Tacoma, Washington – A press release from congressional candidate Emily Randall on Tuesday stated that she had received the endorsements of “…prominent Washington Tribal Leaders, including…Chairwoman Frances Charles, Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe [sic]; Chairman Anthony Hillaire, Lummi Nation.”
The only problem? Neither Chairwoman Frances Charles nor Chairman Anthony Hillaire endorsed her.
In fact, they both solely endorsed her Democratic opponent, Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz – as have both the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Lummi Nation.
“It’s outrageous that Emily Randall falsely listed me as an endorser in order to use my community for political gain. She needs to retract this false claim immediately,” said Chairwoman Frances Charles, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. “Campaigns should be run based on issues, not attempts to mislead voters. Voters and Tribes deserve better than this.
“The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe stands with Hilary Franz. We have seen how Hilary partners with Tribal nations to fight climate change, restore salmon habitat, and strengthen our communities and Tribal Treaty Rights. We need Hilary’s leadership in Congress.”
Tribal Nations have overwhelmingly united behind Hilary Franz’s campaign for Congress. To date, she has the support of 13 Tribal governments, including endorsements from the Puyallup, Tulalip, Makah, Suquamish, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Samish, and Upper Skagit tribes.
These endorsements reflect Hilary’s deep history of over 26 years working with Tribal Nations to fight climate change, restore and protect our lands and waters, and uphold Tribal treaty rights.
Here’s why Tribes have endorsed Hilary:
“We admire Hilary’s strong advocacy for environmental protection, sustainable land management, and the preservation of natural resources, all of which align closely with our tribe’s values and priorities. Hilary’s proven track record of effective leadership and commitment to serving the public interest makes her an outstanding candidate for Congress. We believe that Hilary’s experience, integrity, and vision will greatly benefit not only our tribe but also the broader community.” – Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
“Hilary Franz has demonstrated a unique ability to navigate complex Tribal relationships and strengthen the relationship our Tribe has with DNR. She was instrumental in securing funding to remove toxic pilings from our aquatic lands, to assist us in our response to Electron Dam’s catastrophic dumping of turf into our sacred Puyallup River and to develop a program to remove all DNR fish passage barrier culverts by the end of 2024. We will always work to preserve and protect our precious lands and waters, and she has proved to be a strong ally.” – Puyallup Tribe
“The Colville Tribes truly appreciate the work Hilary Franz has done as Commissioner of Public Lands to partner with tribes and to protect the environment. Over the past 8 years, Commissioner Franz has traveled to the Colville Reservation to visit and support our communities. During the Colville Tribes’ darkest time of struggle with fire control, Commissioner Franz provided extensive air assets, fire crews, and other assistance to protect our lands.” – Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
“Hilary has been a tireless champion throughout our state and the Snohomish watershed, protecting and restoring our forests and habitat for salmon recovery, removing fish passage barriers and derelict structures and vessels, creating the first ever kelp and eelgrass protection zone, and pushing for riparian protection and restoration on our waterways.” – Tulalip Tribes
