Port of Bellingham commissioner Michael Shepard announces run for state senate

A local Democratic elected official will run for state office after Washington Sen. Sharon Shewmake announced she would not be seeking another term in Olympia.

Michael Shepard, a three-term Port of Bellingham Commissioner, announced on Monday that he would be running in 2026 for the 42nd Legislative District Senate seat.

Shewmake is a Western Washington University economics professor who served two terms as state representative before winning the senate seat in 2022. She said on Dec. 1 that she will continue to serve through the end of her term in January 2027 before stepping down to focus on her family.

Shepard is also an educator — he teaches anthropology at Western and has worked at Northwest Indian College and Whatcom Community College in the past. This year, he ran unopposed to retain his port seat.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/08/port-of-bellingham-commissioner-michael-shepard-announces-run-for-state-senate/