Representative Tom Dent (R) has served the Washington State House of Representatives since 2015, representing the 13th Legislative District. A professional pilot and rancher by trade, Dent has leveraged his unique background in aviation and rural agriculture to become one of the state's leading legislative voices on wildfire prevention and initial attack response.

Dent has prioritized the escalating threat of wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington by founding and co-chairing the bipartisan Legislative Wildfire Caucus.

Representative Dent’s strategic approach to wildfire management has evolved from focusing strictly on fire suppression to heavily prioritizing active forest health and prevention. Advocating for aggressive management of state timber and rangeland to reduce fuel loads, arguing that healthier ecosystems inherently mitigate catastrophic fire behavior. Representative Dent champions providing local fire districts with the assets necessary for rapid, heavy initial responses to extinguish blazes before they soar out of control.

Utilizing his professional aviation background to push for smarter aerial firefighting strategies; such as his work on House Bill 2104 allowing rural fire districts to immediately request aerial support from the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) before a wildfire reaches a state mobilization level. Rep. Dent was able to have the sunset clause removed from this program to guarantee permanent, rapid-response air support for rural communities.

Beyond wildfire advocacy, Dent is the Ranking Member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and chairs both the Aviation and Water caucuses. He remains highly focused on rural development, protecting agricultural resources, and expanding mental health and suicide prevention initiatives within farming communities.

For more information visit the https://tomdent.houserepublicans.wa.gov/.