Election 2025: 3 questions for Port of Olympia commission candidates

The Port of Olympia commission candidate field is set.

It features District 2 incumbent Bob Iyall against newcomer and special education teacher Jerry Toompas, while in the District 3 race, Port of Olympia citizens advisory committee member Anthony Hemstad is squaring off against retired Olympia School District educator Krag Unsoeld.

The District 3 seat on the five-member commission became available after current commissioner Amy Evans Harding chose not to seek re-election. Joel Hansen, who also serves on the citizens advisory committee, is running unopposed to fill the District 4 seat after commissioner Maggie Sanders passed on running again.

Current commissioners Sarah Montano and Jasmine Vasavada are not up for re-election.

The Olympian asked questions of the port candidates leading up to the August primary and has done it again as the general election approaches Nov. 4. Here’s what they had to say.

In light of possible tariffs, do you support moving forward with a second marine terminal warehouse?

Bob Iyall, District 2: I support moving forward with a second warehouse, but with caution. The marine terminal is self-sustaining, and additional capacity would help us serve current customers and attract new, responsible cargo. However, any major investment must recognize today’s realities: construction costs are high, materials can be delayed, and permitting has proven challenging. We cannot afford to move ahead without a clear timeline and budget certainty.

For that reason, I believe the port should continue preparing for a second warehouse but advance carefully, ensuring community input, environmental protection, and financial stability are all carefully reviewed before construction begins. The long-term benefits remain significant, jobs, tax revenue, and economic resilience but the timing must align with practical conditions and community priorities.

Jerry Toompas, District 2: Tariffs are unpredictable and can shift trade patterns overnight. Building a second marine terminal warehouse without a proven need risks saddling Thurston County taxpayers with an expensive facility that could sit unused. The port’s habit of moving ahead with big projects without broad public support is one reason it has lost the trust of the community.

My campaign is about change: making sure every major investment is transparent, justified, and directly benefits the public. Until the port demonstrates clear demand, a sound financial plan that protects public funds, and a real public benefit, I would pause the project rather than repeat the old approach that ties up scarce resources for decades and deepens public frustration.

Anthony Hemstad, District 3: Definitely. The decision on the second marine terminal has already been made. The port lacks adequate warehouse space for current needs. Increased storage capacity is needed so the port can diversify and work to attract more business.

Tariffs make expanding the port’s international trade much more complicated. That’s why it’s especially important to elect someone with considerable experience in trade and international business who can help guide the Port through these challenging times. I was the President/CEO of the World Trade Center Association offices in both Tacoma and San Francisco. In those roles I helped expand trade, boosting local ports and creating many family-wage jobs. I also lived overseas and built a market-leading company in four countries.

My background and contacts from those experiences will likely be very helpful working with the port to mitigate the impacts of tariffs and diversifying the port’s future cargoes.

Krag Unsoeld, District 3: The Port of Olympia currently has a warehouse and a customer currently using that warehouse. The current warehouse is sufficient to meet the existing demand. If the customer does not want to sign a long-term contract for the use of warehouse space, then the port should not proceed with building additional space. This is simply prudent business practice.

An additional warehouse should be considered only when a company requires additional warehouse space solely for its product and they have signed a long-term lease agreement. A major component of my campaign is fiscal responsibility. I want to make sure that money from the taxpayers of Thurston County is not wasted.

Some residents are concerned about growth at the Olympia Regional Airport. Do you support growth there?

Iyall: Growth at the Olympia Regional Airport must be thoughtful and aligned with community needs as well as the future of aviation. I support investments that enhance safety, protect the environment, and open opportunities for workforce training in aviation trades.

Aviation is changing rapidly. The development of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft could make regional passenger service both quieter and cleaner than traditional aviation. While I do not advocate for large-scale commercial hubs today, I believe Olympia should prepare for this transition by studying the infrastructure needs and potential partnerships necessary to embrace new technologies when they are viable.

In the meantime, the airport should continue to support general aviation, flight schools, firefighting, medical flights, and small business opportunities. Preparing for the future of aviation ensures the airport remains an asset while protecting nearby neighborhoods and natural resources.

Toompas: Olympia Regional Airport is an important community asset, but growth there must be shaped by residents, not imposed on them. For too long the port has pursued projects without genuine public buy-in, fueling the perception that it answers to special interests rather than local taxpayers.

I support safety upgrades, modern hangars for small aircraft, and investments in electric aviation that reduce noise and emissions. I do not support large-scale passenger or heavy cargo operations that increase traffic and pollution without clear community consent and environmental safeguards. Growth should create good jobs, align with climate goals, and rebuild trust in the port rather than copy big city airports.

Hemstad: Advanced Air Mobility will make Olympia’s airport more useful, relevant and healthier for all of us. I volunteer with the Port’s Citizen’s Advisory Commission and chair their Economic Development Committee. We’ve been engaging with experts on AAM’s potentially revolutionary impacts.

Electric aircraft should be flying commercially in the U.S. before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, using airports and helipads. These 5-8 person “air taxis” are well suited for short trips — like connecting us to downtown Seattle or with bigger airports in Seattle or Portland. Trips to these places would only take 20 to 30 minutes rather than an unknown number of hours slogging along I-5. Being electric, the planes are clean (emissions-free) and much quieter than current planes/helicopters. These should be affordable — about the same cost as an Uber for that distance.

The port can help establish the Olympia region as a leader in adopting electric aviation.

Unsoeld: Thurston County residents are understandably concerned about increasing the scale of operations at the Olympia Regional Airport. They also have reason to believe that their concerns have not been fully considered by the port as it makes decisions about the airport. I am in favor of the continued use of the airport for law enforcement and emergency response. I am opposed to adding commercial passenger and heavy freight operations.

The open lands at the airport are an ideal location for a large scale solar farm to be developed. The Port needs to identify a private investor and a power company or other electricity user to make this possible. In addition, lands adjacent to the airport can be used for local, independent business development to provide decent jobs and opportunities.

If elected, what will be your first order of business as a commissioner?

Iyall: My first priority will be to continue advancing Budd Inlet cleanup. Addressing decades of contaminated sediment is critical to restoring water quality, revitalizing marine life, and preparing Olympia’s waterfront for future redevelopment.

Alongside that, I will press forward with the port’s Destination Waterfront Master Plan and Habitat Conservation Plan. These projects create lasting economic and environmental benefits, and they are achievable only with steady leadership and collaboration.

By focusing on cleanup, habitat protection, and thoughtful redevelopment, we can build a port that generates jobs and revenue while preserving the natural environment that defines our community.

Toompas: On my first day I will call for a comprehensive, public review of the port’s spending priorities and major leases to ensure they truly serve the people of Thurston County. The port’s reputation has suffered because too many decisions have been made without listening to the community and providing little benefit to residents.

I will also propose a clear process for evaluating new developments so residents are properly informed and involved early, not after decisions have been made. By shifting the port away from risky deals and costly projects and toward investments that create public access, cleaner water, and sustainable opportunity, we can rebuild trust and deliver real benefits to the county.

Hemstad: Let’s clean up Budd Inlet and the legacy of pollution in and around port sites and be good stewards of the port’s public land going forward. State and federal funding for clean-up efforts will be limited. We can control our own destiny by generating more funds from port activities that can then be invested in environmental remediation.

During my time at the World Trade Center Tacoma, I helped attract millions in investment to redevelop Point Ruston. What had been a highly polluted copper smelter site was thoroughly cleaned and transformed into a safe and treasured community gathering place. It also offers housing, retail and waterfront entertainment options. This creates jobs and local tax revenues.

By fulfilling the port’s mandate of being an economic development engine, the port can better fund environmental remediation and address issues remaining from decades ago. Our legacy should be a clean environment and a sustainable economy.

Unsoeld: Three planks for my campaign are wise use of the port’s resources, science-based decision making, and government transparency.

Wise use of resources includes the port budget. I will ensure that property tax funds are not wasted but instead benefit all residents of Thurston County.

Budd Inlet cleanup needs to be based on scientific understanding. We do not own the water and land — we are simply borrowing them from future generations. We have largely failed being stewards of these resources. We must start scientifically sound restoration of the ecosystem so that important aquatic and nearshore habitat can rebound.

Finally, I will work to make policy options and considerations fully public and open to participation. I will do my best to make port decisions reflect the needs and priorities of the citizens of Thurston County. This is the best way to restore public trust in the port.

In the money

Fundraising totals so far for the four candidates, according to state Public Disclosure Commission data.

• Hemstad: About $47,400, with around $38,000 coming from individual donors.
• Unsoeld: About $28,800, with around $16,500 coming from individual donors.
• Iyall: About $13,700, with around $6,400 coming from Iyall himself.
• Toompas: About $12,200, with around $7,300 coming from individual donors.

This story was originally published October 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.