Commissioner of Public Lands
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Hilary Franz (D) | 1,211,310 | 51.19% |
| Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) | 554,147 | 23.42% |
| Cameron Whitney (R) | 197,610 | 8.35% |
| Steve Sharon (R) | 179,714 | 7.59% |
| Frank Wallbrown (D) | 122,136 | 5.16% |
| Kelsey Reyes (L) | 77,407 | 3.27% |
| Maryam Abasbarzy (R) | 24,189 | 1.02% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Hilary Franz
- Party:
- Democratic
- Age:
- 54
- City:
- Seattle, Washington
Education: Graduated from St. Mary's Academy in Portland, Oregon in 1988. Earned a bachelor's degree in English and government from Smith College in 1992. Earned her law degree from Northeastern University in 1997.
Political experience: Served four-year term on the Bainbridge Island City Council, 2008-2011. Served or has served on Washington State Climate Action Team, Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, Puget Sound Regional Council Growth Management Board, Puget Sound Regional Economic Board, Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Board and the Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Futures Task Force.
Work experience: Executive Director of Futurewise, a non-profit liberal advocacy group. Practicing Environmental and Land Use Attorney from 1997 to 2011. Former board member of Washington Environmental Council, Conservation NW, Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Friends of the Farms.
Family: Has three children.
Sue Kuehl Pederson
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 70
Education: Graduated from Stevenson High School in Stevenson, Washington, in 1971. Earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Western Washington University in 1980. Earned her master's degree in public administration from the University of Washington in 2005.
Political Experience: Ran for the state Senate in Washington's 19th Legislative District in 2016. Elected as the chair of the Grays Harbor County Republican Party in 2016.
Family: Has two children.
Cameron Whitney
- Party:
- Republican
- City:
- Grand Coulee, Washington
Education: Received a bachelor's degree in computer science.
Political Experience: Served as a planning commissioner in Grand Coulee.
Work Experience: Worked in property and land development, hotel management and property management.
Steve Sharon
- Party:
- Republican
- City:
- Seattle, Washington
Education: Earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Washington in 1989.
Political Experience: Ran for the commissioner of public lands in 2012.
Work Experience: Had a sales career.
Frank Wallbrown
- Party:
- Democratic
Education: Earned a bachelor's degree in natural science from Shawnee State University.
Political Experience: Precinct committee officer in Snohomish County in 2019-2020.
Work Experience: Worked as a computer technician, industrial hygiene technician and environmental science technician.
Kelsey Reyes
- Party:
- Libertarian
- City:
- Covington, Washington
Education: Graduated from Green River Community College, studying biology chemistry and environmental science.
Political Experience: None.
Work Experience: Worked in the restaurant and retail industries.
Related Media
Complete Coverage
Investigate West: Nearly 1 million Washington homes are at risk from wildfires; here’s why we’re not winning the fire fight
Intentional burning of underbrush and dead trees – “prescribed fire” to those who practice it – is increasingly regarded as the key tool in making combustible forests fire-resistant and heading off “megafires.” But the technique is rarely used in the West, and prescribed fire rates actually decreased in the Northwest over the past two decades, one study showed.
Commissioner of public lands candidates clash on climate change, managing lands and wildfires in Thursday debate
In a debate for the commissioner of public lands position, candidates clashed over climate change, how best to balance land conservation and management, and wildfire prevention and fighting.
Northwest Passages: League of Women Voters hosts debate for Commissioner of Public Lands
The League of Women Voters of Washington organized a candidates debate for the office of Commissioner of Public Lands with incumbent Hilary Franz and challenger Sue Kuehl Pederson. Laurel Demkovich of The Spokesman-Review moderated the debate, which aired via the livestream of the Northwest Passages Virtual Forum.
Hilary Franz, Sue Kuehl Pederson focus on firefighting in Washington public lands race after devastating blazes
As fire season brings devastation across Washington, the role of commissioner of public lands has mostly focused on wildfire prevention and fighting. But the two candidates for the position disagree on best practices for each.
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Hilary Franz and Craig Curtis: Wildfire prevention proposal good for economy and environment
Instead of allowing too many trees to fuel the next megafire and release carbon and unhealthy smoke into the air, let’s put them to work storing carbon in our buildings and growing our housing stock.
Washington public lands commissioner pitching new home, auto insurance charge to pay for wildfire efforts
The new charges would go into effect in 2021, if passed, and provide the state a stable source of money for timber treatment, the purchase of new firefighting equipment and hiring of new personnel, said Hilary Franz, the state’s public lands commissioner.