legislative district; but most importantly, Peter is a husband and father. Peter lives in Centralia with his wife Holly (Hawes), a math teacher at Centralia Middle School, and their two children.
In 2020, Peter ran for State Representative in the 20th Legislative District to fill a vacancy by long-time legislator Richard DeBolt and won the seat with over 71% of the vote. Peter serves at the Assistant Ranking Member on the House Capital Budget Committee, and serves on the Environment and Energy Committee and Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee.
In 2024, Peter was elected by the House Republican Caucus to serve as the Caucus Chair.
Peter is deeply involved in our community. In 2012, Peter was named one of the top 20 professionals under the age of 40 in Lewis County. In 2015, Peter was successfully elected to the Centralia City Council, re-elected to the Centralia City Council in 2019, and voted Mayor Pro-Tem in 2020.
In 2018, 2020, and 2021-2023, readers of the Daily Chronicle voted Peter as the “Best Volunteer” in Lewis County.
In 2018 and 2021-2025, Peter was named the “Best Elected Official” in Lewis County by Daily Chronicle readers.
In 2019, Peter received the “Economic Development Leadership Award” from the Lewis County Economic Development Council, received the “Human Rights Award” from the Church Women United organization.
In 2020, Peter was honored to be named the “Person of the Year” by the Daily Chronicle editorial board and elected to the Washington State House of Representatives, garnering 71% of the vote in the 20th legislative district.
In 2021, Peter received District 3 “Legislator of the Year” from the Washington Association of Agricultural Educators. And earned the award of “Friend of the Farm Bureau” from 2022-2025 for his advocacy of agriculture and the farming community.
In 2025, the Public Works Board presented Peter “Infrastructure Champion Award” for his work on the Capital Budget and advocacy for infrastructure. Peter helped create the CHIPS (Connecting Housing Infrastructure Program) in the Capital Budget to build and improve infrastructure in rural communities to connect to housing and economic development in hard-to-build rural communities.
Peter graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science; earned a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School in 2008; and earned a Masters of Law in Taxation from the University of Washington in 2009.
In 2010, Peter joined Olson Althauser Samuelson & Rayan, LLP, currently known as Althauser Rayan Abbarno, LLP. He became partner in 2013. Althauser Rayan Abbarno currently has offices in Centralia and Olympia.
Peter practices many areas of law throughout his career; including Estate Planning, Business/Corporate Law, Family Law, Criminal Prosecution, Workers’ Compensation, as well as Personal Injury.
Peter also volunteers pro bono time to assist victims of domestic violence and assaults, non-profits, and new entrepreneurs with business formation and business planning.
Peter is a board member and past president of the Centralia College Foundation, past president of the Lewis County Bar Association and past president of Lewis County Bar Legal Aid, host of the AM1470 KELA “Let’s Talk About It” show, volunteers with WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)in Centralia, Miss Lewis County Scholarship Program, United Way of Lewis County, and the Hub City Mission, and also served as a Mentor at WF West High School in Chehalis and as a Mentor for the Morton High School Mock Trial Team.
The Abbarno family attends Bethel Church in Chehalis and are active in their church and with the Hub City Mission. Peter and his wife Holly have coached many local sport teams and they started and still help coordinate the Centralia School Supply Drive to support families and students in the Centralia School District.
