Hodgson joins race for 24th Legislative District

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 16, 2026

PORT ANGELES — A recently elected Port Angeles City Council member has decided to run for a seat in the state House of Representatives.

Mark Hodgson plans to run as a Democrat for the 24th Legislative District seat from which Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Port Townsend, is retiring.

Hodgson, who ran unopposed for Position 3 on the Port Angeles City Council in November, joins Independent Marcia Kelbon of Quilcene, Democrat Kaylee Kuehn of Sequim, Republican Aiden Hamilton of Port Angeles and Democrat Patrick DePoe of Neah Bay in vying for Tharinger’s seat.

“From a council member’s perspective, we’re seeing challenges at the city level that have to be addressed at the state level,” Hodgson said.

Those challenges include affordable housing and law and order.

If he’s elected, Hodgson said he will vacate his seat on the city council. Having only recently won the seat caused Hodgson to think a long time about whether he should run for the state House, he said.

“I think that’s why I’m the last to announce,” he said. “I didn’t take this decision lightly. I took a lot of time to really think about it and consider what I have to offer. When I looked at everything from my professional experiences, it seems to me like I have a lot of things that apply to things that are affecting us right now.”

Hodgson is a Navy veteran and a career law enforcement officer. He grew up in Port Angeles starting in the 1990s before he left for the Navy.

“I joined the Navy in 1998 and served aboard the USS Carl Vinson,” Hodgson states on his campaign website, markhodgson.org. “I later qualified as a special warfare combat crewman and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.”

One deciding factor in deciding to run for the House is that the state Legislature only has two members who have public safety or law enforcement experience, Hodgson said.

“This is an opportunity to give cities a louder voice but also get more law enforcement representation in our Legislature,” he said.

Many cities, including Port Angeles, are facing the same problems across the state, Hodgson said.

“The ideas have to come from the bottom up and be implemented by the state,” he said.

Growing up, Hodgson’s family lived in apartments, duplexes and a trailer before his 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,” Hodgson wrote on his website. “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.”

Now, Hodgson said he’s watching his adult son struggling to save money for a down payment and qualifying for a home.

“I know this place, and I know what’s at stake for the people who call it home,” Hodgson wrote.

He has experience working on affordable housing through two years serving on the Clallam County Homelessness Task Force. His other experience includes four years on the Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission. He currently serves on the boards of the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center and Habitat for Humanity. Hodgson also served on 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,” Hodgson wrote.

Hodgson’s life experiences, both good and bad, led him to public service, he said.

“I want to solve problems so that our communities can be successful,” he said.

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.