Franklin County Republicans chair announces run to replace commissioner who is resigning
The Franklin County Republican Party’s chairman is throwing his hat in the ring to replace outgoing county Commissioner Brad Peck when he steps down in January.
Peck, who has represented District 1 for 15 years, announced last week he would be resigning effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Now the county’s Republican Party leader Stephen Bauman has announced he intends to run for the seat. Bauman will make a formal announcement Friday at the Franklin County Courthouse.
Bauman previously ran for the seat as a write-in candidate in 2020. Peck won a narrow victory over Bauman and Democrat challenger Kim Lehrman, but Bauman received about 17% of the vote with write-ins.
Because Peck will be resigning with a year left in his term, the remaining county commissioners, Clint Didier and Rocky Mullen, will appoint someone to fill the seat. The list of recommendations for the interim role will come from the county Republican Party, per Washington state law.
Bauman told the Herald that the party discussed the recommendation process at its most recent meeting and will wait until the seat is vacated to begin the process of compiling names. Bauman said he was planning on putting his name forward, and had encouraged anyone else considering it to come forward.
Bauman said Pasco Councilman David Milne also is considering a run. Milne just won reelection with a 44-point margin for his District 5 council seat.
Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond told the Herald he hasn’t completely ruled out a run, but he said years ago that if Bauman were to run he would support him.
Raymond said he believes that if Bauman is throwing his hat in the ring, he would do a good job in the role..
If the county commissioners cannot decide on a name from the list to fill the seat within 90 days of Peck’s resignation, then the decision will go to Gov. Jay Inslee.
Whoever is selected to fill the seat will need to file for the 2024 election if they wish to remain on the board after the end of Peck’s unexpired term at the end of next year.
Developer and business owner
“I’m extremely excited to make this announcement. I believe I’m the right person for the job. I have lived, worked and built my business in Franklin County and there’s no one better equipped for this position,” Bauman said in a news release.
He is a developer and the owner of B4 Developing and Consulting. He was elected to county chairman in January 2023, taking the reins from Didier.
Under Bauman’s leadership, the county party recently swept every Pasco city council and school board races where they had endorsed candidates. They were able to successfully defeat a number of appointed incumbents and shift the balance on the boards.
“I believe it’s important that Franklin County is represented by someone who is intimately familiar with the workings of both the urban and rural components of our county. I’ve worked extensively with the city of Pasco on development projects,” Bauman said.
“I’ve also worked a tremendous amount with the leaders of Franklin County on large scale commercial and residential developments. The unique thing about my life experience is I grew up farming in Franklin County, so I’m extremely familiar with what our agricultural community needs are as well. When you combine those experiences, I think I’m ready to hit the ground running and accomplish some great things for Franklin County.”
