ABOUT

Kevin will bring to the Washington State Senate more than 15 years of experience working to protect natural resources and building healthy communities. He possesses comprehensive professional experience in the private and public sectors, developing and advancing legislation, community development strategies, and conservation initiatives. He has specialized for several years in working to promote healthy, diverse, and strong communities, while protecting the environment and our quality of life through the identification and promotion of key economic drivers and the development of community-based conservation strategies.

Kevin is a life-long Democrat with deep family roots on Orcas Island, where he lived as a child. He now serves as a San Juan County council member, and lives with his wife Tina and their new daughter on San Juan Island. He has been passionate about democracy and community development since childhood and has a reputation as a strong advocate for our communities.

In 2004, Kevin was elected to the San Juan County Board of County Commissioners. He has focused his public service around the principles of community development, good government, and environmental stewardship. Kevin bought his experience and passion for community development to his work as an elected official. He worked with local farmers to create the Agricultural Resources Committee and later worked with a diverse group of local citizens and tribal, state, and federal leaders to create the San Juan Initiative-raising significant outside resources for local environmental planning and protection. Together with Kevin's work on shoreline and salmon recovery efforts, these initiatives have raised over $2.7 million in outside revenue and created many new jobs in the agriculture sector and in coastal and marine research, management, and education. These efforts also engaged hundreds of local citizens, significantly increasing the public's involvement and understanding of the importance of local agricultural resources and our natural environment.

During the past years, Kevin has taken on additional responsibilities that have allowed him to work on issues for the entire region, including Skagit and Whatcom Counties. These commitments have allowed Kevin to represent issues ranging from senior citizen issues to health care to education and the environment in Olympia for several years. In 2005, Kevin was appointed by Governor Chris Gregoire to serve on the Washington State Oil Spill Advisory Council and was later appointed to serve on the Puget Sound Partnership Ecosystem Coordination Board and as a member of the Washington Shoreline Hearing Board - the judicial body responsible for hearing appeals under the State Shoreline Management Act. He serves as the Chair of the Washington Counties Transportation Committee, Chair of the Coastal Counties Caucus - representing the needs of all 14 coastal counties in Washington State, Vice Chair of the Northwest Regional Council Area Agency on Aging for Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan and Island Counties, Chair of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council and is a member of the Economic Development Council. Kevin has also served as a Commissioner on the Northwest Straits Commission and as a board member of numerous non-profit organizations focused on issues ranging from at-risk youth, education, economic development and conservation. He is also an active member of the San Juan Grange, American Legion and the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce.

"I've spent my career putting ideals into action for the communities of Northwest Washington. I look forward to building on my record of success in Olympia."
- Kevin Ranker

• Chair of the Washington Coastal Counties Caucus, which represents all 14 Washington coastal counties;
  
  
• Co-chair of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council, which sets policy for implementation of salmon recovery efforts in Puget Sound;
  
  
• Co-chair of the Washington Counties Transportation Committee, developing and advancing transportation priorities for all Washington counties;
  
  
• Vice-chair, Northwest Regional Council, Northwest Washington’s Area Agency on Aging.
  
  Kevin has taken on an important leadership role on a range of issues for the citizens of all of our communities. From this work, Kevin has a good understanding of the needs of our communities and has gained significant experience working to secure important legislation, policy, and appropriations for our communities at the state and federal level.
  Some of his recent legislative successes have included:
  
• Helping secure over $38 million in additional support for local salmon recovery and community projects;
  
  
• Building state-wide coalitions with other Washington counties and cities to support reasonable Washington State Ferry fares and safe and efficient service;
  
  
• Helping persuade federal and state authorities to allow Island Air to provide critical air ambulance service for San Juan County;
  
  
• Working with key legislators and the governor to secure $3.7 million in funding to provide critical “year-round” protection from oil spills from the Neah Bay Rescue Tug;
  
  
• Co-authoring and, with key legislators, championing Washington State’s first orca whale protection law to provide relief for our endangered orca whale population;
  
  
• Working with the Department of Natural Resources, members of Congress, state legislators, and others, to broker deals to permanently protect for public enjoyment the incredible natural and historic resources of two large properties in San Juan County that were due to be logged and developed.