Progressive Voters Guide

Rep. Suzan DelBene is running for re-election in the 1st Congressional District. DelBene is a former executive at Microsoft who has used her technology background to become a leader in protecting privacy rights against government surveillance. She was first elected in 2012 and has been an advocate for creating family-wage jobs in industries like aerospace, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy as well as advocating for reproductive justice. She also supports raising the federal minimum wage and passing comprehensive tax reform to ensure that corporations and the wealthy pay their share. This year, DelBene urged the Trump administration to send Washingtonians resources and use science to combat the coronavirus crisis and has pushed for relief for workers and small businesses.

DelBene is running against Republicans Derek Chartrand and Jeffrey Beeler, Sr., Libertarian Steven Skelton, Robert Dean Mair, Matthew Heines, and Justin Smoak. Chartrand considers himself a "Compassionate Capitalist" and wants to cut costs but has no other ideas for generating revenue. Beeler is a conservative running on a platform of term limits for elected officials and pushing our state to re-open unsafely in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Skelton is a consultant who believes that Democrats and Republicans "agree on just about everything that matters" and is not qualified for Congress. Heines ran for state Senate in 2018 as a New Republican. Mair has no policy ideas available as of mid-July and Smoak is running to quickly re-open the state in light of the "sensationalism" of COVID.

Rep. DelBene is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote for her re-election.

Rep. Rick Larsen is a moderate Democrat who has been a strong advocate for jobs, transportation, and infrastructure projects in the 2nd District. Before serving in Congress, he served on the Snohomish County Council and worked on economic development for the City of Everett.

In Congress, Larsen supported the Lower Drug Costs Now Act to give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies and pass 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. Unfortunately, Larsen does not support a Green New Deal in its current form and has accepted political contributions from corporations including Exxon Mobil as recently as last year.

Also in this race are Democrat Jason Call, Republicans Timothy Hazelo, Kari Ilonummi, James Dean Golder, Carrie Kennedy, and Cody Hart, and Trump Republican Tim Uy. Hazelo's platform includes opening health insurance across state lines to help free up the "capitalist marketplace" and he uses racist language in his voter pamphlet statement about immigrants. Ilonummi is a perennial Republican candidate who has previously challenged Rep. Larsen as well as Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Kennedy has promoted far-right views including the movement for Eastern Washington to secede from the state and is not a serious candidate. Hart is running on a conservative platform of reducing taxes and believes America needs leaders who will "confront Chinese Aggression." Golder is running because he believes it is time to a more conservative approach to government. Uy's Trump Republican platform includes praise of Donald Trump, he is not a serious candidate.

The one progressive challenger to Larsen is Jason Call. He's running on a platform that includes Medicare for All, free college, ending student debt, a Green New Deal, and a housing guarantee to help end our housing insecurity crisis. He is endorsed by progressive groups including Sunrise Bellingham and Our Revolution, as well as some legislative districts and county Democratic organizations. While Call faces a very challenging race against a longtime incumbent, he provides an alternative for those looking for bolder progressive leadership than Larsen.

Larsen is a solid Democratic vote and has the support of all our progressive partner organizations who chose to endorse in this race.

Carolyn Long has taught Southwest Washington’s students for 24 years at WSU Vancouver. She is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. Long ran against Herrera Beutler in 2018 and is well-positioned to build off that strong campaign and win this year.

Long's platform includes critically-important health care policies, including protecting people with pre-existing conditions, defending the Affordable Care Act, and providing substantive and equitable health care for those with addiction and mental health issues. She is also prioritizing treating gun violence as a public health crisis, caring for veterans, reforming the tax code to make it more equitable for working families, and protecting Medicare and Social Security.

Long's opponent, Herrera Beutler, is a conservative Republican who votes with Trump more than 80% of the time. Despite taking a few key votes to appear more moderate, Herrera Beutler is actually very conservative. While she voted against one bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act, she has stated she still wants to overturn the law, which provides health care to millions of Americans. Herrera Beutler was also the only member of Congress from Washington to support the Trump administration's cruel immigration bill and she refused to vote for the Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Herrera Beutler has been criticized by her constituents in the past for her refusal to hold town halls and be held accountable for the harmful votes she has taken. More recently, she voted against the COVID-19 relief in the HEROES Act, denying her constituents needed additional cash payments, funding for additional testing and treatment, support for the Postal Service, hazard pay for medical and frontline workers, and expanded SNAP benefits.

Also in this race are Democrats Devin Gray and Davy Ray, as well as Martin Hash, who states he does not have a party preference. Ray wants to prioritize creating jobs after the pandemic, making health care a right not a privilege, and dismissing the Electoral College. Hash does not have a strong campaign presence but does believe liberty means suffering the consequences of your own actions. Gray did not submit any information to the Voters Guide and has no campaign information available.

Long is the best choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Douglas McKinley is challenging Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse in the 4th Congressional District. McKinley is a very enthusiastic candidate who is running because "forty years of the same trickle-down, anti-worker, pro-corporate policies that Dan Newhouse and Donald Trump are forcing on all of us have made everyone's life harder except for a tiny cohort of multi-millionaires" and he wants to change that. McKinley is running on a platform of raising wages, decreasing rent prices, implementing a health care system that isn't tied to employment status, and transitioning to clean energy.

His opponent, incumbent Dan Newhouse, was first elected in 2014 and previously served as the Washington Director of Agriculture and in the state House of Representatives. He is very conservative and votes with President Trump 93% of the time. This year, Newhouse refused to support the $3 trillion relief package passed in response to the coronavirus pandemic and did not vote to impeach Trump.

In addition to Newhouse, the other candidates in this race are Independent Evan Jones, Libertarian Ryan Cooper, and Republicans Tracy "Justice" Wright and Sarena Sloot. Jones wants to see grassroots improvements to infrastructure, economic stimulus, and expanding both public and private personal insurance plans. Cooper is a perennial candidate who was the Benton County Coordinator for Gary Johnson's 2016 presidential campaign. He is not a viable candidate. Republican Sloot is a nurse practitioner who is running on a conservative platform including transparency of data and drug prices as well as strengthening the borders. Wright does not have a strong campaign presence but believes that every interest is a special interest. 

McKinley is the best choice in the race for Congress from the 4th Congressional District. 

Democrat Dave Wilson is running to push back against the effects of a Republican-run government. Wilson, who previously ran for Congress in 2014 and 2016, is a retired health care administrator. He wants to address income inequality with a $15 minimum wage that’s indexed to inflation, bolster health care, and provide a housing first approach to the homelessness crisis that affects thousands across the state. 

Wilson is challenging Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who continues to be one of the most damaging lawmakers in Washington by voting with President Trump 95 percent of the time. McMorris Rodgers has voted yes on Trump's border wall, supported his trillion-dollar corporate tax cut, and was the only representative from Washington to vote for Trump's bill to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. She voted against raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and has refused on multiple occasions to hold town halls to answer to her constituents for her votes. McMorris Rodgers also refused to hold Trump accountable during impeachment on the charges of obstruction of justice or abuse of power.

Also in this race are Independent Brendan O'Regan and Republican Stephen Major. O'Regan believes about 85% of United States citizens are good but 85% of representatives in Congress are corrupt, and is not a serious candidate. Major leads expeditions to search for Bigfoot and is challenging McMorris Rodgers on the grounds that she was too slow to support Trump in 2016.

Democrat Chris Armitage will also be on the ballot, but has officially suspended his campaign as of late July. 

Wilson is the best choice in the race for the 5th Congressional District Representative.

Rep. Derek Kilmer is running for re-election in the 6th Congressional District. He is a moderate Democrat who is a reliable supporter of creating jobs and improving infrastructure. Kilmer has been a leader on small business development and protecting Puget Sound during his four terms in Congress. A former state Senator, he previously worked as a business consultant and economic development official.

In Congress, Kilmer is a sponsor of a clean Dream Act in support of immigrants who arrived in the country as children with their undocumented parents. He supports common sense gun safety legislation and co-sponsored the Voter Empowerment Act, an online voter registration act that helps keep voting rights equitable. Kilmer has also worked on several environmental bills, including the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This year, he supported coronavirus relief as well as the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.

Kilmer has been a reliable vote in Congress and has earned strong support from progressive advocacy organizations for his re-election. Kilmer is the best choice for the 6th Congressional District.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal is running for re-election in the 7th Congressional District. She has a long history of civic leadership on immigration reform, economic justice, and civil liberties. Rep. Jayapal founded OneAmerica (formerly Hate Free Zone) in 2001 and built it into the largest immigrant rights organization in the state and a national model. She also played a key role on the Mayoral Advisory Committee that created Seattle’s $15 minimum wage.

Since her election to Congress in 2016, Rep. Jayapal has resisted the Trump administration at every turn and provided a voice for progressives across the country. She has supported the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Dream Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for young DACA recipients. She has also fought back against the Trump administration's inhumane policy of separating families seeking asylum, and introduced legislation that paves a pathway towards a universal health care system. This year, Rep. Jayapal introduced legislation to expand collective bargaining and provide relief to workers and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. She has held nearly 100 town halls during her time in Congress and is the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Also in this race are Democrat Jack Hughes-Hageman, Independent Rick Lewis, and Republicans Scott Sutherland and Craig Keller. Hughes-Hageman wants to repeal federal marijuana prohibition with universal amnesty and seems to be very progressive but does not have any elected experience. Independent Lewis has a background in military intelligence and says he has the resume of a "highly competent James Bond villain." He is not a serious candidate. Sutherland's platform includes promoting renewable energy and proposing a constitutional amendment requiring all members of Congress to handwrite all proposed laws. Keller claims legislators have "lavished" billions of dollars "upon illegal aliens and their profiteer employers." He is neither progressive nor qualified for Congress.

Jayapal has been an outstanding progressive leader for the 7th Congressional District and the entire country. She has earned your vote for re-election.

Rep. Kim Schrier was elected to represent Washington's 8th Congressional District in 2018. Schrier serves on the Education & Labor and Agriculture Committees and prioritized gun violence prevention, health care (including reducing the cost of prescription drugs), and reproductive justice in her first term. Prior to running for office, she worked as a pediatrician in Issaquah for two decades. She is the first Democrat to hold this seat.

Rep. Schrier's strong re-election platform includes encouraging sustainable agriculture, addressing the climate crisis, safeguarding our elections, and protecting endangered species and lands. She is the only woman doctor in Congress and her perspective is incredibly valuable, especially during this unprecedented pandemic. Schrier held more than 50 town halls in her first term and is endorsed by numerous progressive partner organizations and Democratic elected officials.

Also in this race are Democrats James Mitchell and Keith Arnold, Independent Corey Bailey, Republicans Jesse Jensen and Keith Swank, Trump Republican Dave Saulibio, and Ryan Dean Burkett, who states he has no party preference. Mitchell is an anti-choice Democrat who describes himself as "old school" and believes vaccines are dangerous. Arnold is a perennial anti-choice candidate who has been on the ballot in every election since 2008. Bailey wants to prioritize re-opening Washington state, which public health experts agree is not safe.

Jensen is a manager at Amazon and a former Army captain who was recruited by Republicans to run in this district. He claims he will protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and lower the cost of health care but doesn't offer any substantial policy ideas. Swank is a police officer and commander of the Metro Special Response Section who wants to make the Trump tax cuts that benefited big corporations permanent. Saulibio also ran for Congress in 2018 and pledges to support all legislative actions that support Trump. Burkett is running to institute term limits and move the U.S. to the metric system. He is not a serious candidate. 

Rep. Schrier is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Rep. Adam Smith has been a reliable vote in Congress on progressive issues from taxation to immigration reform. He represents Washington's most diverse district, which is home to 30 percent foreign-born residents and large Asian, Hispanic, and Black communities. Smith is an advocate for greater equality, and supports a path to citizenship for immigrants, reforming the tax code, and Medicare for All. Recently, Rep. Smith spoke out against President Trump's call for the military to intervene and stop the "insurrection" of demonstrators protesting police brutality. He supported the $3 trillion coronavirus pandemic relief package and is supporting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to dramatically increase accountability and transparency.

Also in this race are Libertarian Jorge Besada and Republicans Joshua Campbell and Doug Basler. Campbell believes that all Americans should "pick a side" and unite under one party while stating that voting for Trump was a good choice. Basler has challenged Rep. Smith before, making it to the general in 2014 and 2016 but losing to Sarah Smith in the primary in 2018. He does not have a strong campaign platform but has always run as a Republican and believes the Democratic caucus has "literally held Americans hostage" during the coronavirus pandemic. Besada is running on a platform including making taxes voluntary but does support reforming the criminal justice system.

Rep. Smith is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote for Congress.

First elected in 2016, former state Rep. Kristine Reeves is also running for the open 10th Congressional District seat. She is the Director of Economic Development for the Military and Defense sector for Washington state, where she has helped secure millions of dollars for small businesses and local infrastructure. In the Legislature, Reeves has been a champion for paid family and medical leave, gun safety, and making childcare more affordable. She took a more cautious approach than Doglio to several pieces of legislation, including voting against taxing polluters and increasing protections for tenants. 

In her Fuse interview, Reeves said her life experience would guide her priorities and decision making in Congress. She is motivated to address affordable housing and homelessness by her experience growing up as a foster child and being homeless herself at times. She supports universal health care and points to her own health care emergency that nearly left her bankrupt as a young adult. Reeves also stated that she is the only leading candidate in the race with foreign policy experience.

If elected, Reeves would be the first Black person elected to Congress from Washington in our state's 131-year history.