Gig Harbor Councilmember Running To Replace Pierce County Chair

GIG HARBOR, WA — A freshmen Gig Harbor City Councilmember is looking to take the step up from city to county management.

As the News Tribune first reported Monday, Robyn Denson, who is currently serving her first term as Gig Harbor City Councilmember for Position 5, has filed to bid to replace current Pierce County Council Chairman Derek Young in the next iteration of the council.

Young currently holds the county's District 7 seat, representing Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsulas, islands, and portions of Northern and Western Tacoma. He has served as the Council Chair since early 2021, but will term out next year and cannot seek reelection.

Denson says the decision to seek higher office took heavy consideration, but that she was spurred on by Young himself, who she says sought her out and asked her to run as his replacement.

"Councilmember Young reached out to me last year and asked me to consider running for this seat," Denson told Patch. "He has endorsed me, along with Councilmembers Mello, Campbell and Jinkins."

“It was not part of my plan," Denson told The News Tribune. "I was perfectly happy to remain on the Gig Harbor City Council.”

Like Denson, Young also started his career on the Gig Harbor City Council. Denson's campaign website also highlights several endorsements from other top Washington Democrats, including U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-District 6) and Laurie Jinkins, Speaker of the Washington House of Representatives.

Denson is unlikely to run unopposed, but is the first to formally file. Randy Boss and Marty McClendon, both Republicans, have expressed interest in running for the seat, the News Tribune reported, but have yet to take that next step. Whether a Democrat or a Republican cinches the seat could determine the balance of power on the County Council: the council flipped to a Democrat-majority for the first time ever just earlier this year.

As for her platform, Denson says her three main issues are COVID recovery, housing and homelessness, and environmental concerns, the latter of which she has extensive experience with. Previously, Denson served on the County Conservation Futures Board, and four terms as Gig Harbor Parks Commissioner.

Denson also was a key figure in Gig Harbor's recent effort to buy and preserve a wooded 11.5 acre parcel just north of the Gig Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant, the News Tribune reports. The land, Denson and other leaders argued, was critical for protecting the local salmon population, and culturally significant to the Puyallup Tribe.

Though she has already filed and confirmed her run, her campaign will host an official kick-off party on Jan. 29th.

>> Read more from The News Tribune.