Upthegrove ahead in Washington lands commissioner race

Dave Upthegrove, a Democrat who is keen to preserve thousands of acres of state forests that could otherwise be logged, was leading the Washington lands commissioner race over Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler.

Upthegrove was ahead Tuesday night with 53% of the vote to Herrera Beutler’s 47%. Vote counting will continue in the days ahead.

Washington’s lands commissioner runs the Department of Natural Resources, the agency that manages nearly 6 million acres of public land. This includes about 3 million acres of state “trust land,” which generates revenue, mostly from logging, for schools and other parts of government. The department is also Washington’s lead wildfire-fighting agency.

Upthegrove chairs the King County Council and previously served five terms in the state House, where he chaired the Environment Committee. He has the backing of major environmental and conservation groups in the state.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/11/05/upthegrove-ahead-in-washington-lands-commissioner-race/