You may never have heard of him – yet.

He’s one of 28 gubernatorial candidates on Aug. 6 primary ballot, which will narrow the field to the top two vote getters. But judging from the latest Washington Public Disclosure Commission fundraising numbers he’s leading the pack of independents, coming in fifth overall behind the party-endorsed candidates Bob Ferguson, Dave Reichert, Mark Mullet and Semi Bird.

Business owner, community booster and former Woodway Town Councilmember Brian Bogen has been tirelessly fundraising and traveling across the state building support for his non-partisan approach to the issues facing our state in the upcoming election.

But as an independent Bogen is doing it his way, and part of that is parsing what he sees as the difference between the labels “independent” and “non-partisan.”

“When you call yourself an independent, people start to ask what kind of independent you are,” he explained. “They ask are you a Bernie Sanders independent or a Kyrsten Sinema independent – and that leads to pigeonholing. I think of myself and my candidacy as non-partisan. I’m not representing or reflecting the views of any political party, movement or organization – and that’s how I would approach the job of governor.

“None of the top-tier candidates in this race are talking to the vast majority of Washington voters,” he continued. “As I look at the major party candidates in the race and how their message is evolving as we move closer to the primary – only two weeks away – the progressive left seems to be moving further left, and the conservative right moving further right. To me, this is appealing to the roughly 20 percent of voters on either end of the political spectrum. No one is speaking to the 60 percent in the middle, and that’s where a truly non-partisan message — like I’m offering — can resonate.”

Bogen has spent the past weeks crisscrossing the state talking with voters from Moses Lake to Anacortes, from Pullman to Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood. And everywhere he goes he hears the same things: Voters’ top issues are public safety (crime), fiscal policy (cost of living), education and the environment.

“Our shared values of safe communities, a responsible budget, a good education and a clean environment aren’t partisan,’ he explains. “These values unite us and are what we should expect our government to provide. Once we have agreed on values and priorities, your governor needs to be able to execute a plan to deliver them. And with my background and experience I feel I am well-positioned to do that.”

Bogen grew up in Eugene, Oregon where his parents were both on the University of Oregon faculty. In 1981 he came to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, fell in love with the area, and made it his home.

“I love it here,” he said. “To me it’s the most beautiful part of the world, and the people are wonderful – it’s so easy to make friends and connections.”

Bogen holds an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Washington and attended the Albers Graduate School of Business and Economics at Seattle University as well as the Senior Executive Program at Stanford University.

After college he spent several years in the banking industry, working with major customers, after which he was offered the opportunity to work for one of these – Seattle-based Saltchuk, helping it grow into the largest private company in Washington state with more than 7,500 employees.

He and his wife Lisa bought a home in Woodway and raised a family, and when the youngest was ready to leave for college the couple began thinking about their empty-nest years. They sold the house, and ultimately purchased a home in Cle Elum, a recreational cabin on Cypress Island in the San Juans and rented a home in Shoreline, dividing their time mostly between Shoreline and Cle Elum.

A small business owner with multiple businesses across the Northwest, Bogen is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts of America, a board member of the Chief Seattle Council, and is a former board member of Long Live the Kings, a nonprofit supporting wild salmon restoration and sustainable fishing.

In his philanthropic work, he helped secure $30 million for a theater in Seattle and served on the ACT Theater Board. He also was a councilmember for the Town of Woodway, where he was first appointed and then elected to the office.

At 61 years old, Bogen has a look and energy that belies his years.

“I don’t think I’ll ever retire,” he laughed. “You can only golf or fish so often – I need to be doing things and staying engaged.”

And this is what brought him to throw his hat into the governor’s race.

“The governor’s race is appealing to me,” he said. “It’s a place where you can truly make a difference in people’s lives. I will do all I can over the next two weeks leading up to the primary to spread my message – that includes emails, visiting community groups, taking to folks, attending events, and asking supporters to reach out to their friends.

“My parents always taught me – and I’ve taught my kids – that it’s not fair to complain about something if you’re not willing to roll up your sleeves and do something about it,” he added. “I look around me and see none of the major candidates truly representing the vast majority of Washington voters. I pledge to govern from the middle for the middle, respect the rights of individuals, and bring folks together around common goals.”

Does he have any political aspirations beyond this race?  “I have no grand scheme,” he says. “When people ask if I’m getting my name out there for a future run, I answer with an emphatic ‘no’.”

Learn more about Brian Bogen at his campaign website here.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel