County Councilmember Denson Will Not Run for Reelection

I probably spend more time at events on the KP than anywhere else, because I hear from people on the Key more than anyone else.”

It came as something of a shock to community partners and constituents when Pierce County Councilmember Robyn Denson (D-7th) announced she would not seek reelection to the post she won in 2022. (District 7 includes the KP, Gig Harbor, Fox Island, Ruston, and parts of north and west Tacoma.)

Denson had already served as a Gig Harbor City Council member for two years and spent four terms on the City Parks Commission. That followed two decades working for nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity and serving as a nonpartisan policy analyst for the state House of Representatives. She also serves on the boards of Communities in Schools of Peninsula and the Gig Harbor & Key Peninsula Land Conservation Fund, and volunteers for other community organizations.

“After much deliberation, I have decided to not pursue a second term as your Pierce County Councilmember,” Denson wrote in a March 18 Facebook post. 

Many people were concerned that the decision had something to do with her health. Denson was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2025, but she said that was not the reason.

“Making this decision, it’s not like it came out of the blue,” Denson told KP News. “I really did the math on where I would be in my life after my first term. If I were 40 or 45, and my kids were still in school, there would be no question. I love this job and getting tons done, making such an impact. But at this point, my kids are both adults, and I’m 51. So if I ran again, I’d be 56 at the end. And the fact is, I’m just one person in a line of public servants. So you push as hard as you can in the time you’ve got.”

KP Fire Commissioner Stan Moffett told KP News, “I was just heartbroken when I heard she wasn’t going to run again. Very rarely does a politician come along that has the impact she’s had. I know there are a lot of people who won’t agree with that, but there are far more people who would.”

Denson said she was proud of what she was able to accomplish on the council, but wanted more.

“We got some big things done that will have effects far into the future, but I’m never satisfied with myself,” she said.

One example of that was her work to get more Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Peninsula Detachment. “I was not successful in this effort, given our shortage of deputies county-wide,” Denson said. “This is something we’ll continue to push. We hope that the new Justice Fund will help with the recruitment of law enforcement officers.”

The Justice Fund is a 0.1% sales tax approved by the county council March 3 that will begin July 1. The new tax will collect one cent per $10, or one dime per $100, to generate approximately $27 million annually just for law enforcement.

Denson said she encountered many constituents who disagreed with her or misunderstood her position over the years.

“I understand people being frustrated, and I understand people maybe having a different view of something or thinking they have a better way of going about it,” she said. “But it’s frustrating when people aren’t approaching their elected representatives in a spirit of collaboration or partnership, because I think that is the most productive. Some people just believe that the way to get things done is to bully and demean and create crazy AI videos. That’s not healthy for them; it’s a terrible way to live.”

Denson made a point during her time on the council to visit the KP at least weekly for public visits at the KP Community Council office in the Key Center Corral, and often more for meetings or special events.

“Almost always, people are very happy and appreciative and grateful and want to partner and have good ideas,” Denson said. “In my experience, the majority of people are very reasonable, very thoughtful.”

Bruce Murray spearheaded an effort to clean up the Purdy Spit and entrance to the KP in the spring of 2024. Denson showed up to help clear knotweed.

“She came in and worked with us and then recruited me to be on the Pierce County Parks Citizen Advisory Board,” Murray said. “I learned subsequently that she’s really good at twisting people’s arms.”

Moffett said, “Robyn Denson is a great human being, and she’s done so much for us. It’s nothing against other people necessarily, but there are just not that many people who could replace her. She’s even come out and picked up litter on several occasions, both with Key Pen It Clean and the KPBA section of the KP Highway. How many council members do that?”