What’s on the Ballot: Commissioner of Public Lands

Election Day is now just four sleeps away.  It is recommended that voters mail their ballots in by the Friday before election Day to ensure it is properly postmarked. Ballot boxes are conveniently located throughout King and Pierce County for those who prefer this option. Remember, keep your stamp – the state’s got ya on this.

Don’t forget Pierce County residents, your ballot drop boxes are located in Sumner and Bonney Lake. Avoid the last-minute rush on Tuesday and get your ballot in now!

Commissioner of Public Lands

Ballotopia describes this position as an elected state official that “oversees the Washington Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for environmental protection in the state.”

This is a 4-year term statewide position.

Commissioner of Public Lands Candidates 

Candidates submit their statements to the state for the voters’ guide. Neither the Office of the Secretary of State or Auburn Examiner make corrections or verify statements for truth or fact. A candidate’s preference does not imply that the candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party, or that the party approves of or associates with that candidate.

Cameron Whitney
(Prefers Republican Party)

Elected Experience
Planning Commissioner Grand Coulee

Other Professional Experience
30 years experience in Property and Land Development, Hotel Management, Property Management, Green Thumb.

Education
BS in CS, Real estate Broker

Community Service
I’ve never been to jail

Statement
I like environmental protection. I don’t like fires. Let’s work together to clean up the environment and stop fires. President Trump says we need to rake our forests to clean up debris that exacerbates fires and that’s where I intend to start. Please Vote for me, Cameron Whitney.

Contact
321 MEAD AVE
GRAND COULEE, WA 99133
Candidate Contributions

Steve Sharon
(Prefers Republican Party)

Elected Experience
2012 Commissioner of Public Lands Candidate (I). Garnered 92,000 votes which is the most ever by and Independent running for Washington state executive office. Represented “swing” vote in general election. Was asked for endorsement by both remaining candidates to general election.

Other Professional Experience
Successful sales career for 3 different Fortune 500 companies.

Education
B.A Business Administration University of Washington 1989. Disciple of Jesus Christ. Favorite authors: David Icke, Thomas Aquinas, Mark Twain.

Community Service
Volunteered 200+hours/year for New Horizons Ministries 1993-2006. Volunteered 200 hours/year Seattle Symphony Chorale 1994-1997.

Statement
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. If elected, I will direct an independent, state funded study of the effects of 5G cell-phone towers upon living things. My research indicates that this radiation is killing trees, birds, honey bees, human life.

I will deconstruct 4 Hydro-electric dams in the Columbia River. This will allow salmon to return to their natural habitat eliminating the need for unhealthy salmon farms and saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

I will stand with Washington farmers against the radical policies of the EPA. I will allow livestock grazing on state land. I will allow sportfishing year-round. I will stop chemtrails in Washington state. I am against Bio-mass use for electricity. I am against the use of wind power. I am against coal trains. I am against massive solar power energy farms. I am against the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, eugenics, Satan, New World Order. I will end clear-cutting of timber, and allow only selective timber cultivation. I am against off-shore oil drilling. I believe public lands should remain public and should not be sold. I am against the “Green New Deal”.

Contact
(425) 922-9090
5gkillseverything@gmail.com
PO BOX #16531
SEATTLE, WA 98116
Candidate Website
Campaign Contributions

Hilary Franz
(Prefers Democratic Party)

Elected Experience
Commissioner of Public Lands 2017-present; Bainbridge Island City Council 2008-2011; served on Puget Sound Transportation Futures Task Force; Puget Sound Regional Council Economic Development Board; and Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council.

Other Professional Experience
Nonprofit Executive Director 2011-2015, developing solutions to statewide natural resource and economic development issues; Attorney, representing communities, local governments, tribes, unions, and nonprofits on agriculture, forests, fish and wildlife, aquatics, and labor issues.

Education
JD, Northeastern University; BA, Smith College.

Community Service
Former board member of Conservation Northwest and Washington Environmental Council.

Statement
Hilary Franz is proud to serve as Commissioner of Public Lands. She is relentless in creating bold, transformational change. As the leader of Washington’s wildfire fighting force, Hilary pushed for new strategies to reach fires quickly and keep them small. She then secured record-setting funding for our wildland firefighters.

Hilary is a defender of our public lands. When the federal government tried to open our waters to offshore drilling, Hilary refused to allow drilling equipment to cross our coastline. In the face of climate change, Hilary is prioritizing wind and solar power and making investments to save our forests.

Hilary leads by bridging divides and bringing people together. She’s earned high marks from leaders across the state, including from conservative leaders in rural Washington, who’ve praised her willingness to solve local issues, increase funding for schools, invest in rural economic development, and tackle our forest health crisis.

Hilary’s Washington roots run deep, from her grandparents’ cattle ranch in Pierce County to raising her three boys on a farm on Bainbridge Island. Endorsed by the Washington State Labor Council, National Women’s Political Caucus, Washington Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Washington Education Association, and Democratic and Republican leaders across Washington.

Contact
(206) 682-7328
info@hilaryfranz.com
401 2ND AVE S STE 303
SEATTLE, WA 98104
Candidate Website
Campaign Contributions

Kelsey Reyes
(Prefers Libertarian Party)

Elected Experience
This would be my first elected position.

Other Professional Experience
15+ years in the restaurant and retail industry.

Education
Graduated from Green River Community College, studying biology, chemistry and environmental science. Pursuing a degree in Agriculture Education with an emphasis on sustainability and ecology.

Community Service
Volunteering through my daughters’ school, helping with the local river restoration and clean-up efforts to local parks.

Statement
These days, partisan politicians have become overbearing and lost the original purpose of this country’s core mission statement: To promote the liberty, freedom, and the ability to pursue happiness for the American public.

I, Kelsey Reyes, will ensure partisan politics has no place in our public lands and that we will continue to push for environmentally-backed reform that isn’t based on personal feelings or corporate desires but rather objectively with science. It is time to remind our citizens that they hold the power in our nation. Elected officials should be honored to represent you and work for you, but understand that they do not rule over you nor should they act without taking accountability for their actions.

As such, as your Public Land Commissioner, I will place the needs of the environment and the people, above the needs of the State, political parties, corporations, and lobbyists. This nation is founded by the people, and its land is owned by “we the people.” The condition and health of how we leave the lands for the next generation is my upmost important role when I am elected as your next Public Lands Commissioner.

Contact
(253) 267-3982
kelseyreyesforwashington@gmail.com
27177 185TH AVE SE STE 111-229
COVINGTON, WA 98042
Candidate Website
Campaign Contributions

Maryam Abasbarzy
(Prefers Republican Party)

Elected Experience
No Information Submitted

Other Professional Experience
No Information Submitted

Education
No Information Submitted

Community Service
No Information Submitted

Statement
No Information Submitted

Contact
10306 MERIDIAN AVENUE NORTH APT #401
SEATTLE, WA 98133
Campaign Contributions

Sue Kuehl Pederson
(Prefers Republican Party)

Elected Experience
Former Chair, Grays Harbor Republican Party

Other Professional Experience
Fisheries Biologist, UW, NOAA Fisheries, Army Corps of Engineers (WA, OR, AK), WA Dept Fish and Wildlife, King County DNR. Power Manager, Grays Harbor PUD; Senior Power Analyst, Seattle City Light; Senior Environmental Analyst, Seattle City Light; Research Scientist/Publications Manager, BioSonics, Inc.

Education
Master’s Degree in Public Administration, University of Washington; Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology (minors in Chemistry and German), Western Washington University.

Community Service
Board Member, Small Faces Child Development Center; Board Member, Ghana Together; Board Member, Commencement Bay Rowing Club (youth program).

Statement
Our public lands have been ravaged by natural disasters including tree infestations and forest fires. They’ve also been damaged by a political disaster: state managers that have focused on serving special interest groups instead of providing for taxpayers, school districts, and outdoor recreational enthusiasts.

No more policy-by-press-conference, or angling for higher political office. It’s time for new leadership. Sue is running to bring that new leadership to DNR, the agency responsible for managing our state’s 3 million acres of trust land.

Informed by a lifetime of managing natural resources, Sue will work to ensure that Washington’s working forests continue to provide a steady, reliable stream of income for our public schools. We’ll do this by adopting proven forest management techniques that reduce disease and excess fuel loads in our forests, which accelerate devastating forest fires. Sue will use her experience as a UW and NOAA fisheries and habitat biologist to strike the right balance between protecting wildlife and protecting Washington’s forest economy.

Raised in rural Washington, Sue has a distinguished career in natural resource management, including service as a regulatory liaison for a major hydropower construction project. She has raised two adult children and survived breast cancer.

Contact
sue@citizensforsue.com
PO BOX 98359
LAKEWOOD, WA 98496
Candidate Website
Campaign Contributions

Frank Wallbrown

(Prefers Democratic Party)

Elected Experience
PCO(MLT001), Snohomish County 2019/2020; Various Offices, College

Other Professional Experience
Computer Technician, DCCi; Industrial Hygiene Technician, Former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant; Environmental Science Technician, FGDP; Data Management Intern, FGDP; Phi Mu Delta (Mu Rho Chapter) Charter Member; Union Member (IWW IU640)

Education
Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Science w/ concentration in Geology & Associate of Science in General Mathematics from Shawnee State University; Various OTJ Training (eg OSHA HAZWOPER)

Community Service
Our Revolution Washington Berniecrats Coalition Data Manager; People for Democratic Party Reform Communications Chair; Washington Progressive Caucus Member; Whole Washington Volunteer; Sea Salvage

Statement
My deepest concern is the selling of our state to the highest bidder. Amazon and Weyehauser will not buy me and I will not give up on the people of Washington. If we heal our politics, we can heal the PNW. We have to look deeper into the relationship our policies have on land use and the laws of nature in order to heal the land, sea, and animals.

The land cannot speak for itself, the animals are being ignored, and many people of our state are forgotten. I would like to give all a voice, even if they are not Democrats. Our indigenous brothers and sisters have been mistreated since European explorers first set foot on this land. I intend on giving them their autonomy back and helping them to restore the land, water, and wildlife of this state.

Part of healing the land is healing our economy. Restoration ecology and permaculture are vital to the survival of the PNW. I believe in the GND and that organic hemp farming is a way to create living wage jobs for our people and end our addiction to petroleum and clear cutting.