EDITORIAL: We endorse: 3 solid leaders for Washington public lands, treasurer, insurance offices

News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)

Oct. 7--Electing people to statewide office in Washington is kind of like picking a baseball team. There are nine positions, all competing for voter attention on an already crowded 2020 ballot. Some observers argue that nine is too many, public accountability is splintered and unfocused, and most of these jobs should be appointed by the governor.

That's a debate for another day. But three statewide offices, in particular, go largely unnoticed by most Washington voters until they have to do the hiring every four years.

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In 2020, voters should feel comfortable rehiring a trio of incumbents. We endorse Hilary Franz for public lands commissioner; Duane Davidson for treasurer and Mike Kreidler for insurance commissioner.

Of those three leaders, Franz is the one with whom the public may be most familiar, as record West Coast wildfires took a grim toll in Washington. The first-term Democratic public lands commissioner seized the role of frontline visitor and chief consoler of fire-ravaged communities, an important duty as Gov. Jay Inslee focuses on COVID-19.

Franz, 50, came to office in 2017 with a diverse portfolio as an environmental land-use attorney. She's as well versed in Olympia politics as she is the many facets of her job: forest management, shoreline and aquatic land protection, and oversight of Department of Natural Resource lands for both public recreation and school trust funds.

Perhaps most important, the Seattle resident has endured a baptism by fire without losing her irrepressible energy while Washington weathered severe wildfire activity and smoke pollution two of the last three summers. Franz worked collaboratively to develop a 20-year Forest Health Strategic Plan covering 1.25 million acres of private, state and federal land. She recognizes the twin threats of climate change and outdated forest management practices.

Republican challenger Sue Kuehl Pederson has a good background as a retired fish biologist and hydropower manager. But the Lakewood resident's expertise is more deep than broad, and her skepticism of climate-change science is out of step with Washington public policy.

For Washington treasurer, Davidson has also earned a second term. The longtime Benton County treasurer understands government fiduciary responsibilities at every level and gives Eastern Washington a rare seat at the statewide leadership table.

As the state's banker, Davidson, 61, oversaw investment practices that helped Washington upgrade a key bond and credit rating from Aaa from Aa1. The Republican serves as a necessary voice (sometimes in the wilderness) expressing caution about our state's growing pile of debt, which at more than $20 billion is sixth-highest per capita in the US.

Davidson has also mixed some progressivism with his conservatism; he's lobbied for federal banking reform that could benefit Washington's cannabis industry and has promoted women to top jobs in the office.

State Rep. Mike Pellicciotti, D-Federal Way, is trying to unseat Davidson by condemning his meeting attendance and accusing him of hiding his calendar, as if warming a chair is the most important part of being treasurer. Pellicciotti is a smart guy -- Fulbright scholar, state assistant attorney general on corporate fraud cases. We've endorsed him previously for Legislature. But his attack-dog tactics in this contest are off-putting.

For Washington insurance commissioner, there really is no choice. Kreidler, who's running for a sixth term, stands head and shoulders above his challenger.

Promoting healthcare competition and playing defense against big out-of-state insurance companies requires expertise that Kreidler, a 77-year-old Olympia resident, has developed over 20 years in the office. An optometrist by training, he's also served in Congress, the Legislature and the US Army Reserves.

Kreidler's opponent on the Nov. 3 ballot is Chirayu Patel, 31, a Tacoma Republican and part-time insurance agent. He calls himself an "autistic savant" who channels the ideas of American presidents, but his grasp of American healthcare policy is slippery at best.

The insurance commissioner regulates a $64 billion insurance industry in our state. He must understand every nuance of the Affordable Care Act while the White House tries to roll it back. During COVID-19, Kreidler has issued emergency orders to guard consumers from surprise medical bills, waive copays and deductibles for virus treatment and expand telehealth options.

Kreidler wears the label of a Democrat but he's really a technocrat who's mastered the intricacies of the office, and someday he will retire. Washington is one of only 11 states that elect their insurance commissioners. It's reasonable to ask if we should join the other 39.

ABOUT OUR ENDORSEMENTS

The News Tribune Editorial Board interviewed candidates and did other research before making our picks for the 2020 election. Endorsements are intended to promote civic discourse and encourage voters to dig deeper. Board members who sat in on this set of endorsement sessions include: Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and publisher; Matt Misterek, editorial page editor; Karen Irwin, editorial writer; Matt Driscoll, local news columnist; and Pamela Transue, community representative and former president of Tacoma Community College.

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