Firefighters throw some green into the Lands Commissioner race

Plus Ferguson's first ad and a snag for the Parents Bill of Rights Initiative

A new political action committee fueled with firefighter money looks poised to boost state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege’s campaign for Commissioner of Public Lands.  

Firefighters For Protecting Public Lands, which registered last week, got a $75,000 infusion from FAST PAC, which is the political arm of the state’s unionized firefighters. This is a two-fer for the firefighters: Van De Wege is one of their own, and the Lands Commissioner oversees the Department of Natural Resources, which handles much of the state’s wildland firefighting. 

Image by Shutterstock

This latest cash infusion sets the stage for a pricey race that could decide which trees Washington leaves in the ground. Under campaign finance laws, the firefighters can spend as much as they like supporting Van De Wege, provided they don’t coordinate with his campaign. Previous races for Lands Commissioner, including the 2016 bid of incumbent Hilary Franz, have been effectively decided in the primary after big independent spending by environmentalists, who are definitely at “no” on Van De Wege.