1. Hilary Franz 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.
19 Facts About Hilary Franz
1. 2.
Hilary Franz was a competitive ice skater for twelve years as a child and teenager, frequenting the same ice rinks as future Olympian Tonya Harding.
3.
Hilary Franz graduated from Smith College with a bachelor's degree in English language and government in 1992 and the Northeastern University School of Law with a juris doctor.
4.
Hilary Franz practiced as an attorney in the Seattle area from 1997 to 2011, specializing in environmental law and conservation.
5.
Hilary Franz was elected to the Bainbridge Island city council in 2008 and served one term, during which she lobbied the state government for the establishment of the area's first open water marina at Eagle Harbor.
6.
Hilary Franz served on several regional conservation and land management boards, including committees of the Puget Sound Regional Council.
7.
Hilary Franz received the early endorsement of Goldmark, as well as former King County Executive Ron Sims and the Bullitt Center.
8.
Hilary Franz finished second overall during the primary election, advancing to the general election alongside Republican candidate Steve McLaughlin and ahead of seven other Democrats.
9.
Hilary Franz was sworn in as Commissioner of Public Lands on January 11,2017.
10.
Hilary Franz ordered an investigation into the farm and announced that the farm would be removed for various violations of its state license and lease agreement.
11.
Hilary Franz was part of the state government's effort to halt federal plans for offshore drilling in the Pacific Ocean near the Olympic Peninsula.
12.
Hilary Franz proposed the hiring of 30 full-time wildland firefighters, the purchase of two helicopters, and the creation of a fire-training academy specifically for wildfires.
13.
Under Hilary Franz, logging on DNR lands was allowed to increase in order to raise revenue for local government needs, which drew criticism from conservationists.
14.
Hilary Franz was re-elected Commissioner of Public Lands in 2020, defeating Sue Kuehl Pederson in the general election.
15.
On May 10,2023, Hilary Franz announced her campaign for Washington governor in the upcoming 2024 election.
16.
Hilary Franz had previously expressed interest in running in the 2020 election, but incumbent governor Jay Inslee had decided to run for a third term.
17.
Hilary Franz withdrew from the race on November 10 to run for the United States House of Representatives in the 6th district, a day after incumbent Derek Kilmer announced he was not seeking re-election in the 2024 election.
18.
Hilary Franz attributed her loss to heavy spending from out-of-state donors and political action committees that supported her Democratic opponent state senator Emily Randall.
19.
Hilary Franz has three sons and lived on a farm in Bainbridge Island prior to being elected as commissioner.