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The fate of our state is in your hands. This fall's election has huge implications for our families, our communities, and our state. Our goal is to make smart, informed voting based on progressive values easier for you. So we worked with Washington's leading progressive organizations to produce a Progressive Voters Guide based on their endorsements -- one-stop shopping for highly informed recommendations about the races on your ballot.
The Progressive Voters Guide identifies the candidates with the most progressive track records and the ballot measure positions that will protect or promote progress in Washington.
Please forward this guide to your friends and family, and make sure to mail your ballot in by November 3rd.
Pierce County
Election Info: Pierce County Auditor
Ballots must be returned by Tuesday, November 3rd.
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Voters Guide Partners
Statewide Ballot Measures
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Initiative 1033: Making Tough Times Worse
DON'T MISS THIS. It may be on the lower left of your ballot, below the instructions.
Tim Eyman's latest initiative would hurt our schools, make our health care crisis more severe and threaten our environment and our economy. Eyman claims his plan won't cut basic services, but the non-partisan Office of Financial Management says that I-1033 will reduce revenues for education, health care, the environment and other services by $5.9 billion over the next five years. There's no way we can lose that much funding without hurting our communities and the families who rely on these services. All we have to do is look to Colorado to see the damage I-1033 would do: a similar initiative there forced deep cuts to public schools, roads and highways and children's health care. It did so much damage to the state's economy that in 2005, Coloradans voted to suspend the law. Vote NO if you care about children's health, schools, public safety, environmental programs, parks, jobs and the future of our state.
Opponents include: Washington Conservation Voters, Cascade Bicycle Club, Sierra Club, SEIU Healthcare 775 NW, SEIU Local 925, SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, UFCW Local 21, Washington State Labor Council, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, Planned Parenthood Votes!, Washington Bus, Fuse Washington, AARP Washington, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Children's Alliance, Climate Solutions, Community Health Network of Washington, Everett Area Chamber of Commerce, Futurewise, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Group Health Cooperative, League of Women Voters of Washington, Municipal League of King County, The Nature Conservancy of Washington, One America, People for Puget Sound, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, Vancouver Area Chamber of Commerce, Washington Association of Churches, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, Washington Educational Association, American Federation of Teachers - Washington, Washington Fire Chiefs, Washington State Hospital Association, Washington State Nurses Association, AFT Washington, Washington State PTA, and League of Education Voters
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Referendum No. 71: Keep the Domestic Partnership Law
Vote Approve on Referendum 71 so that registered domestic partners do not lose vital protections already passed by the legislature.
By voting to Approve Referendum 71 you can ensure that all families in all parts of the state are treated fairly and with the same protections and responsibilities, especially in times of crisis. There are more than 12,000 people across Washington State registered in domestic partnerships. Gay and lesbian families need the domestic partnership law to provide essential protections for their families. Families with children need the protections provided by the domestic partnership law, especially when a parent dies. For seniors, domestic partnerships mean that their hard-earned Social Security, military or pension benefits are not put at risk. Vote APPROVE.
Supporters include: Equal Rights Washington, NOW Washington Chapter, National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, Fuse Washington, Washington CAN, SEIU Healthcare 775 NW, SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, UFCW Local 21, M.L. King County Labor Council, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, Planned Parenthood Votes!, Washington Bus, American Federation of Teachers - Washington, Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of King County, Casa Latina, Central Washington Progress, Church Council of Greater Seattle, Human Rights Campaign, Japanese American Citizens League, Washington State Bar Association, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Lutheran Public Policy Network of Washington State, Minority Executive Directors Coalition, OneAmerica, Statewide Poverty Action Network, UAW Local 4121, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Washington State Nurses Association, League of Women Voters of Washington, Washington Association of Churches, Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans, Washington State Senior Citizens' Lobby, Associated Ministries of Pierce County, Washington Education Association, and the League of Education Voters
Pierce County Auditor
The Pierce County Auditor oversees the elections office of Washington's second most populous county and has a goal to increase voter participation and make ballot access easier for school districts for bonds and levies.
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Julie Anderson is a progressive community leader in her second term as a Tacoma City Council member. She has more than 20 years of service in leadership positions for the YWCA, small businesses, the State of Washington and a long list of community organizations. Anderson helped establish an ethics commission for the City of Tacoma and would bring an independent, efficient, and effective approach to the office.
Julie's opponent, Jan Shabro, is a conservative former state representative who was controversially appointed to this position earlier this year, and quickly instituted a partisan approach to the office. Shabro hired a former Republican Party chair as Deputy Auditor and reduced the length of the "about the candidate" sections of the voter's pamphlet, while adding her name to the ballot envelope and giving herself a full page "welcome" to voters.
Anderson's supporters include: Progressive Majority, Planned Parenthood Votes, and the Pierce County Democrats.
Port of Tacoma
Port of Tacoma Commissioner, Position #1
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Connie Bacon has been a Port commissioner for 12 years. Prior to her election to the commission, she was executive director of the World Trade Center Tacoma and served as a special assistant to Gov. Booth Gardner. Her priorities for Port Commissioner are attracting business opportunities and jobs to the Port through relationship building and green jobs.
Supporters include: Pierce County Democrats and the 25th and 27th Democratic districts
Port of Tacoma Commissioner, Position #2
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Dick Marzano is a longshoreman and current Port commissioner. He was a member of the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, appointed by governors Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire. His key issues are infrastructure, keeping the environment clean and communicating port issues with the community. Marzano wants the Port to lead the way in environmental responsibility by bringing in new technologies to minimize the ecological footprint the Port creates.
Supporters include: 25th and 27th Democratic districts
Port of Tacoma Commissioner, Position #4
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Don Meyer is the executive director of the Thea Foss Waterway Authority and former deputy executive director of the Port of Tacoma. His priorities for the Port commission are meeting consumer expectations, reconnecting with labor to avoid terminal slowdowns, redeveloping underutilized land, and promoting transparency and accountability. Meyer is also focused on keeping taxes steady and advocating for infrastructure funding for critical road and rail projects.
Supporters include: 25th and 27th Democratic districts
City of Tacoma
If you do not live in Tacoma, races for other cities and jurisdictions are listed after this section.
Tacoma Mayor
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Marilyn Strickland is currently a member of Tacoma City Council. She has held management positions with Starbucks, JayRay Communications, the Tacoma Public Library, and Bates Technical College. She has a long history of community service, including serving on the boards for the Tacoma Public Library, the Grand Cinema and the KBTC Public TV Association, as well as volunteering with the YWCA. Strickland's priorities are creating and retaining jobs, making education a civic priority, protecting and nurturing Tacoma's neighborhoods, protecting historic buildings and open spaces, and raising the city's profile.
Supporters include: Washington Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, SEIU Healthcare 775 NW, UFCW Local 21, the Pierce County Labor Council and numerous local unions, and the Pierce County Democrats and numerous other Democratic organizations
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Jake Fey is running unopposed for City Council Position #2 and has many progressive endorsements.
Supporters include: Washington Conservation Voters, National Women's Political Caucus of Washington
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Marty Campbell is a small business owner (Stadium Video and Buzzard's CD's) and civic activist whose volunteer activities include the New Tacoma Neighborhood Council and Tacoma Urban Network. Campbell's priorities are sustainable economic recovery, education, cracking down on crime (particularly gangs), repairing roads and infrastructure, and eliminating government waste.
Supporters include: Washington Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, the Pierce County Labor council and several local unions, the Pierce County Democrats and 27th and 29th District Democrats, and the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective
Roxanne Murphy is currently a student in The Evergreen University's Masters in Public Administration program. Her list of community involvements includes membership on the Eastside Neighborhood Council and McKinley Hill Business District boards, and she was Community Relationship Specialist for the City of Tacoma. Her top priority is reducing crime and blight.
Supporters include: National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective and the Nooksack Tribal Council
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Becky Summers Kirby has a long history of community involvement in Tacoma. She has served as chair of the Tacoma Public Library Board of Trustees, Tacoma Civil Service Board, Tacoma Human Rights Commission, and Pierce County Community Action Advisory Board and currently chairs the 29th District Democrats. Summers-Kirby sees public safety as her number one priority, followed by infrastructure repairs and economic development.
Supporters include: National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, Pierce County Labor Council and numerous local unions, the Pierce County Democrats, and the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective.
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Keven Rojecki as been a firefighter for 18 years, represents firefighters as the Legislative Liaison for the Washington State Council of Firefighters and is Chair of the Washington State Gambling Commission. His priorities for Tacoma City Council are public safety, jobs and economic development, transportation, and government accountability.
Supporters include: Washington Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, SEIU Healthcare 775 NW, SEIU Local 925, SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, UFCW Local 21, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, Pierce County Labor Council, local labor unions, and the 28th and 29th Democratic districts
Victoria Woodards is an assistant to Pierce County Council member Tim Farrell and president of the Metropolitan Parks board, a trustee of the Washington State History Museum and chairwoman of the Joint Municipal Action Committee. She is a lifelong Tacoma resident who, as a member of the council, would focus on economic growth, upgrading and maintaining local infrastructure and finding ways to make city government more responsive and efficient.
Supporters include: National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, the Pierce County Labor Council and numerous local labor unions, the Pierce County Democrats and the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective
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DuPont City Council, Position #6 : Vicky Marin
Supporters include: NARAL Pro-Choice Washington
Graham Fire Commission : Amy Pivetta Hoffman
Supporters include: National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, Progressive Majority
Lakewood City Council : Sam Ross
Supporters include: Progressive Majority
University Place Council : Eric Choiniere
Supporters include: Progressive Majority, SEIU Healthcare 775 NW, UFCW Local 21
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Tacoma City Council, Position #2
Tacoma City Council, Position #4
Progressives are split in this race, but tilt substantially towards Marty Campbell.
Tacoma City Council, District #5
Tacoma City Council, Position #6
Progressives are split in this race.
Other Cities and Jurisdictions
Relatively few progressive organizations evaluate candidates and make endorsements in cities. The candidates listed below have been endorsed by at least one progressive organization.