City of Kent

Monique Taylor-Swan is running for King County Hospital District 1, Commissioner Position 4. Taylor-Swan is a community leader who serves as a board member of the Caregivers Union SEIU 775 and a member of the Renton Inclusion Task Force. She currently works as a home care aid with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Taylor-Swan is running for commissioner in order to work towards more accessible, quality care in Renton. She wants to focus on proper staffing and making pay more equitable between the highest-paid executives and underpaid nurses and staff. If elected, Taylor-Swan will use an inclusion and equity lens to make sure that everyone who needs it can access culturally competent care at Valley Medical Center.

Taylor-Swan faces several candidates in this race, including incumbent commissioner Lawton Montgomery, who first assumed the role after being elected in 2015. Montgomery also works as a captain with the Kent Regional Fire Authority. In this race, he has not shared any campaign priorities and does not have a notable presence.

There are four more candidates in this race. Winter Cashman is a software engineer and technology consultant who serves as the founder and president of the Renton LGBTQIA+ Community group. Cashman has progressive priorities in this race and has earned the endorsements of some local Democratic groups. Katie Bachand is a birth and postpartum doula who is also hoping to serve as a hospital commissioner. Like most of her challengers, Bachand is running to restore decision power to the elected commissioner seat, as opposed to this power sitting with University of Washington-appointed trustees. Max J. Heller III is a ramp service worker and Democratic precinct committee officer who wants to fix equity and staffing problems at the hospital but lacks clear policy recommendations or experience. Finally, real estate broker Parminder Bhatti is running with a vague platform to fix the health care industry.

In this crowded race, we recommend Monique Taylor-Swan because of her direct background in health care and her clear, progressive vision for the role.

Katie Grainger is running for King County Public Hospital District 2, Commissioner Position 4. Grainger works as a communications consultant currently working with Clinical Care at Providence. She was the first in her family to receive a college degree and went on to earn a masters at the University of Washington. Additionally, Grainger serves as an ambassador with the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation.

Grainger has an autoimmune disease and, with her professional experience with health care nonprofits, she believes she is well-poised to bridge hospital administration and patient needs while bringing a community focus. If elected, she wants to work on health care reform at the local level in the service of the health and wellbeing of all district residents. Grainger has earned the endorsements of the local Democrats and the National Women’s Caucus.

Gainger is facing incumbent Charles Pilcher and Noreen Shaikh. Pilcher was elected to Commissioner Position 4 in 2010 and is a retired emergency doctor. He is running to cut funding to services and extend his tenure as the only physician on the board. Pilcher is not a progressive choice.

Noreen Shaikh has both nursing and business degrees. She believes her experience launching virtual care and running operations on the oncology infusion center while following CDC guidelines through the COVID pandemic have given her direct insight into hospital management and patient care, especially in a crisis. If elected, she wants to invest in human infrastructure to address staffing shortages, manage growth strategically, and upgrade the district’s health care technology. Unfortunately, as of late July, Shaikh does not have a strong campaign presence.

Katie Grainger is the best choice in this race.