Former GOP Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler announces bid for Public Lands Commissioner

Former U.S. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler, who represented the 3rd Congressional District that includes part of Thurston County, has officially announced her run for Commissioner of Public Lands in 2024.

The Republican joins six other candidates in the bid for the seat being vacated by Democrat Hilary Franz, who is instead running for governor.

The Seattle Times first reported the announcement on Monday, but a press release Tuesday from her campaign confirmed Herrera Beutler’s intent to run for the office with a statement.

In the news release, she said the “undermanagement and neglect” of public forests has turned them into “crowded, diseased tinderboxes.” She pointed to her experience in Congress fighting for more resources to manage forests and to “remove the dead and diseased trees that serve as fuel for the fires that plague us every summer” while also quickly fighting fires that occur.

“We are so fortunate to live in America’s most beautiful state, and all of us have a responsibility to keep it that way,” Herrera Beutler said. “I will work with Tribes, scientists, landowners, sportsmen, the forest industry and conservation groups to make sure Washington’s forests and diverse array of species and habitats thrive, and to preserve access to recreational use of public land for its owners — the people of Washington.”

Herrera Beutler was in Congress serving Southwest Washington for more than a decade before being defeated in the 2022 primary by Republican Joe Kent, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Kent’s opponent, Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, won the general election by a small margin.

Herrera Beutler found herself among only nine other Republicans in the U.S. House who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Sue K. Pederson is the only other Republican who has announced that she is running for Lands Commissioner, and her campaign has brought in just over $2,200, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission.

Democratic lawmakers including state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, and former Sen. Mona Das, have all joined the race as well. Democrat Dave Upthegrove is also in the running.

Makah Tribal member Patrick DePoe also announced his bid for the office, and Franz has already endorsed DePoe as the candidate to succeed her in office.

Van De Wege leads the race in donations so far with more than $109,000. Das has raised more than $55,000 while Upthegrove has brought in $65,000. Saldaña and DePoe have not reported any campaign funds yet.

As of Tuesday, Herrera Beutler had not officially filed on the PDC’s website.