48th Legislative District

Patty Kuderer has been an effective and reliable progressive leader in her first few months in the state Senate. After winning her re-election campaign for the House in 2016, she was appointed to the Senate to replace Cyrus Habib. In her first years in the Legislature she focused on equitable education funding and passed bills to help students with hearing issues succeed. Her resume of community engagement includes serving as Co-President of Chinook Middle School PTSA, as well as serving in organizations such as NARAL, the Peace Alliance, and the Chrysalis Domestic Violence Center. If re-elected, she intends to focus on education, health care access, and fixing our state's upside down tax code.

Kuderer is opposed by Libertarian Michelle Darnell, who is running on an anti-tax platform that would shortchange our schools and necessary transportation improvements. Kuderer is the best choice in this race.

A biotech professional and former member of the Bellevue City Council, Vandana Slatter was appointed to the state House in early 2017 and is now running to retain her seat. In her role as representative, Slatter has focused on education and equity issues, working on legislation benefiting homeless youth, fully funding schools, and providing health care for all. She has served on the boards of several organizations and nonprofits, including the Children's Institute for Learning Differences, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, Global Social Business Partners, and the Cancer Center at Overlake Hospital Foundation.

She is running against Libertarian Ciaran Dougherty, a computational linguist who lacks Slatter's knowledge and experience with public policy. Slatter is the clear choice in this race.

Incumbent Dow Constantine has been a strong and effective leader for King County. Throughout his two terms in office, Constantine has improved King County Metro transit service and promoted the health of our natural environment. Constantine is leading efforts to protect King County from the Trump administration by proposing to triple the Veterans and Human Services Levy and offering regional support for the Paris climate agreement.

He is running against retired engineer and light rail opponent Bill Hirt, who is not running an effective campaign. Constantine has clearly earned another term as King County Executive.

Mitzi Johanknecht has worked in law enforcement for 32 years and is running to "restore honor and integrity to the Office of Sheriff." She believes the controversies surrounding the Sheriff’s office have been demoralizing for the department and a distraction for officers in the community. Johanknecht is against safe injection sites but has pledged to uphold any local laws surrounding these sites. She says she has never reported anyone to ICE and is a strong proponent of restorative justice. Johanknecht earned the support of staunch progressives such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal and The Stranger newspaper.

Johanknecht is challenging Sheriff John Urquhart, who was first elected in 2012 after serving 23 years as a sergeant and department spokesperson, where he was twice named Officer of the Year. As Sheriff, Urquhart has been an ally on a wide range of progressive issues. He supports sanctuary cities and protecting immigrant communities, and he was an outspoken critic of two anti-transgender ballot measures. He has been endorsed by a number of progressive organizations.

However, Urquhart has also been plagued by very troubling ethics issues in recent months. Late last year, reports surfaced that Urquhart was accused of raping a colleague 15 years ago. The FBI, Seattle Police Department, and the King County Prosecutor’s office investigated the allegations and did not find grounds to pursue criminal charges against him. However, the county ombudsman’s office faulted Urquhart for blocking an internal investigation into his behavior. You can read a lengthy description of the events here. In the closing days of the election, Urquhart has faced renewed criticism for attempting to bully and intimidate people who accuse him of wrongdoing and because a representative of his campaign threatened to release one accuser’s medical records to discredit her charges.

We expect our leaders in law enforcement to uphold the highest ethical standards and maintain the trust of the community they are sworn to protect. For this reason, we cannot recommend Urquhart and believe Johanknecht is the best choice in this race.

Progressive John Murphy is running for King County Council, District 3. From serving as a Vietnam Navy corpsman to working as a Deputy Fire Chief at Eastside Fire and Rescue for 20 years, Murphy has devoted his life to public service. Murphy prioritizes the economic needs of working families and wants to implement responsible infrastructure development throughout the county. If elected, Murphy would also focus on affordable housing, public safety, transportation, and improving waste water management in King County.

Murphy is running against conservative incumbent Kathy Lambert, whose track record on health and human services shows that she prioritizes conservative ideology over the needs of her constituents. John Murphy is the clear choice in this race.

Former Seattle City Council member Peter Steinbrueck is running to ensure that the Port of Seattle balances job growth and development with environmentally friendly environment platforms. He aims to make the Port of Seattle a leader in reducing emissions and restoring habitats. While Peter has a proven track record on supporting workers' rights, living wages, and environmentally responsible policies, we lean toward Shridhar for Port of Seattle, Position 4.

Judge Michael Spearman is running for re-election to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1, Position 2. Appointed by former Governor Christine Gregoire in 2010, Spearman has more than three decades of legal experience including 14 years as a Superior Court judge. Spearman has also been rated as "exceptionally well qualified" by more than 5 Washington state bar associations including the King County Bar Association and QLAW, the LGBT Bar Association of Washington. He is opposed by attorney Nathan W. S. Choi, who lacks Spearman's depth of judicial experience. Spearman has earned another term on the appellate court.

Judge David Mann is unopposed in this race. With more than three decades of experience, Judge Mann was appointed to this seat in 2016 because of his extensive judicial track record. He is a former board member of Conservation Northwest, the Northwest Fund for the Environment, and the Washington Environmental Council. He also successfully argued before the Supreme Court in the case of Milner v. Dept. of Navy, which improved government transparency through the Freedom of Information Act. Mann has earned your vote.

Randy Grein is running for Bellevue City Council, Position 2. Grein is running a low-profile progressive campaign with the support of local Democratic Party organizations. He is focused on making city government more accessible to the community and addressing pressing local issues like traffic congestion, affordable housing, and homelessness.

Grein is running against conservative incumbent Conrad Lee, who has been on the Bellevue City Council for more than 20 years. Lee has been a consistent conservative voice on the council, opposing the expansion of light rail and new housing options for homeless people. Grein is the best choice in this race.

Karol Brown is the founder of World One Law Group, an immigration law practice that helps businesses and families handle their immigration affairs. She was chair of the 41st Legislative District Democrats and was also the former Policy and Advocacy Director at OneAmerica, an immigrant rights advocacy organization. Her campaign is focused on keeping Bellevue affordable for working families, improving transit, and public safety.

Brown is running against Jared Nieuwenhuis, the marketing director for HeR Interactive, Inc. Nieuwenhuis is backed by the conservative members of the current Bellevue City Council. Brown's experience and progressive values make her the clear choice in this race.

Community leader Janice Zahn has served on the City of Bellevue Transportation Commission since 2013. Previously, she was a manager for construction projects for the Port of Seattle, where she gained experience making sustainable transportation decisions on a regional scale. Zahn is running to ensure that the Eastside grows responsibly while protecting access to affordable housing for residents. She also wants to implement a climate change policy that reflects the city's values.

Zahn is running agains Phillip Yin, who ran as a Republican for Lt. Governor last year and lost in the primary to former state Senator Cyrus Habib. Zahn has earned strong progressive support and is the best choice in this race.

Lynne Robinson is running for re-election to the Bellevue City Council, Position 6. Since joining in 2014, Robinson has prioritized supporting small businesses, increasing responsible development, and protecting the environment at the local level. She is focused on addressing the needs of Bellevue families by focusing on education, affordable housing, and human services for vulnerable community members.

Robinson is running against attorney Steven Fricke, who is running on a conservative platform against expanding options for housing the homeless in Bellevue. Because of her track record as a progressive advocate on a range of local issues, Robinson is the best choice in this race.

Kirkland Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold was elected to the City Council in 2013 and has emerged as a real leader in the community. He chairs the council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee, participates in the regional King County-Cities Climate Collaboration, and has held leadership roles in YES! For Great Kirkland Parks, Futurewise, and Northwest SEED (Sustainable Energy for Economic Development). In his first term, Arnold has prioritized smart development and transportation plans for Kirkland, funding for parks, revitalizing the Totem Lake Mall, and supporting individual neighborhood plans. Arnold is also a part-time technology consultant at Fuse. He was not involved in this recommendation.

Jay Arnold's opponent is Martin Morgan, a perennial candidate who has sued Kirkland several times as part of a multi-year feud with the city. Arnold is clearly the best choice for Kirkland City Council Position 1.

Tom Neir is running unopposed for Position 2 on the Kirkland City Council. He has served in several community organizations, including as co-founder and board member of the Kirkland Parks Foundation, board member of the Tilth Alliance, and as Chairman of the Kirkland Transportation Commission. His platform includes improving local sustainability efforts, education, and equality.

Penny Sweet is running unopposed for Kirkland City Council Position 3. She has served on the council since 2010 and serves in the community on the Board of Directors of the Kirkland Downtown Association. Sweet is also the co-founder of Celebrate Kirkland. She is focused on continuing Kirkland's economic successes through the redevelopment at Totem Lake and making the city more inclusive and welcoming.

Amy Walen has served as the mayor of Kirkland since 2014 and as a councilmember since 2009. She is the vice president of the Sound Cities Association and a member of the Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Policy Board. Walen's track record includes supporting the Totem Lake revitalization and seeking to improve transportation infrastructure throughout the city. Her challenger, Jory Hamilton, is not running a competitive campaign. Walen is the best choice in this race.

Tanika Padhye was appointed to the Redmond City Council in March 2017 when Kim Allen, the former Position 4 councilmember, stepped down. As a lawyer, Padhye represented low-income residents through the Northwest Justice Project and worked as an investigator for the Seattle Office for Civil Rights. She served on the city's Planning Commission and the Parks and Trails Commission, and is focused on the issues of diversity, affordable housing, and traffic.

Padhye is opposed by Eugene Zakhareyev, a software development manager. Much of his focus has been on balancing urban growth, encouraging community involvement in land use planning, and supporting small businesses. Padhye is the more qualified candidate in this race.

Jeralee Anderson is the executive director of the Greenroads Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes and rates sustainable transportation infrastructure. A civil engineer by trade, she has been internationally recognized as a sustainability leader for Greenroads' rating system and won a Champion of Change award from the Obama White House in 2013. Anderson's platform focuses on green, resilient transportation systems, STEM education, and attracting new small businesses to Redmond. She is running against software engineer Jason Antonelli. Anderson is the best choice for Redmond City Council Position 6.

My-Linh Thai is running for reelection to the Bellevue School Board, Position 5. In her first term on the school board, she singlehandedly raised the issue of racial equity in education; because of her advocacy, racial equity is now a core guiding principle of the school board. As a Vietnamese refugee who moved to Washington at age 15 without speaking a word of English, Thai has an acute understanding of the true difference public education can make in the life of a child. Because Bellevue is the most diverse city in the state of Washington, Thai is best equipped to represent and advocate for all students in her district. She wants to enhance communication between all "clients" of the school district (parents, children, teacher, and staff) and close the achievement gap in math and reading.

Her opponent, Hugh Gladner, is running against the "cronyism" of the current school board and espousing a platform of transparency, partnering with charter schools, and getting more people in the district involved with the school district.

We recommend My-Linh Thai in this race.

Eastside high school teacher Anita Damjanovic has more than 13 years of experience in the field of education. Damjanovic is passionate about revitalizing K-12 education programs. She wants to invest in STEM education and early arts programs, create an early world language education program, and promote stronger teacher recruitment and retention strategies. Damjanovic also advocates for having school nurses present in all schools to ensure that the health and safety needs of students are met.

Cassandra Sage is a family advisor for Seattle Children’s Hospital and a Cub Scout leader who serves the community in many ways. As a mother with two sons with special needs, Sage wants to see more inclusion of special education kids in general school population. If elected, she would support increasing vocational programs, promote fully funded, equitable education, and increased support for college-bound students and their parents.

Both candidates have promising visions for the school district, however we lean towards Anita Damjanovic in this race because of the support she has earned from our progressive partners.