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2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election

(Redirected from Draft:2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election)

The 2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election was held on November 5, 2024. Democrat Dave Upthegrove, a King County councilman, defeated Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, a former U.S. Representative from Washington's 3rd congressional district.[1] The top-two primary was held on August 6.[2] Incumbent Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020, did not seek a third term in office, opting to run for governor.[3][4] The primary saw a close race with the Democratic vote split across five candidates, causing a recount in order to determine the winners and narrowly avoiding a lockout for the Democratic Party.[5]

2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election
← 2020 November 5, 2024 2028 →
 
Candidate Dave Upthegrove Jaime Herrera Beutler
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,969,936 1,765,121
Percentage 52.62% 47.15%
County results
Upthegrove:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Beutler:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Public Lands Commissioner before election

Hilary Franz
Democratic

Elected Public Lands Commissioner

Dave Upthegrove
Democratic

Background

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Current Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020, is not seeking a third term. She initially chose to run for governor, later dropping out of that race to instead run for the U.S. House.[6] During the primary election, the race drew many candidates, including five Democrats and two Republicans. It was suggested that the numerous Democratic candidates might split the vote enough so that the two Republican candidates might advance to the general election, locking out Democrats from the office.[7]

The results of the primary election had Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler lead while the second place position remained tight between Democrat Dave Upthegrove and Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson, with a margin of only 51 votes between the two. This triggered an automatic hand recount per Washington state laws.[8][9] After a recount and certification of the results showed Upthegrove with a lead of 49 votes, he advanced to the general election thus ensuring that Democrats would not be locked out of the general election.[10]

During their campaigns, both Upthegrove and Beutler focused on the protection and management of forests and public lands albeit with differing views of how such aims would be achieved. Upthegrove emphasized preservation of public lands, especially legacy forests (mature natural forests), and maintaining a balance between conservation and economical value of the forests. Beutler focused on the generation of revenue via logging and other activities to keep lands economically and environmentally sustainable, claiming that excessive preservation of legacy forests can lead to susceptibility to disease, raise wildfire risks, and reduce the stream of revenue on which schools and other public services rely. On tribal issues, Upthegrove supports strengthening the role of co-management with tribes while Buetler supports continuing Franz's creation of a tribal liaison.[11][12]

Primary election

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Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning that all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two move on to the general election.

Democratic candidates

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Advanced to general

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Eliminated in primary

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Withdrawn

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Declined

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Republican candidates

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Advanced to general

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Eliminated in primary

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  • Sue Kuehl Pederson, retired utility manager and runner-up for Public Lands Commissioner in 2020[13]

Endorsements

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Jaime Herrera Beutler (R)
U.S. Representatives
Statewide officials
Individuals
Labor unions
Organizations
Newspapers
Tribes
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R)
Political parties
Patrick DePoe (D)
Statewide officials
Labor unions
Tribes
Newspapers
Dave Upthegrove (D)
Statewide officials
Organizations
Newspapers
Mona Das (D) (withdrawn)
State legislators
Local officials
Rebecca Saldaña (D) (withdrawn)
Organizations

Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Patrick
DePoe (D) 		Jaime Herrera
Beutler (R) 		Allen
Lebovitz (D) 		Sue Kuehl
Pederson (R) 		Dave
Upthegrove (D) 		Kevin Van
De Wege (D) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling (D)[A] July 24–25, 2024 581 (LV) ± 4.0% 4% 18% 3% 12% 6% 5% 5%[b] 48%
Public Policy Polling (D)[A] May 15–16, 2024 615 (LV) ± 4.0% 1% 16% 5% 12% 4% 2% – 58%
Public Policy Polling (D)[A] November 14–15, 2023 700 (LV) ± 3.7% 5% 18% – 14% 3% 2% 11%[c] 48%

Forum

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2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner primary candidate forum
No. Date Host Moderator Link Democratic Democratic Republican Republican Democratic Democratic Democratic
Key:
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
Anderson DePoe Herrera
Beutler 		Kuehl
Pederson 		Lebovitz Upthegrove Van De Wege
1 Jul. 18, 2024 League of Women Voters of Washington
The Columbian
The Reflector 		Craig Brown TVW P P P P P P P

Results

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A top-two primary took place on August 6. All candidates were listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two advanced to the general election in November. Results were certified by county canvassing boards on August 20, showing Democrat Dave Upthegrove in second place, with a margin of only 51 votes (0.0027% of the total votes) over Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson, enough to trigger an automatic hand recount per Washington state laws.[40][9]

On September 3, hand recounts returned with Upthegrove holding a 53 vote margin over Pederson.[37][41] Results were certified on September 4, with Dave Upthegrove holding a final margin of 49 votes over Sue Kuehl Pederson, ensuring that Democrats would not be locked out of the general election.[42][10]

 
Blanket primary results by county
  Herrera Beutler
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Upthegrove
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  Pederson
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Van De Wege
  •   20–30%
Blanket primary election results[43][44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler 419,309 22.033
Democratic Dave Upthegrove 396,304 20.824
Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson 396,255 20.821
Democratic Patrick DePoe 267,944 14.079
Democratic Allen Lebovitz 194,118 10.200
Democratic Kevin Van De Wege 143,174 7.523
Democratic Jeralee Anderson 84,353 4.432
Write-in 1,658 0.087
Total votes 1,903,115 100.0

General election

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Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[d] 		Margin
of error 		Dave
Upthegrove (D) 		Jaime
Herrera Beutler (R) 		Undecided
Public Policy Polling (D)[A] October 16–17, 2024 571 (LV) ± 4.1% 46% 38% 16%
Strategies 360 October 11–16, 2024 600 (RV) ± 4.0% 47% 38% 15%
Cascade PBS/Elway Research October 8–12, 2024 401 (LV) ± 5.0% 41% 35% 24%

Debates & forums

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2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner debates & candidate forums
No. Date Host Moderator Link Democratic Republican
Key:
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
Dave Upthegrove Jaime Herrera Beutler
1 Sep. 18, 2024 Association of Washington Business Bill Lucia TVW P P
2 Sep. 25, 2024 League of Women Voters of Washington
and Benton-Franklin Counties
Northwest Public Broadcasting 		Matt Loveless YouTube P P
3 Oct. 2, 2024 The Impact Mike McClanahan TVW P P
4 Oct. 7, 2024 Society of American Foresters Samantha Chang TVW P P

Results

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2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election[45]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Dave Upthegrove 1,969,936 52.62% −4.07%
Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler 1,765,121 47.15% +3.94%
Write-in 8,384 0.22% +0.12%
Total votes 3,743,441 100.0%
Democratic hold

Notes

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  1. ^ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. ^ Jeralee Anderson (D) with 5%
  3. ^ Rebecca Saldaña (D) with 6%; Mona Das (D) with 5%
  4. ^ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
Partisan clients
  1. ^ a b c d Poll conducted for The Cascadia Advocate

References

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  1. ^ "Upthegrove elected WA lands commissioner". The Seattle Times. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "2024 State Primary Election Dates". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz announces run for governor". AP News. May 10, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Cornfield, Jerry (November 10, 2023). "Franz halts bid for WA governor, sets sights on Congress • Washington State Standard". Washington State Standard. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Robertson, Kipp (September 3, 2024). "Upthegrove will advance to November election for commissioner of public lands after hand recount". king5.com. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Brunner, Jim (November 10, 2023). "WA lands commissioner Hilary Franz drops out of governor's race to run for Congress". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Greenstone, Scott (July 31, 2024). "Will the race for Washington land commissioner come down to two Republicans?". www.kuow.org. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  8. ^ Buhain, Venice (September 18, 2024). "5 takeaways from the WA public lands commissioner debate | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Lucia, Bill (August 21, 2024). "Washington lands commissioner race heads toward recount • Washington State Standard". Washington State Standard. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Villeneuve, Andrew (September 4, 2024). "Dave Upthegrove emerges victorious from hand recount in tight Lands Commissioner race". NPI's Cascadia Advocate. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Demkovich, Laurel (October 16, 2024). "Herrera Beutler and Upthegrove square-off in WA lands commissioner debate". Washington State Standard. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Oregon Public Broadcasting.
  12. ^ Buhain, Venice (September 18, 2024). "5 takeaways from the WA public lands commissioner debate | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e Villeneuve, Andrew (July 6, 2023). "Mona Das formally launches 2024 candidacy for Washington Commissioner of Public Lands". The Cascadia Advocate. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  14. ^ "PRIMARY 2024 Candidate List". voter.votewa.gov. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Sowersby, Shauna (September 8, 2023). "Makah Tribal member Patrick DePoe announces bid for WA public lands commissioner". The Olympian.
  16. ^ a b c Withycombe, Claire (April 11, 2024). "Sen. Saldaña suspends campaign for WA lands commissioner". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  17. ^ Haas, Ryan (October 10, 2023). "Former US Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler confirms run for Washington lands commissioner". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  18. ^ https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article292975944.html
  19. ^ https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article292975944.html
  20. ^ Roland, Mitchell (April 10, 2024). "Joe Kent endorses Jaime Herrera Beutler's bid for public lands post". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  21. ^ https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article292975944.html
  22. ^ https://www.iupatdc5.org/news/iupat-dc5-endorses-candidates-in-washington-primary
  23. ^ "Endorsements". Mainstream Republicans of Washington. May 5, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  24. ^ https://www.legistorm.com/stormfeed/view_rss/2102616/member/2806/title/jaime-herrera-beutler-endorsed-by-washington-council-of-police-and-sheriffs.html
  25. ^ https://wsfb.com/media/dynamic/files/798-2024-wfb-pac-general-election-endorsements.pdf
  26. ^ https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/oct/18/in-our-view-herrera-beutler-for-commissioner-of-public-lands/
  27. ^ https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-herrera-beutler-best-to-lead-public-lands-mission/
  28. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/the-seattle-times-editorial-board-recommends-jaime-herrera-beutler-for-wa-lands-commissioner/
  29. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/wa-lands-commissioner-general-election-where-candidates-stand-on-key-issues/
  30. ^ Nir, David (April 22, 2024). "Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 4/22". Daily Kos. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  31. ^ "2024 Endorsements". Washington Education Association. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  32. ^ "Colville Tribes endorse Patrick DePoe for commissioner of public lands of Washington". Source ONE. October 23, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  33. ^ "The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Patrick DePoe for public lands commissioner". The Seattle Times. June 28, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  34. ^ Villenueve, Andrew (May 24, 2024). "Democratic Party still at risk of general election lockout in 2024 Commissioner of Public Lands race, NPI poll finds". The Cascadia Advocate. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  35. ^ "3.14 Action Fund Endorses Dave Upthegrove for Washington State Land Commissioner" (PDF). 314 Action. October 5, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  36. ^ LeDonne, Sarah. "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Endorses 23 More Candidates for 2023 and 2024". LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  37. ^ a b Breda, Isabella; Zhou, Amanda (September 3, 2024). "WA lands commissioner recount results: Democrat Upthegrove poised to advance to general". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  38. ^ "The Stranger's Endorsements for the August, 6, 2024 Primary Election". July 31, 2024.
  39. ^ "Latino Victory Fund Endorses Emily Randall for Congress and Rebecca Saldaña for Public Lands Commissioner". Latino Victory. February 28, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  40. ^ Hunter, Steve (August 20, 2024). "Upthegrove has 51-vote lead for 2nd in state lands commissioner race". Kent Reporter. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  41. ^ Buhain, Venice (September 3, 2024). "Upthegrove retains spot in Public Lands general election race". Cascade PBS. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  42. ^ "Upthegrove advances in WA Commissioner of Public Lands race after statewide recount". Yahoo News. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  43. ^ "August 6, 2024 Primary Results". Office of the Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  44. ^ "Certification of Recount" (PDF). Office of the Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  45. ^ "November 5, 2024 General Election Results - Commissioner of Public Lands". Washington Secretary of State.


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Official campaign websites
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