By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – State Representative Mike Chapman (D) of Port Angeles announced Tuesday he’s running for State Senate in the 24th Legislative District. This is the seat that will be vacated by Senator Kevin Van De Wege who is running for Washington State Lands Commissioner.
Chapman, who is currently serving his fourth term as State Representative, says he wasn’t aspiring to move over to the Senate, but is honored and excited to do so after being asked to run by Senate leadership in Olympia.
“Yeah, I am excited to think about serving in that body, something I never, you know, I figured Kevin would be there longer than I would. So it is really an honor to have been asked specifically to run. And, one thing they did want to say was, we’d like you to come on over, but be prepared to hang around for a while, just because that’s how you really begin to get things done. So, I’ll work as hard as I always do. But, it’s exciting to think about serving in that body.”
Chapman keeps himself busy. He’s currently the Chair of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Business/Consumer Protection Committee. We asked where he sees himself focusing his energy should he be elected to the Senate.
“Moving over to the Senate where I feel like I’ll be able to move up a little quicker into the budget realm. And that’s really where I want to focus, much like Senator Hargrove and Senator Van De Wege. They were members of the Ways and Means Committee, and I feel like there’s a pathway for me to get involved in the budget to make sure that the North Olympic Peninsula continues to see the investments that we need, to have made, to make sure that our infrastructure is, you know, top-notch. We’ve done a good job, obviously Representatives Tharenger and I in the House and Steve carrying the capital budget. I think we’ve done a great job. But, there’s an opening in the Senate and I think there’s a cleaner pathway for me to really take my career into the next level of budget work, and public infrastructure funding.”
Rep. Chapman says it’s not lost on him what it means to be running for Senator as a candidate from the 24TH District, given the legacy of the past 50 years.
“Look, we’ve had a tremendous history of Senators. Senator Van De Wege, obviously Senator Hargrove for 30-plus years, and before Senator Hargrove, Senator Paul Conner. So, basically, since the mid-70s, I believe, we’ve had three state senators. So, you know, obviously there’s some tremendous shoes to fill but also, a long tradition of good work in the Senate on behalf of the district. And I think, if you look at Senator Connor, Senator Hargrove and Senator Van De Wege, they all left their mark to make the north Olympic Peninsula little better place, and that would be one of the goals that I would have, obviously.”
Chapman acknowledges that’s he’s announcing his campaign early, with the election more than a year away, but he has money left over from his last campaign for representative and he has to start getting signed permission from his donors to transfer those funds over to his run for Senate.
(Photo courtesy of Rep. Chapman)