News

Neah Bay, WA, September 13, 2023 – Last week, Patrick Finedays DePoe, a Democrat and proud member of the Makah Tribe, announced that he’s running to serve as Washington State’s next Commissioner of Public Lands. Today, he released the following statement as State Senator Rebecca Saldaña enters the race.

Makah Tribal member Patrick Finedays DePoe has announced that he is running as a Democrat for Washington state’s Commissioner of Public Lands.

If elected, DePoe would become the first Native American to hold a statewide position in the Pacific Northwest.

...Meanwhile, Patrick DePoe, a member of the Makah Tribe and director of tribal relations for the Department of Natural Resources, kicked off his campaign last week. The Neah Bay Democrat enters with the endorsement of Hilary Franz, the current commissioner and his boss, who is running for governor.

“I’ve spent my life living off the land. I’ve spent my life caring for the land. This is where my heart is at,” DePoe said. “I’m the only candidate that doesn’t need on-the-job training.”

...DePoe, meanwhile, would be the first Native American lands commissioner. The state’s tribes have a deep interest in the state’s lands because of their treaty rights to fish, hunt, and gather on waters and lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources.