Community Government

County Councilmember Robyn Denson won’t run for re-election

Pierce County Councilmember Robyn Denson announced Wednesday, March 18, that she will not run for a second term this fall.

Denson, a Democrat, represents the peninsulas and North Tacoma on the seven-member Pierce County Council. The former Gig Harbor City Council member won election in 2022 with the support of nearly 58% of District 7 voters.

She will serve out the remainder of her term, which ends Dec. 31.

“I have been thinking about this for a long time, weighing the pros and cons,” Denson said. “It was a tough decision because I do love serving the county. It was a new experience every day.

“It’s just time for me to consider some new opportunities and new adventures. It’s all very positive.”

Not health related

Denson announced in July 2025 that doctors had diagnosed her with breast cancer. But she told Gig Harbor Now that the decision she announced this week was not related to her health. 

After enduring 20 treatments of radiation therapy, she said, “I’m confident everything is looking good. (The decision) didn’t have anything to do with my health.” 

“The health experience definitely changes the way you think, because you never know what’s going to happen in life,” she said. “But really, in this job, the job is so big and it is never done. I think the best you can hope for is to work as hard as you can and accomplish as much as you can. I feel very, very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in four years.” 

Lykins enters race

Brenda Lykins filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission to seek the District 7 seat on March 18, the same day Denson announced she would not run. The two served together on the Gig Harbor City Council. 

Lykins, a neonatal nurse practitioner, currently serves on the Pierce County Charter Review Commission.  

Official candidate filing occurs in May, but registering with the PDC allows Lykins to begin fundraising. She registered as a Democrat; as of Thursday, March 19, no Republicans have filed to seek he District 7 seat. 

Lykins resigned her Gig Harbor council seat in January 2025, when she moved to North Tacoma. Denson said Lykins’ familiarity with different parts of District 7 is one of the reasons she endorses her fellow Democrat.

“I think she would make a wonderful council member. She’s super thoughtful and she does her research,” Denson said. “She knows this district. She knows and has great connections obviously with Gig Harbor, with Tacoma and with the Key Peninsula.” 

Denson’s record

Denson said she is particularly proud of the council’s efforts to steer development toward more urban parts of Pierce County during her time one the board.

That includes removing Purdy from Gig Harbor’s Urban Growth Area, limiting future development there.

“In our area, in Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula, we removed around 400 acres from the UGA around Gig Harbor. We worked with the city of Gig Harbor and these were areas they were not interested in annexing, and we made those rural,” she said. “That dramatically downzones those areas.” 

Denson also noted her conservation efforts on the council. She will continue those efforts after leaving office as a member of the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula Land Conservation Fund. 

Law enforcement staffing west of the Narrows Bridge was a major issue in Denson’s 2022 campaign. It became higher profile this year, after a series of grisly crimes on the Key Peninsula. 

Denson and a majority of the Pierce County Council voted in February to impose a 1/10th of 1% sales tax to support public safety. The county already spends about 75% of its general fund budget on public safety.

“I’ve always advocated for more deputies for the (sheriff’s office) Peninsula Detachment,” Denson said. “But that is the sheriff’s prerogative. And it is a challenge for the Sheriff’s Department, because they’re understaffed.”

She said the department has 37 open deputy positions. “Once we get those filled, we can talk about adding more. Which I’m definitely supportive of.”

What’s next

Denson said she is not planning to retire, but she doesn’t know exactly what comes next. She still has eight months to serve as a county councilmember.

Because of term limits in the Pierce County Charter, the most she could have served was one more term. The fact that she served even one was never part of her long-term plan, she said.

“I’m open and considering opportunities,” Denson said. “You never know what’s going to come your way. This (serving on the county council) was a total surprise.”