Republican Seattle port commissioner launches campaign for governor

SEATTLE (AP) — Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryant on Thursday quietly launched his campaign for Washington governor.

A website announcing the Republican's campaign to challenge Gov. Jay Inslee in 2016 was live Thursday.

Bryant has been on the Port of Seattle Commission since 2008.

In a video and information on his website, he emphasizes his Washington roots and his interest in the issues of education, jobs and the environment.

He calls himself a conservationist and says he wants to cut property taxes and improve the state's transportation system.

Bryant was born in Lewis County and grew up on Hood Canal. He graduated from high school in Olympia and went to college at Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

He and his wife, Barbara, have lived on both sides of the Cascades. He runs an agricultural export company.