Endresen To Resign June 28

Amid a lot of local speculation about whether or not she would seek a fourth term, County Commissioner Chris Endresen surprised everyone by announcing on April 29, that she will resign on June 28. According to initial reports published on the Port Orchard Independent, Kitsap Sun, and of course the Business Journal Web sites, Endresen has accepted a position as the State Director of U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell's office.

In her new position, Endresen will oversee five offices across the state — Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Everett and Tri-Cities, from her office in the Federal Building in downtown Seattle. She will reportedly oversee 18 people in those locations. She said she will continue to reside in Poulsbo and commute.

The 50-year-old Endresen is the current vice president of the Washington State Association of Counties (WASC), as well as representing Kitsap County on a myriad of local, regional and statewide boards and commissions. She is also a recent graduate of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.

In March, two-term Republican Commissioner Jan Angel announced she wouldn't seek a third term. With Endresen out of the picture, 26-year old Democrat Josh Brown will become the county's senior commissioner. Angel and Brown, will appoint Endresen's replacement within five days of her resignation. If they can't agree, the appointment will be made by the governor.

Speculation now centers on who will be appointed to fill Endresen's position. Names that come immediately to mind are Mary McClure, who ran unsuccessfully against Matt Ryan, when it was exposed two days before the 1992 election that she borrowed a significant amount of money from an elderly couple and had never paid it back,. Perhaps, Poulsbo Mayor Katheryn Quade will be considered, and also a possibility is 23rd District representative Sherry Appleton.

Personally, I'd like to see County Treasurer Barbara Stephenson considered. She has the qualifications to deal with the upcoming budget crisis, considering her many years as a banker. However, I'm also certain Endresen's move comes as no surprise to Democratic Party insiders, and that a successor has already been chosen. It's simply a case of going through the motions at this point.

It also begs the question that with Endresen gone, will Angel reconsider?

More on this as it develops.