Port commissioner and Nisqually Tribal member will run for open state Senate seat in Olympia
Olympia Port Commissioner Bob Iyall will run for the Senate seat in Olympia left open by longtime state Sen. Sam Hunt, who announced in February that he is retiring.
Iyall, a Nisqually Tribal member, was first elected to the port commission in 2021, and will run as a Democrat in the 2024 Senate election. He is also currently the CEO of the Medicine Creek Enterprise Corporation, a holding company that manages all of the Tribe’s for-profit businesses.
Iyall registered to run for the seat with the Public Disclosure Commission on April 24.
In an interview with McClatchy on Monday, Iyall said he has come to learn that Tribes in Washington are a big part of the state’s economy, and he believes that Tribes should “have a seat at the table when it comes to governance.”
His position as port commissioner was his first introduction to politics, he said, and he knew he wanted to run for Hunt’s seat once he left.
He told The Olympian that he intends to keep his seat on the Port of Olympia commission if he is elected to the Senate.
“I feel like I can be a catalyst for collaboration because I’m running as a Democrat but I have a lot of connections on both sides from Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives,” Iyall said. “I’m very much a moderate when I say I’m a Democrat so I feel like I can really collaborate between the two parties and hopefully bring some people together and maybe get some more of these crucial issues on a positive path.”
Iyall said among those crucial issues are environmental cleanup to support salmon and other forms of life. He also said keeping environmental projects such as the Budd Inlet sediment cleanup and Capitol Lake dam removal on track are important to him.
Likewise, affordable housing, behavioral health, transportation, and public safety are his main priorities, he said.
Iyall’s best known opponent will be current Rep. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, who has already announced her bid for the 22nd Legislative District Senate seat. Bateman previously served on the Olympia City Council.
Three other candidates have also announced their bid for Hunt’s seat: Tela Hogle will run as a Democrat, Syd Locke as a Democrat, and Rebecca Faust as a Republican.
Official candidate filing week in Washington state — when candidates file to place their names on the August primary ballot — runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 6-10, so it is possible more candidates will come forward.
