PORT ANGELES — Derek Kilmer says his passion for economic development and approach to public service was shaped by Port Angeles.
The 38-year-old 26th District senator from Gig Harbor — and the only Democratic candidate so far for U.S. Congress in the 6th Congressional District — grew up on the North Olympic Peninsula at a particularly tough time.
“I grew up in PA, and when I was going to high school was right around the time the timber industry was really struggling, and I saw friends whose folks lost their jobs,” said Kilmer, a 1992 Port Angeles High School graduate who spoke with a Peninsula Daily News reporter when he was in town for an appearance in Sequim on Wednesday.
“I went to college and graduate school, and basically looked at challenges facing towns like PA,” Kilmer said.
“I started asking this question of, in light of our desire to maintain sustainable environments and sustainable communities, how do you foster a sustainable economy?
“That’s basically what I decided to focus on for my academic efforts.”
Republicans who have announced bids for the nomination to seek the post are Doug Cloud of Gig Harbor and Jesse Young of Tacoma.
Filing week for the Nov. 6 general election is May 14-19. The top-two primary election will be Aug. 7.
Kilmer studied public policy at Princeton University and earned a doctorate from the University of Oxford in comparative social policy with a focus on economic development.
In addition to legislative work, Kilmer is vice president of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County.
Jobs will be one of Kilmer’s top campaign concerns in his bid to replace Belfair Democrat Norm Dicks, who is retiring after a 36-year run on Capitol Hill representing the congressional district that includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.
“Norm has a tremendous legacy,” Kilmer said.
“One of the things I really admired about Congressman Dicks has been his focus on jobs, whether that be at the shipyard or whether that be downtown revitalization efforts.
“That’s certainly an approach that I would hope to continue to focus on. I think it is the main issue.
“I’ve talked to too many people who are out of work and are holding on for dear life.”
Dicks announced his endorsement of Kilmer on March 29.
Kilmer also has been endorsed by former state House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, Clallam County Commissioner Mike Doherty, 24th Legislative District state Reps. Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger, and others in the 6th Congressional District, including Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland and state Auditor Brian Sonntag.
Kilmer said that after consulting with his wife, Jennifer, he decided to run for Congress for two main reasons.
“One, I think Congress is very, very broken,” he said.
“You don’t have to read many articles in the paper or watch C-SPAN to recognize that it’s just very, very dysfunctional, and on a number of things that I care about, things like making sure that we can get folks back to work and making sure we can provide educational opportunities for people.”
The second reason is the future he envisions for his daughters, Sophie, 6, and Tess, 2.
“I want them to be able to get a great education in K-12,” said Kilmer, whose father, J.C., taught seventh-grade at Roosevelt Middle School for 30 years and whose mother, Marietta, taught elementary at Monroe.
“I want them to be able to get a good job that pays a good wage and provides decent benefits.
“I want us to protect the natural environment for them.”
When asked to weigh in on biomass expansion projects at the Nippon Paper Industries USA mill in Port Angeles and the Port Townsend Paper Corp., Kilmer said he supports biomass projects if they meet state and federal requirements for clean air and public health.
“I’m someone who’s always open to science, and if there’s information put on the table that suggests that the standards at the state and federal level need to be revisited, I would be open to that conversation,” said Kilmer, whose 6-year-old suffers from asthma.
“As a state legislator, I have been supportive of a more diverse energy portfolio, and that has included biomass.”
Assessing the presence of the Border Patrol on the North Olympic Peninsula — another hot-button local issue — Kilmer said border agents have “a job to do, and we want to make sure our area is safe.
“We also want to make sure that citizens in our area are treated respectfully and fairly and that resources are used in the best possible manner,” he added.
Asked about the Wild Olympics Campaign and similar proposals to set aside harvestable timberland for conservation, Kilmer said: “I’ve learned in the Legislature not to pledge a no or a yes vote on any bill until I actually get to see the bill.”
“I know that there is kind of a continued dialogue around what shape this proposal might take,” he said.
“I understand that there have been concerns around the proposal in its initial form, and my sense is that there’s going to be some effort to address those concerns.”
In addition to jobs, veterans’ issues are another main focus to Kilmer.
Kilmer said he was “very proud” to have been named the state Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2011 Legislator of the Year.
“I work quite a lot on issues affecting our veterans and on military members and their families,” Kilmer said.
Port Angeles “was an extraordinary place to grow up,” Kilmer said.
“Going into economic development for a living was driven by the economic challenges that Port Angeles faced when I was a kid.
“I count my blessings that I grew up here. I carry the values that I got here with me everyday.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
