What looked to be a two-Republican matchup on election night now features former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler of southwest Washington against King County Council Member Dave Upthegrove
Sue Lani Madsen, contributor
The Center Square Washington
After a race for second place that was too close to call until a mandatory hand recount, partisanship came back into the race for Commissioner of Public Lands.
What looked to be a two-Republican matchup on election night now features former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler of southwest Washington against King County Council Member Dave Upthegrove.
Sue Kuehl Pederson, the endorsed Republican candidate in the race, was defeated by 51 votes by Upthegrove, a Democrat who served in the state House of Representatives from 2002 to 2013.
At a Wednesday debate in Spokane sponsored by the Association of Washington Business, Herrera Beutler and Upthegrove exhibited a cordial relationship. Each candidate emphasized the need to manage state lands for all Washingtonians and to focus on forest health.
Herrera Beutler complimented several initiatives started by the current Commissioner of Public Lands, Democrat Hillary Franz, who left the position to run for Congress in the 6th Congressional District. Franz placed third in the primary.
Upthegrove noted he agreed with much of what his opponent said on the value of healthier forests in reducing wildfire risk.
The primary point of contention between the two candidates was over the management of areas in western Washington identified as legacy forests.
The term is used to describe lands that have regenerated naturally after being logged prior to World War II. These areas are not protected as old growth.
Herrera Beutler said she was opposed to pulling more land out of active management and supported sustainable harvest.
“The set it aside, leave it and walk away model has been proven not to work,” she said.
She advocated relying on recommendations for sustainable timber harvest from forest health experts at the Department of Natural Resources. This would provide timber to the pulp and timber industry and open the canopy to bring sunlight to the forest floor.
Upthegrove agreed that a strong wood products industry is critical. He described his intention to maintain the industry at the same level by harvesting other parcels in the same taxing district in lieu of school trust lands. He intends to use other funds to purchase this additional land for timber harvest.
He did not identify the source of funds or location of the alternative parcels during the debate.
Both emphasized their past experience in making hard decisions and saying “no.” The two agreed that an open-door policy to listen to constituents is necessary and noted the positive side of traveling the entire state during the campaign.
The full debate is available on TVW.
This report was first published by The Center Square Washington.
Also read:
- Signatures filed for initiatives on parental rights, blocking trans athletes from girls’ sports
Supporters of two initiatives on parental rights and transgender participation in girls’ sports filed signatures Friday, moving the measures closer to consideration by Washington lawmakers. - These new laws and taxes take effect in Washington state on Jan. 1
Several new laws and tax increases passed in 2025 take effect Jan. 1 in Washington, impacting unemployment benefits, business taxes, transportation fees, consumer costs and regulatory requirements. - Opinion: Justice for none – Court hands down a mandate without a dime to fund it
Nancy Churchill argues that a Washington Supreme Court ruling on public defense imposes costly mandates on local governments without providing funding to implement them. - Deportations, tariffs, court clashes, record shutdown mark a historic year in Washington, D.C.
A year marked by deportations, tariffs, court battles, and a record federal shutdown reshaped Washington, D.C., during President Donald Trump’s return to office. - Opinion: The progressive attack on Washington’s sheriffs
Nancy Churchill argues that proposed legislation would shift power over county sheriffs away from voters and concentrate control within state government.
