Mark Hodgson for LD24!

Mark Hodgson for State Rep LD24 Logo

 

Mark Hodgson Announces Campaign for Washington State House, 24th Legislative District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 10th, 2026
Contact: Rob Richards, Campaign Manager | 360.292.0565 | [email protected] | markhodgson.org

PORT ANGELES, WA — Mark Hodgson, a Port Angeles city council member, Navy veteran, and career law enforcement officer, today announced his candidacy as a Democrat for Washington State House of Representatives, 24th Legislative District, Position 2. His campaign launches with endorsements from State Senator John Lovick, fmr. State Senator Kevin Van De Wege, and fmr. State Representative Mike Cooper among dozens of other locally elected officials, veterans, and upstanding citizens spanning the district.

The seat is open following the retirement of Rep. Steve Tharinger, who has represented the district since 2011.

"I love our peninsula community and couldn't imagine living anywhere else," Hodgson said. "I'm running because the people of this district deserve a representative who is fully rooted here and committed to the work: making our communities safer, making housing accessible, and making sure the Olympic Peninsula’s rural communities have a real voice in Olympia."

Hodgson's roots on the Peninsula run deep. His family moved to Port Angeles from the Seattle area in the early 1990s, drawn by the natural beauty and small-town character of the Olympic Peninsula. He attended Roosevelt Middle School and Port Angeles High School before joining the Navy in 1998. He served aboard the USS Carl Vinson, home-ported in Bremerton, and after his first deployment in support of Operation Desert Fox, qualified as a Special Warfare Combat Crewman (SWCC) operator. His unit later deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and to the Horn of Africa as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

After his military service, Hodgson returned to the peninsula to raise his family and begin a career in law enforcement. For over 20 years, Hodgson has served as a corrections and law enforcement officer. His community service extends beyond his badge: he served on Clallam County's Homelessness Task Force for two years, the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center, the Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission for four years, and is currently serving as an advisory member for Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County. He was elected to the Clallam County Charter Review Commission in 2024 and to the Port Angeles City Council in 2025.

Hodgson said his legislative priorities will focus on common sense public safety, affordable housing across the spectrum, and strategic economic development for a region he says is too often overlooked in state budget conversations. Hodgson hopes to bring his experience as law enforcement officer to a legislative body that lacks frontline public safety experience. While campaigning for and serving as a city councilmember, it became clear to Hodgson that some of the challenges Washington city’s face can only be addressed at the state level.

His own family's story frames the housing issue in personal terms: growing up in apartments, duplexes, and trailers before his parents qualified for a low-income first-time homebuyers' program, he knows firsthand what stable housing means to a working family. His son recently returned to Port Angeles after serving seven years in the Air Force and faces the same lack of family wage job and housing opportunities confronting young families across the district.

The 24th District covers most of the Olympic Peninsula, including all of Clallam and Jefferson counties and most of Grays Harbor County. The primary election is August 4, 2026. The candidate filing deadline is May 8, 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026.

For more information or to get involved, visit markhodgson.org.

About Mark Hodgson - Mark Hodgson is a father, grandfather, girl dad, Port Angeles city councilmember, Navy veteran, and law enforcement officer. A former Special Warfare Combat Crewman who deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and to the Horn of Africa, he has spent 20 years in law enforcement after his military service. He currently serves as an advisory board member with Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County and previously served on the Clallam County Charter Review Commission and the Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission, the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center, and Clallam County Homelessness Taskforce. He lives in Port Angeles with his family, where he enjoys the unique recreation opportunities the peninsula has to offer.

About Me

Mark
My family moved to Port Angeles in the early 1990s. My father, a Marine Corps veteran, was drawn to the natural beauty and pace of life on the Olympic Peninsula. My mother, also a Marine Corps veteran, raised three kids and volunteered in the community. Some of my earliest memories are tagging along while she coached softball at Lincoln Park and basketball at Stevens Middle School.

We grew up in apartments, duplexes, and a trailer before my parents qualified to buy their first home through a low-income, first-time homebuyers’ program. I remember visiting the construction site, taking pictures to document the progress. The day we moved in, everything mattered: hanging fixtures, painting rooms, planting a garden. It was our first yard. That experience has never left me.

I joined the Navy in 1998 and served aboard the USS Carl Vinson. I later qualified as a Special Warfare Combat Crewman and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. I am proud of that service, and of the men and women I served alongside.

When my enlistment ended, I came home to Port Angeles and began a career in law enforcement. For the past 20 years, that work has meant the same thing my military service did: showing up for the community, working alongside dedicated public servants, and trying to make things better for the people around you.

I also wanted to serve outside of my uniform. I spent two years on Clallam County’s Homelessness Task Force and four years on the City of Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission. I currently serve on the boards of the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center and Habitat for Humanity. Last year, I was elected to the Clallam County Charter Review Commission. These roles have given me a close view of the challenges facing families and communities across the 24th District: housing costs, public safety, access to services, and the health of our shared public spaces.

Those challenges don’t resolve themselves in city halls or county seats alone. Many of them trace back to decisions made in Olympia: how the state funds schools and housing programs, how it supports rural communities and working families, how it balances growth with the character of places like ours. That’s why I’m running for state house.

I live in Port Angeles with my family. My daughter is my hiking partner and will be starting high school soon. My son recently returned to the Peninsula after seven years in the Air Force; he and his family are navigating the same job and housing pressures that too many young families here face. I know this place, and I know what’s at stake for the people who call it home.

 

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