16th Legislative District

Since Patty Murray was first elected in 1992, the "Mom in Tennis Shoes" has been an incredible champion for women, working people, veterans, and an economy that works for everyone. The fourth-ranking Democrat in the Senate, she has earned the respect of Democrats and Republicans alike by forging agreements on the budget, education, women's health, and other critical issues, all while continuing to fight for working people across our state.

Her opponent is former Washington State Republican Party Chair Chris Vance. Vance, a partisan operative who championed George W. Bush for president, has led a lackluster campaign and does not bring new ideas to the table. Murray's leadership, experience, and progressive values make her the clear choice in this race.

Democrat Doug McKinley is an intellectual property lawyer who faces an uphill battle against Republican incumbent Dan Newhouse. McKinley is running to ensure people who work full time are not living in poverty, to lower the cost of college, and to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Newhouse has frequently aligned with the far-right members of his party in Congress to obstruct progress, including his vote against the bipartisan budget act in 2015 that increased military and domestic spending. Also in this race is Clint Didier, who is an extreme right-wing Tea Party activist and failed candidate for state Commissioner of Public Lands, Republican Glenn Jakeman, and Democrat John Malan, a Marine Corps veteran who is not running a competitive campaign. McKinley's values are more in line with our state and he deserves your vote.

Joe Pakootas is a community and business leader credited with turning around the Colville Tribe’s business enterprises during his time as CEO. He is passionate about addressing income inequality, protecting the environment, and protecting women’s access to health care. He is challenging conservative Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is a top member of the Republican leadership in the House. She helped lead the House Republicans' extremely conservative agenda, including blocking emergency benefits for the unemployed, cutting $40 billion from food stamps, and opposing laws to end pay discrimination against women.

Also running in the race is Independent Dave Wilson, who promises not to take PAC money, Libertarian Krystol McGee, and Republican Tom Home, who are not running effective campaigns. Pakootas would be a refreshing change of leadership for the 5th Congressional District.

Governor Jay Inslee has been a strong, principled leader on the important challenges facing Washington, including tackling transportation problems, increasing the minimum wage, and fighting global warming. He has also worked to fund schools by closing unjust tax loopholes and fought to close the gender pay gap. Before he was elected Governor in 2012, Inslee represented both sides of the Cascades in Congress, opposed the Iraq war, and worked to increase accountability and oversight for Wall Street banks.

In contrast, Republican Bill Bryant opposes the Washington Voting Rights Act, is opposed to many public transportation projects, and is an obstacle to closing unjust tax loopholes. Also in this race are Democrats James Deal, Johnathon Dodds, and Patrick O'Rourke; Republicans Goodspaceguy and Bill Hirt; Mary Martin of the Socialist Workers Party; Independent Steve Rubenstein; David Blomstrom of the Fifth Republic Party; and Christian Pierre Joubert of the Holistic Party, none of whom are running competitive campaigns. While Inslee has his work cut out for him in his second term, we believe his strong moral compass and vision for improving our state make him the best choice in this race.

Longtime senator Karen Fraser is another good candidate in this race. Fraser has been a strong advocate for parks and Puget Sound, as well as women's health care and economic justice. Fraser would also be Washington's first female Lieutenant Governor.

Also running in this race is conservative Democrat Steve Hobbs. He has consistently been an obstacle to progress on a wide range of issues, and is known for his opposition to closing tax loopholes and fixing our state's broken tax system. He has also been endorsed by a number of Republicans. Also in this race are Republicans Marty McClendon, Javier Figueroa, Bill Penor, and Phillip Yin; Libertarian Paul Adidas, Mark Greene of the Citizens Party, Democrat Karen Wallace, and no party preference candidate Daniel B Davies. Habib is your best choice in this busy primary field.

Tina Podlodowski is running for Secretary of State to increase voter participation and turnout as the state’s chief elections officer. She is a former Microsoft executive who also served on the Seattle City Council and has strong track record of non-profit leadership.

Podlodowski is challenging incumbent Republican Kim Wyman for failing to improve declining voter participation. Wyman has opposed the Washington Voting Rights Act and has refused to support common-sense measures to increase voter participation such as Election Day voter registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. Timothy Turner, a Libertarian who is not a credible candidate, is also in this race. Podlodowski deserves your vote.

Jeff Sprung is a lawyer and former Planned Parenthood Votes board member who is running to increase transparency and accountability in state government. He previously worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney investigating and prosecuting corruption in low-income housing programs. He supports increasing whistleblower protections to better identify fraud and potential inefficiencies in government. Sprung is running the strongest campaign and has received the most support from our progressive partners.

Former Pierce County Auditor and current Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy is another good candidate in this race. She is running to use her experience managing large budgets and agencies to improve efficiency and transparency.

Their opponent is the socially-conservative Republican Senator Mark Miloscia, who earned dual endorsements along with Sprung from our labor partners at SEIU 925, SEIU 775, and the Washington Federation of State Employees. Miloscia also earned a sole endorsement from the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters. Unfortunately, Miloscia supports allowing employers to deny coverage for birth control and co-sponsored a bill that could ban many forms of birth control. We're concerned that if elected, Miloscia could use his office to launch politically-fueled investigations of Planned Parenthood and other women's health groups.

Also in this race is Independent Mark Wilson and No Party Preference candidate David Golden. Sprung is the best choice in this race.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson's accomplishments in four years are impressive. From delivering millions of dollars back to consumers who were wronged by fraudulent corporations and his ongoing battle with the federal government to clean up the Hanford nuclear waste site to successfully fighting two Tim Eyman initiatives, Ferguson has been a strong and effective advocate for people in Washington. Ferguson faces Libertarian Josh Trumbull, who is not running a competitive campaign. Ferguson deserves your vote.

As the state Insurance Commissioner, Mike Kreidler has brought a range of experience to the position and defended the interests of Washington residents against big insurance companies. Kreidler cut insurance rates, required that contraceptives be included in prescription drug coverage for women, and helped increase the transparency of the health insurance market. If re-elected, Kreidler will work on expanding health care access, limiting insurance company exploitation, and eliminating credit scoring as a determinant of insurance rates. Kreidler faces Libertarian Justin Murta and Republican Richard Schrock, neither of whom is running a credible campaign.

Rep. Maureen Walsh is a relatively moderate Republican running for this seat vacated by Sen. Mike Hewitt. While she has a conservative voting record on closing tax loopholes to fund education and many progressive priorities, we give her credit for supporting the Dream Act and bucking her party on marriage equality. Walsh is unopposed in this race.

Pasco Mayor Rebecca Francik is running for this open seat vacated by Rep. Maureen Walsh. Francik's experience in education, agriculture, and her leadership for more than 19 years as a city councilmember make her uniquely qualified to serve in the legislature. She also brings great experience in state and local infrastructure, as she was appointed by Governors Gregoire and Locke to the Public Works Trust Fund and the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment board.

Francik is running against two competitive Republicans: Skyler Rude, Maureen Walsh's conservative former legislative assistant, and Allen Pomraning, a moderate Republican who is the mayor of Walla Walla. Due to her experience working for her community, Francik is the best choice in this race.

Progressive Gary Downing faces an uphill battle against incumbent Rep. Terry Nealy. Downing supports closing tax loopholes, fully funding our schools, and ensuring that people who work full time make enough to feed their families. Nealey has consistently been an obstacle to raising the minimum wage and ensuring equal pay for women, as well as other progressive priorities. Also in this race is Ricardo Espinoza, who is not running a competitive campaign. Downing deserves your vote.

Chief Justice Barbara Madsen has led our state Supreme Court in a fair and impartial manner through a series of high profile cases. First elected in 1992, Madsen was only the third woman to ever serve on our highest court. She has won numerous awards for her service, especially for her work creating opportunities for young female lawyers and judges. Despite Republican efforts to politicize our court over rulings about education funding and several Tim Eyman initiatives, Madsen has maintained a steadfast commitment to upholding equal justice under law.

Madsen is opposed by Greg Zempel, a Republican prosecutor from Kittitas County. Zempel has said he is running because he disagrees with some recent decisions. Also in the race is "Zamboni" John Scannell, a perennial candidate who is not running a credible campaign. Madsen is by far the best-qualified candidate in this race.