Island County

Sen. Patty Murray has been a consistent and strong progressive voice in the U.S. Senate. She's seeking re-election to continue fighting for our basic rights and a better quality of life in Washington and beyond.

Murray was first elected in 1992 and has been a champion for veterans, working families, women, and economic opportunities for all. Before her tenure in the Senate, Murray worked as a preschool teacher, on the Shoreline School Board, and in the Washington state Senate.

During her time in Congress, Sen. Murray has worked hard to keep our communities safe from gun violence, protect abortion access at the federal level so that everyone has reproductive freedom, and expand access to affordable childcare. This year, she voted in support of the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and a slate of other progressive bills that invest in working communities so that our country is a place where everyone can thrive. Murray has earned an impressive and diverse coalition of endorsements from local and national organizations, elected leaders, and unions.

Sen. Murray faces Tiffany Smiley, a triage nurse running on a MAGA Republican platform. Smiley has never held public office but she previously worked on Capitol Hill. Her Trump-inspired agenda aims to divide us while she seeks to cut funding from our most essential services and repurpose it for a needless border wall and more militarized police forces. Working Washingtonians need real solutions so that we can access the basics like gas, groceries, rent, and prescription medicine – not MAGA rhetoric and tax breaks for the wealthy.

Sen. Patty Murray is a national leader on many of the most important issues facing our country. She has earned your vote for re-election.

Rep. Rick Larsen is a moderate Democrat who is seeking his eleventh term representing Washington's 2nd Congressional District. Before serving in Congress, he served on the Snohomish County Council and worked on economic development for the City of Everett.

Larsen has been a reliable vote on House Democrats' priorities. Since his last election, he voted for both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Build Back Better, President Biden's more ambitious effort to fund clean energy, child tax credits, and other progressive priorities. In past years, Larsen supported the Lower Drug Costs Now Act to give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies and pass on the lower drug prices to all Americans. He also voted for the Voting Rights Advancement Act, supported the coronavirus pandemic relief packages, and sought to reform student loans.

Republican Dan Matthews, a veteran and retired commercial airline pilot, is challenging incumbent Larsen in this race. Matthews lists dozens of "areas of concern" on his website with an invitation to "let the dialogue begin" but does not list any actual policy positions. However, some of the topics he lists are consistent with the MAGA Republican agenda we see across the country this year including dangerous rhetoric about voter fraud and border policies that echo Trump's 2016 talking points.

Larsen is the clear choice for Congress from Washington's 2nd Congressional District.

Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson is running as an independent to bring a non-partisan voice to the secretary of state's office. Anderson served on the Tacoma City Council before running for county auditor in 2009 and winning re-election three times. As Pierce County auditor, which is a nonpartisan position, she has administered dozens of elections while also overseeing licensing and public record-keeping.

Anderson is running because she believes political parties shouldn't be involved in running elections they are simultaneously trying to win. Her campaign priorities include supporting more local races becoming non-partisan, increasing access to voting and election information, and improving election security. She wants to translate the voters' pamphlet into 10 languages, going beyond what is mandated by the Voting Rights Act. She also wants to conduct risk-limiting audits in all 39 Washington counties and "pre-bunk" rumors to increase confidence in our state's election systems.

During our interview, Anderson expressed support for ranked choice voting because she believes it will allow candidates to break through our two-party political system. This is one of the biggest points of difference between Anderson and Hobbs.

Anderson offers voters an experienced option if they are looking for a nonpartisan administrator to manage our state's elections and support ranked choice voting.

Clyde Shavers is a first-time candidate running for the 10th Legislative District, Position 1. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who previously served as a public affairs officer and now works as a reserve officer.

Shavers’ top campaign issues are addressing the housing crisis and prioritizing environmental sustainability. He has been a leader in helping people in his community access stable housing options, both at law school where he founded the Yale Coalition to End Homelessness, and in Mount Vernon where he volunteered with the Skagit Friendship House. Additionally, he has focused his legal advocacy on finding climate solutions so that all American communities have access to clean drinking water, healthy forests, and safe air, now and for generations to come. If elected, Shavers also wants to work towards quality education, affordable health care, reproductive freedom, and support for veterans.

Shavers is challenging Republican Rep. Greg Gilday, an attorney and realtor who has pushed a very conservative agenda since joining the Legislature in 2021. This year, Gilday voted against legislation to protect Washington’s environment for future generations and opposed a bill to keep our communities safe from gun violence. He fought against comprehensive sexual health education for students and he wants to redirect funding away from community services that help Washingtonians afford the basics in order to further militarize and expand police forces.

Shavers is facing allegations late in the cycle that he exaggerated some of the details of his military service. Although we do not condone such actions if true, we still believe that he would be a better representative based on Gilday’s track record.

Clyde Shavers is the best choice in this race for House Position 1 in the 10th Legislative District.

Democratic Rep. Dave Paul is running for re-election in the 10th Legislative District for Position 2. The incumbent first joined the Legislature in 2019 after working for Skagit Valley College for more than a decade.

Paul has been an advocate for working families and improving our transportation system in office. He was a co-sponsor of last year’s Working Families Tax Credit which puts cash directly into the hands of working Washingtonians. This session, he supported the Move Ahead Washington package to improve public transportation infrastructure and access. Looking forward, Paul wants to invest in giving Washington’s youth the educational and mental health resources they need to succeed.

Republican Karen Lesetmoe is challenging Paul for state House. She is a real estate broker and Navy veteran. Lesetmoe does not have a detailed agenda but she pits her campaign against the state's economic recovery programs that help keep working families afloat. Lesetmoe has echoed Republican talking points about crime while ignoring the investments our communities need to be safe.

Paul has been one of the most thoughtful leaders in Olympia during his first two terms, reaching across the aisle to get things done for the district. We enthusiastically recommend Paul to continue representing the 10th Legislative District with strong community-centered leadership in the House.

Barbara Fuller is challenging Republican incumbent Sheilah Crider for Island County auditor. Fuller is a first-time candidate who has worked in both public service and the private sector. She has over two decades of compliance and auditing experience and has also worked in law enforcement.

Fuller is running on a platform to bring integrity and diligence to the county auditor’s office. If elected, she wants to focus on community trust, accurate and efficient auditing, and accountability to the public. Though she does not have a campaign website as of mid-October, her community values make it clear that she is the more progressive choice in this race.

Sheilah Crider has served as the county auditor for 14 years and previously served on the Oak Harbor City Council. Crider also lacks a campaign website as of mid-October but, if re-elected, it is clear she will continue to bring conservative leadership to the office.

We recommend Barbara Fuller for Island County auditor.

Democrat Tony Lam is running for Island County treasurer to replace Republican treasurer Wanda Grone. Lam joined the treasurer’s office shortly after moving to the county and has worked there for the past 14 years, including eight years as the chief deputy treasurer. He also serves as treasurer for the Swantown Ridge Owner's Association and worked in private industry accounting before public service.

If elected, Lam wants to make the office adaptable, efficient, and accountable. With his experience and familiarity of the office's responsibilities, Lam would be able to step into the role with ease and insight into how to best steward public revenue and serve the public’s financial administrative needs. He has earned bipartisan support in this race including the current county treasurer as well as the local Democratic party and some progressive elected officials.

The other candidate in this race is Richard MacQuarrie, a Navy veteran, business development manager, and representative for Island County’s GOP at the state party level. MacQuarrie is running on a vague platform that emphasizes responsiveness and transparency but does not have comparable experience in the work of the office.

Tony Lam is the best candidate in this race and deserves your vote for Island County treasurer.

Democratic commissioner Janet St. Clair is running for re-election to District 3 on the Island County Commission where she has served for the last four years. Additionally, St. Clair chairs the Board of Health and is involved in nonprofit and other community board leadership, including previously serving as the executive director for Sound Water Stewards.

As a commissioner, St. Clair has worked hard to protect health care access in the county, invest in public broadband access, create the Affordable Housing Task Force on Camano Island, and address the climate crisis. If re-elected, she wants to focus on being responsive and available to the community. St. Clair would also continue expanding broadband access, protecting our local ecosystem for generations to come, creating affordable housing options and child care services, and bringing living-wage jobs to Island County.

Clair's challenger, Timothy Hazelo, is a flight simulation technician running on a conservative platform that points blame rather than offering any policy solutions that would benefit our communities. If elected, he would seek to cut community funding that benefits health care access, stable housing, quality schools, and parks.

Janet St. Clair is the clear choice in this race. She deserves your vote to remain as the District 3 commissioner.

Justice Mary Yu is running unopposed to continue serving on the state Supreme Court. Yu was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2014, elected by voters to the seat later that year, and re-elected in 2016. Before joining Washington’s highest court, she spent 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court and earlier as the deputy chief of staff to former King County prosecutor Norm Maleng.

Yu has an unimpeachable reputation and has been rated “exceptionally well qualified” by a number of key bar associations. On the court, she has been a voice for equal justice and upholding the rights of all. Now, she is running with endorsements from all of her fellow justices as well as a number of retired justices from the court.

Justice Yu deserves your vote to continue serving as one of Washington’s state Supreme Court justices.

Justice Barbara Madsen has served on the state Supreme Court for 30 years and is running unopposed for re-election this year. She was only the third woman to serve on the court when she was first elected in 1992. During her time on the court, her fellow justices elected her the 55th chief justice of the court – a position she held for 7 years.

Having spent her career in both prosecution and public defense, Madsen has extensive knowledge of the criminal legal system and a passion for serving her community. Her re-election has been endorsed by each of her fellow justices and a wide range of other judicial leaders and community organizations.

Justice Madsen has served the state with fair and equal justice. She deserves your vote to remain in her seat on Washington’s Supreme Court.

Justice G. Helen Whitener is running unopposed for re-election to Position 6 on Washington’s Supreme Court. Whitener became the first Black woman to serve on the state’s Supreme Court in April 2020 when she was appointed to fill a vacancy by Gov. Inslee. Later that year, she won her election to fill the remainder of the term. Prior to joining the Washington Supreme Court, Whitener served on the Pierce County Superior Court and worked as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney before becoming a judge.

Justice Whitener is both a Trinidadian immigrant and openly gay, and has worked to be a representative voice for justice for all in the state’s highest court. In this race, she has earned the endorsement of each one of her fellow justices as well as some retired justices. Whitener has been rated as "exceptionally well-qualified" by a number of bar associations and has done an exceptional job since joining the court.

Whitener is an important voice on the State Supreme Court and deserves your voice to continue serving as a justice in Position 6.