Brian Dansel | |
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Member of the
Washington Senate from the 7th district | |
In office December 6, 2013 – January 24, 2017 | |
Preceded by | John Smith |
Succeeded by | Shelly Short |
Personal details | |
Born | Brian Ross Dansel April 2, 1983 Republic, Washington, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Walla Walla Community College ( AA) |
Brian Ross Dansel (born April 2, 1983) [1] is an American politician, political advisor, and current member of the Ferry County Board of Commissioners. Before that he was a Special Assistant to the United States Secretary of Agriculture in the Trump Administration. He was previously a Republican member of the Washington State Senate from the 7th Legislative District. [2] Dansel won the seat in the 2013 election, in which he defeated appointed senator John Smith, and was sworn in on December 6, 2013. [3]
In a letter to the Washington State Office of Governor dated January 24, 2017, Dansel resigned as senator for the seventh district and vacated his seat after accepting a position with the Trump Administration as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture. [4] In early November, he returned to Washington state to be the director of the state's USDA Farm Service Agency. [5]
In 2023, he became a Ferry County Commissioner. [6]
Dansel represented Douglas, Ferry, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Stevens Counties, along with portions of Grant and Spokane Counties. [7] An earlier redistricting proposal from 2021 would have divided Okanogan County between the 7th and 13th districts. [8]
In 2013, Dansel ran against incumbent Republican senator John Smith. On November 5, 2013, Dansel defeated Smith with 54% of the vote. [9]
During his campaign for state senate, Dansel received the endorsement of the Washington Education Association and a $500 contribution from the Spokane Committee on Political Education, a political action committee under the AFL-CIO. [10] [11] Smith claimed that Dansel was a "tool of unions" throughout the campaign. Dansel responded by asserting that "he'll listen to anyone, whether they agree with him or not." [12]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Brian Dansel | 18,873 | 54 | |
Republican | John Smith (Incumbent) | 16,324 | 46 |
On February 10, 2024, Dansel announced that he would be a candidate for the United States House of Representatives to succeed Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is not seeking reelection. [13] On April 19th, his campaign was endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party during the State convention. [14]