OLYMPIA, WA - Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz has announced her intent to run for the office of governor. In a fundraising email today, she said it has been "one of the greatest honors in my life to serve my home state as Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands, and we’ve accomplished so much together."
The 52-year-old Franz is a conservation attorney and has been serving as the 16th Commissioner of Public Lands since 2017. She is a member of the Democratic Party who was previously a member of the Bainbridge Island City Council and was elected as commissioner in 2016.
"Washington has become a national leader in wildfire fighting and fire preparedness. We’re on the front lines of a changing climate, and we’ve been on the front lines of climate policy. We’ve secured historic investments in wildfire funding, reforestation, and maintaining our forests. And along the way, we’ve created countless sustainable, good-paying jobs in urban and rural communities across the state," Franz says in her email.
"Our reality is changing, and once in a lifetime is now once a month. On climate and across the board, we’re paying the price. Wages are slow to rise, housing is through the roof, and childcare is out of reach. We need a leader who is not afraid to take risks and try bold new strategies to secure a brighter future for all of us," Franz adds. "Growing up, my dad taught me that epic progress happens when you do two things: You work together and you take care of people first."
Franz says she is running for governor because, with all that’s at stake right now, "anything shy of epic won’t cut it. Together, we’ve got to plan, we’ve got to prepare, and we’ve got to act now. I have bold plans to address our state’s challenges and create a cleaner, prosperous future for all. But, like this campaign, it can only happen if we work together."
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