State Sen. Kevin Van De Wege to run for lands commissioner

Washington state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Lake Sutherland, announced on Wednesday he will run for commissioner of public lands.

Van De Wege is serving his second term representing the 24th Legislative District in the Senate and currently chairs its Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee. He previously served five terms in the state House of Representatives.

“I’ve been a firefighter my entire professional life,” reads a campaign announcement sent out Wednesday. “When I say I understand the danger and destruction caused by wildfires, which are becoming more frequent and more destructive, I speak from experience. Of everything our state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) can do, preventing and reducing wildfires needs to top the list.”

Van De Wege’s announcement comes five weeks after current state lands commissioner Hilary Franz announced her run for governor. Franz is in her second term as the state lands commissioner.

If elected, Van De Wege would serve a four-year term and oversee the state Department of Natural Resources, which manages more than 5 million acres of forest, range, tidal, agricultural and commercial land across Washington.

Last month, King County Council Chair Dave Upthegrove announced he was “seriously considering” a run for the lands commissioner job next year. Upthegrove vied for the position in 2016 but was beat out by Franz in the Democratic Primary. Franz pulled 14% of the vote, and Upthegrove came in close behind with 13%.

Upthegrove said on Wednesday he has not made a final decision yet about his decision to run for lands commissioner.

“We’re 17 months away from the general election, so there’s time,” he said in a phone interview. “I do believe we will see other candidates enter the field, including myself.”