2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election
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   Upthegrove: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Herrera Beutler: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | ||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington (state) |
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The 2024 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election was held on November 5, 2024. Democrat Dave Upthegrove, a King County councilmember, 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, opting to run instead 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]
Background
Current Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020, did not seek 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 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 supported strengthening the role of co-management with tribes while Beutler supported continuing Franz's creation of a tribal liaison.[11][8]
Primary election
Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two advance to the general election.
Democratic candidates
Advanced to general
- Dave Upthegrove, King County councilmember (2014–2025)[12]
Eliminated in primary
- Jeralee Anderson, Redmond city councilor (2021–present)[13]
- Patrick DePoe, director of tribal relations for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources[14]
- Allen Lebovitz, wildland fire and forest health liaison for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources[15]
- Kevin Van De Wege, state senator from the 24th district (2017–present)[12]
Withdrawn
- Mona Das, former state senator from the 47th district (2019–2023)[15]
- Rebecca Saldaña, state senator from the 37th district (2016–present)[15]
Declined
- Hilary Franz, incumbent Public Lands Commissioner (2017–present) (ran for U.S. House, endorsed DePoe)[6][14]
Republican candidates
Advanced to general
- Jaime Herrera Beutler, former U.S. Representative from Washington's 3rd congressional district (2011–2023)[16]
Eliminated in primary
Endorsements
U.S. Representatives
- Dan Newhouse, U.S. Representative from Washington's 4th congressional district (2015–present)[17]
Statewide officials
Individuals
Labor unions
- Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers[17]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 5[19]
Organizations
- Mainstream Republicans of Washington[20]
- Washington Association of Police Organizations[21]
- Washington Farm Bureau[22]
Newspapers
Tribes
- Political parties
Statewide officials
- Hilary Franz, Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands (2017–present)[14]
Labor unions
Tribes
Newspapers
Statewide officials
Organizations
Newspapers
State legislators
- Claudia Kauffman, state senator[12]
Local officials
- Tina Podlodowski, former Seattle city councilor and former chair of the Washington State Democratic Party[12]
Organizations
Polling
| 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)[37][A] | July 24–25, 2024 | 581 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 4% | 18% | 3% | 12% | 6% | 5% | 5%[b] | 48% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[38][A] | May 15–16, 2024 | 615 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 1% | 16% | 5% | 12% | 4% | 2% | – | 58% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[39][A] | November 14–15, 2023 | 700 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 5% | 18% | – | 14% | 3% | 2% | 11%[c] | 48% |
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
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.[34][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]
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 20–30%
| 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
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[d] |
Margin of error |
Dave Upthegrove (D) |
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[44][A] | October 16–17, 2024 | 571 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 46% | 38% | 16% |
| Strategies 360[45] | October 11–16, 2024 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 47% | 38% | 15% |
| Cascade PBS/Elway Research[46] | October 8–12, 2024 | 401 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 41% | 35% | 24% |
Debates & 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
| 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 | 8,394 | 0.22% | +0.12% | ||
| Total votes | 3,743,451 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County[48] | Dave Upthegrove
Democratic |
Jaime Herrera Beutler
Republican |
Write-in
Various |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,182 | 22.92% | 3,962 | 76.81% | 14 | 0.27% | -2,780 | -53.90% | 5,158 |
| Asotin | 3,395 | 31.12% | 7,493 | 68.69% | 20 | 0.18% | -4,098 | -37.57% | 10,908 |
| Benton | 31,896 | 33.06% | 64,393 | 66.73% | 203 | 0.21% | -32,497 | -33.68% | 96,492 |
| Chelan | 15,304 | 38.08% | 24,828 | 61.78% | 54 | 0.13% | -9,524 | -23.70% | 40,186 |
| Clallam | 23,010 | 49.17% | 23,699 | 50.64% | 91 | 0.19% | -689 | -1.47% | 46,800 |
| Clark | 122,529 | 47.03% | 136,098 | 52.24% | 1,916 | 0.74% | -13,569 | -5.21% | 260,543 |
| Columbia | 535 | 22.58% | 1,827 | 77.12% | 7 | 0.30% | -1,292 | -54.54% | 2,369 |
| Cowlitz | 19,536 | 34.38% | 36,881 | 64.90% | 409 | 0.72% | -17,345 | -30.52% | 56,826 |
| Douglas | 6,326 | 31.18% | 13,921 | 68.62% | 41 | 0.20% | -7,595 | -37.44% | 20,288 |
| Ferry | 1,105 | 27.78% | 2,866 | 72.05% | 7 | 0.18% | -1,761 | -44.27% | 3,978 |
| Franklin | 10,443 | 34.11% | 20,127 | 65.74% | 46 | 0.15% | -9,684 | -31.63% | 30,616 |
| Garfield | 243 | 18.63% | 1,060 | 81.29% | 1 | 0.08% | -817 | -62.65% | 1,304 |
| Grant | 9,190 | 26.56% | 25,336 | 73.23% | 73 | 0.21% | -16,146 | -46.67% | 34,599 |
| Grays Harbor | 15,110 | 41.76% | 20,997 | 58.02% | 80 | 0.22% | -5,887 | -16.27% | 36,187 |
| Island | 26,330 | 52.14% | 24,074 | 47.67% | 99 | 0.20% | 2,256 | 4.47% | 50,503 |
| Jefferson | 16,360 | 67.96% | 7,687 | 31.93% | 27 | 0.11% | 8,673 | 36.03% | 24,074 |
| King | 730,900 | 67.87% | 344,616 | 32.00% | 1,474 | 0.14% | 386,284 | 35.87% | 1,076,990 |
| Kitsap | 81,860 | 54.44% | 68,301 | 45.42% | 213 | 0.14% | 13,559 | 9.02% | 150,374 |
| Kittitas | 8,943 | 35.50% | 16,206 | 64.32% | 45 | 0.18% | -7,263 | -28.83% | 25,194 |
| Klickitat | 5,112 | 39.52% | 7,739 | 59.83% | 85 | 0.66% | -2,627 | -20.31% | 12,936 |
| Lewis | 12,024 | 27.68% | 31,165 | 71.73% | 258 | 0.59% | -19,141 | -44.06% | 43,447 |
| Lincoln | 1,274 | 18.39% | 5,642 | 81.45% | 11 | 0.16% | -4,368 | -63.06% | 6,927 |
| Mason | 15,518 | 44.08% | 19,599 | 55.68% | 85 | 0.24% | -4,081 | -11.59% | 35,202 |
| Okanogan | 7,371 | 36.93% | 12,538 | 62.83% | 48 | 0.24% | -5,167 | -25.89% | 19,957 |
| Pacific | 5,747 | 41.93% | 7,885 | 57.53% | 74 | 0.54% | -2,138 | -15.60% | 13,706 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,184 | 26.47% | 6,050 | 73.32% | 18 | 0.22% | -3,866 | -46.85% | 8,252 |
| Pierce | 209,423 | 49.75% | 210,804 | 50.08% | 732 | 0.17% | -1,381 | -0.33% | 420,959 |
| San Juan | 8,770 | 71.22% | 3,517 | 28.56% | 27 | 0.22% | 5,253 | 42.66% | 12,314 |
| Skagit | 32,131 | 48.13% | 34,495 | 51.67% | 128 | 0.19% | -2,364 | -3.54% | 66,754 |
| Skamania | 2,690 | 38.61% | 4,209 | 60.40% | 69 | 0.99% | -1,519 | -21.80% | 6,968 |
| Snohomish | 209,235 | 53.08% | 184,349 | 46.77% | 613 | 0.16% | 24,886 | 6.31% | 394,197 |
| Spokane | 113,724 | 41.47% | 159,989 | 58.34% | 500 | 0.18% | -46,265 | -16.87% | 274,213 |
| Stevens | 6,371 | 23.15% | 21,105 | 76.68% | 46 | 0.17% | -14,734 | -53.54% | 27,522 |
| Thurston | 84,851 | 53.69% | 72,860 | 46.10% | 330 | 0.21% | 11,991 | 7.59% | 158,041 |
| Wahkiakum | 985 | 33.44% | 1,935 | 65.68% | 26 | 0.88% | -950 | -32.25% | 2,946 |
| Walla Walla | 11,222 | 39.36% | 17,263 | 60.55% | 24 | 0.08% | -6,041 | -21.19% | 28,509 |
| Whatcom | 76,452 | 57.73% | 55,808 | 42.14% | 175 | 0.13% | 20,644 | 15.59% | 132,435 |
| Whitman | 9,122 | 47.41% | 10,080 | 52.39% | 37 | 0.19% | -958 | -4.98% | 19,239 |
| Yakima | 31,533 | 36.86% | 53,717 | 62.80% | 288 | 0.34% | -22,184 | -25.93% | 85,538 |
| Totals | 1,969,936 | 52.62% | 1,765,121 | 47.15% | 8,394 | 0.22% | 204,815 | 5.47% | 3,743,451 |
By congressional district
Upthegrove won six of ten congressional districts, with the remaining four going to Herrera Beutler, including two that elected Democrats.[49]
| District | Upthegrove | Herrera Beutler | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 57% | 43% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 56% | 44% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 42% | 57% | Marie Gluesenkamp Perez |
| 4th | 34% | 66% | Dan Newhouse |
| 5th | 39% | 61% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers (118th Congress) |
| Michael Baumgartner (119th Congress) | |||
| 6th | 54% | 46% | Derek Kilmer (118th Congress) |
| Emily Randall (119th Congress) | |||
| 7th | 79% | 21% | Pramila Jayapal |
| 8th | 46% | 54% | Kim Schrier |
| 9th | 65% | 35% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 53% | 47% | Marilyn Strickland |
Notes
Partisan clients
- ^ a b c d Poll conducted for The Cascadia Advocate
References
- ^ "Upthegrove elected WA lands commissioner". The Seattle Times. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ "2024 State Primary Election Dates". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz announces run for governor". AP News. May 10, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Greenstone, Scott (July 31, 2024). "Will the race for Washington land commissioner come down to two Republicans?". www.kuow.org. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Buhain, Venice (September 18, 2024). "5 takeaways from the WA public lands commissioner debate | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Lucia, Bill (August 21, 2024). "Washington lands commissioner race heads toward recount • Washington State Standard". Washington State Standard. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "PRIMARY 2024 Candidate List". voter.votewa.gov. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Sowersby, Shauna (September 8, 2023). "Makah Tribal member Patrick DePoe announces bid for WA public lands commissioner". The Olympian.
- ^ a b c Withycombe, Claire (April 11, 2024). "Sen. Saldaña suspends campaign for WA lands commissioner". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Haas, Ryan (October 10, 2023). "Former US Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler confirms run for Washington lands commissioner". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article292975944.html
- ^ Roland, Mitchell (April 10, 2024). "Joe Kent endorses Jaime Herrera Beutler's bid for public lands post". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "IUPAT DC5 Endorses Washington Primary Candidates".
- ^ "Endorsements". Mainstream Republicans of Washington. May 5, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Jaime Herrera Beutler Endorsed by Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs - Former Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler Campaign Press Release | LegiStorm".
- ^ https://wsfb.com/media/dynamic/files/798-2024-wfb-pac-general-election-endorsements.pdf
- ^ "In Our View: Herrera Beutler for commissioner of public lands".
- ^ "Editorial: Herrera Beutler best to lead public lands mission". October 8, 2024.
- ^ "Here's who the Seattle Times editorial board recommends for WA lands commissioner | Editorial". October 15, 2024.
- ^ "Candidates hold competing visions for managing WA public lands in a changing climate". October 15, 2024.
- ^ Nir, David (April 22, 2024). "Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 4/22". Daily Kos. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Endorsements". Washington Education Association. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ "Colville Tribes endorse Patrick DePoe for commissioner of public lands of Washington". Source ONE. October 23, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ "The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Patrick DePoe for public lands commissioner". The Seattle Times. June 28, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "3.14 Action Fund Endorses Dave Upthegrove for Washington State Land Commissioner" (PDF). 314 Action. October 5, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ LeDonne, Sarah. "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Endorses 23 More Candidates for 2023 and 2024". LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "The Stranger's Endorsements for the August, 6, 2024 Primary Election". July 31, 2024.
- ^ "Latino Victory Fund Endorses Emily Randall for Congress and Rebecca Saldaña for Public Lands Commissioner". Latino Victory. February 28, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Hunter, Steve (August 20, 2024). "Upthegrove has 51-vote lead for 2nd in state lands commissioner race". Kent Reporter. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ Buhain, Venice (September 3, 2024). "Upthegrove retains spot in Public Lands general election race". Cascade PBS. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ "Upthegrove advances in WA Commissioner of Public Lands race after statewide recount". Yahoo News. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (September 4, 2024). "Amended Canvass of the Returns of the Primary Held on August 6, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Strategies 360
- ^ Cascade PBS/Elway Research
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (December 4, 2024). "Canvass of the Returns of the General Election Held on November 5, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (November 5, 2024). "Commissioner of Public Lands - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 29, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ "2024Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 28, 2024.
External links
Official campaign websites