M. L. King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO Endorsements

Sen. Rebecca Saldaña is running unopposed for re-election to the Senate seat in Legislative District 37. She previously worked as the Executive Director for Puget Sound Sage, a nonprofit tackling issues such as environmental justice, affordable housing, and workers' rights. In her first term in the Senate, Saldaña has pushed for full education funding and an end to Washington's regressive tax system. Her first bill signed by Governor Inslee expanded HOV lane access for blood donation vehicles, and she has co-signed bills to protect internet privacy and prohibit criminal record check-boxes on job applications.

It is vital that Manka Dhingra is elected as state Senator for the 45th District. Dhingra is the Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, an anti-domestic violence activist, and a supervisor for both the Mental Health and Veterans courts. Her experience prepares her to handle issues of homelessness, substance abuse, closing tax loopholes, and promoting equity, justice, and inclusion.

Dhingra is running against Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund. Englund spent her career as a political operative working for Republicans, including Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, former presidential candidate Gov. Jeb Bush, and Dino Rossi. She only recently moved to the district from Washington, D.C. where she worked as a lobbyist.

This race is important because the Republican-controlled state Senate has used their single-seat majority to grind Olympia to a halt on climate change, tax reform, workers’ rights, health care, voting rights, and other key issues. If a progressive wins this race, it will flip control of the Senate from Republicans to Democrats and open the door to passing many priority bills. Manka Dhingra is the best choice in this race.

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.

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.

Rod Dembowski has played a key role on the King County Council promoting responsible regional development that balances environmental protections and job growth. Dembowski has prioritized improving domestic abuse services, green transit, and voting access in King County. He has strong stances on progressive issues like affordable housing and homelessness, but it is worth noting that he did take some questionable votes on revenue and health and human services issues during his most recent term. Dembowski is running unopposed for reelection.

As the former chair of the House Environment committee in Olympia, Councilmember Dave Upthegrove is a strong environmental champion who has prioritized restoring salmon habitat on the Green River and cleanup for the Duwamish. However, he has recently disappointed progressives with his positions on the Veterans and Human Service Levy and safe injection sites. He is running unopposed in this race and deserves your vote.

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.

Elected in 2014, financial manager Nancy Backus is the first female mayor of Auburn. Prior to her first term, she served on the city council for 10 years as Chair of the Finance Committee and the Planning & Community Development Committee. Backus' first term is backed by an impressive list of accomplishments. Backus has made economic development a priority, including welcoming new small businesses to the downtown area, launching a downtown facade improvement program, and seeking additional expansion from Boeing. As a result, unemployment in Auburn is among the lowest in the state. In 2016, the mayor led the charge for a homelessness task force and the city is currently working on 40 of the 56 recommendations issued by the task force, including extending availability at the emergency shelter.

Backus is running against city councilmember and deputy mayor Largo Wales. Wales' campaign is focused on public safety and funding local infrastructure, but her platform also includes anti-homeless measures such as moving all care and housing programs away from the central areas and into industrial zones.

Backus' leadership has earned her another term.

U.S. Navy veteran Larry Brown is the Legislative and Political Director for the Aerospace Machinists District Lodge 751. A strong advocate for workers, Brown has worked on the Governor’s Unemployment Task Force and the labor caucus for the Labor and Industries Workers Comp Advisory Committee. He is running on a jobs agenda that seeks to reduce commute times for workers, emphasize education and workforce training, and bring in more technology jobs.

Brown is opposed by Mike Kahler, a manager at the Auburn Valley Humane Society’s Thrift Store. Kahler promotes an enforcement of the city's anti-loitering and panhandling laws to force the homeless from storefronts.

Brown's experience and commitment to progressive values makes him the clear choice for Auburn City Council Position 6.

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.

Aaron Moreau-Cook is a Senior Engineering Manager at Microsoft. He is the Chair of Bothell’s Safe School Walk Routes Taskforce. Moreau-Cook is seeking reforms to housing, including increasing aging-in-place services, improving affordable housing options, securing affordable housing for workers making less than a living wage, and preventing Section 8 discrimination. If elected, he supports applying for federal and state grants to preserve forested areas, restoring wildlife habitats, implementing safe sidewalk plans, and adding bikeways to Bothell.

He is running against Thomas Agnew, who was elected to the council in 2009 and is running on a platform of public safety, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure improvement, bringing a Boys and Girls Club to Bothell, and the environment.

Moreau-Cook is the best choice in this race because of his broader support from progressive advocates.

Pedro Olguin is an Organizing Coordinator with Teamsters Local 117. As an advocate for workers, Olguin's campaign has focused on the lack of family wage jobs and affordable housing that disproportionately impact women, children, and people of color. He supports alternatives to arresting people for being homeless and wants to improve relationships between the police and community groups.

Pedro Olguin is running against Joel Manning, who advocates for aggressive anti-homeless policies and a complete repeal of the local business and occupation tax. Olguin is the best choice in this race.

Jimmy Matta is running for Position 3 with a deep understanding of the struggles of working families. His family immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala, and by the time he was a teenager Matta had dropped out of high school to support his family in the fields. Matta later started a construction business, and went on to become a representative for the Carpenters Union for more than 20 years. If elected, Matta wants to create dedicated positions in the city to support local businesses, address the homelessness crisis and connect people to existing services. Matta would also focus on affordable housing and developing community policing programs.

Matta is running against conservative incumbent Debi Wagner, who has voted against sanctuary city status. A large portion of Wagner's time on the council and her campaign have been centered on economic development and public safety in the form of hiring more police officers. Matta is the best choice in this race.

Incumbent Nancy Tosta is serving her first term on the Burien City Council and served as Deputy Mayor for two years. She has served on a multitude of local government and policy groups, including the King County City Climate Collaboration, the Burien Ad-Hoc Social Services Funding Committee, and as a South Correctional Entity (SCORE) Administrative Board Member. Her campaign emphasizes funding social services, implementing block watches and other community methods of public safety, and improving youth programs and parks. In the last four years, Tosta has worked on non-arrest solutions for homelessness, advocated for more transportation options, and voted to increase investments in social services.

Tosta is running against conservative Darla Green. Green's campaign centers on fighting the minimum wage and Burien's sanctuary city status, while promoting an anti-panhandling initiative against homeless people. Tosta is the most experienced and progressive candidate in this race.

Krystal Marx is running for Position 7 on a "Burien for All" platform that focuses on social equity and community-based crime solutions. She promotes the Housing First approach to homelessness, and seeks involvement on community issues from the most-impacted groups. She is a former nonprofit operations manager and community educator.

Her opponent, Patty Janssen, is a "law and order" candidate and volunteer with the Burien Police Department. Janssen has focused her campaign mostly on crime prevention and stronger enforcement of local ordinances on issues like loitering and panhandling.

Marx is the best choice in this race.

Chad Harper is the Chair of the Highline Citizens for Schools and a Des Moines Human Services Commissioner. As commissioner, he worked to increase nonprofit program support from the city. He is focused on the issues of marina redevelopment, engagement between government and citizens, and public safety.

Harper is running for City Council Position 7 against Matthew Mahoney, who is active with the Citizen's Advisory Committee. Mahoney is a business manager, US Army veteran, and Fire Commissioner for Pierce County Fire District #26. Like Harper, Mahoney is focused on funding the seawall, solving airport issues, and public safety, but overall is less progressive than Harper.

Harper is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Jim Ferrell is running for a second term as mayor of Federal Way. A former King County Prosecutor and a Republican for 20 years, Ferrell switched parties to become a moderate Democrat in his latest run for mayor. Ferrell wants to continue the development of the Federal Way downtown core and maintain the police department (he added nine new officers to the force). Ferrell has banned homeless encampments on public property and supported cleaning sweeps via the Homeless Encampment Services Initiative.

Ferrell is running against Susan Honda. Elected in 2011, Honda currently serves on the Finance, Economic Development & Regional Affairs Committee, and is the president of women's organization Soroptimists International and incoming co-president of the local Kiwanis Club. Honda is focused on hiring a city administrator to run the day-to-day governmental needs of Federal Way.

While Ferrell is not extremely progressive, he has earned the most support from our progressive partner organizations.

Jesse Johnson is an excellent progressive candidate running for Federal Way City Council Position 2. Johnson works as an education and post-secondary mentor, especially for men of color, in his role as Family and Community Engagement Specialist in South King County. He has also worked on the College Access Now Americorps team, as a Multicultural Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator at the University of Washington, and on President Obama and Congressman Adam Smith's campaigns. Johnson's platform comprehensively addresses issues of crime, restorative justice, and education. He seeks to tackle crime systemically by creating programs targeting violence and providing wrap-around youth services that address mental health and trauma, and wants to retain local graduates through career ladder programs with local businesses.

Johnson is running against incumbent Republican Bob Celski. Johnson is the best choice in this race.

Current Kent City Councilmember Dana Ralph has served her community through numerous local non-profits, including as council liaison of the Kent Arts Commission, chair of the Drug Free Communities Coalition, and board member of Kent Kiwanis Club. On the council, Ralph sits on the Public Works Committee and Public Safety Committee, and also serves as the chair of the Operations Committee.

Ralph is running for mayor against another current councilmember, Jim Berrios. Berrios is a former Kent School Board member and current city councilmember who also brings an solid resume of community service.

Ralph has earned the most support from our Progressive Voters Guide partner organizations and is the best choice in this race.

Satwinder Kaur is an IT professional and a former Kent City Council executive assistant. Kaur has been deeply involved with local community organizations, including serving as chair of the Kent Cultural Communities Board, steward of Green Kent Parks, member of the Kent International Festival Steering Committee, board member of the Kent Historical Society, and member of Living Well Kent. Her platform includes ensuring safe neighborhoods, fiscal transparency, traffic reduction, and making the police force more diverse.

Kaur is facing libertarian Paul Addis, an army veteran and a senior business analyst at Alaska Airlines. Kaur is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Tye Whitfield has a long history of civic activism and serving our community. She was the chair of the Puget Sound Service District, a Parks and Recreation commissioner, and helped create community events like Taste of Kent. Whitfield is also a small business owner who is running to bring more jobs to Kent and keep it a great place to raise a family.

Whitfield is running against conservative-leaning former PTSA president Toni Troutner. Troutner has served as the commissioner of the Civil Service Commission of the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority and a member of Drug Free Coalition, among other community service organizations. Whitfield is the best choice in this race.

Appointed to the city council in 2014, incumbent Ruth Pérez is the first Hispanic councilmember in Renton. As chair of the Transportation Committee, Perez is focused on inclusive transit options, education, safe communities, and attracting more jobs to Renton. She has been a champion for communities of color and immigrant community members.

Rituja Indapure is a Senior Analyst at Costco. She has served in the community as Treasurer at Challenger Elementary, co-president of the Beaver Lake PTSA, and a United Way volunteer. Indapure is seeking cost-effective transportation solutions and sustainable growth that protects parks and the environment. She also seeks ways to improve emergency response times, specifically services deployed in natural disasters, and to decrease language barriers between the police department and the community.

Indapure is running against conservative Chris Ross. We recommend Indapure in this race.

Incumbent Kathryn Campbell was recently appointed to the National League of Cities' Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, where she will work on national and regional environmental policy. Campbell has been an advocate for community gardens, increased police patrols, and restoration of the Green/Duwamish river basins. She is running against retired conservative businessman Joel Wachtel. We recommend a vote for Campbell in this race.

Former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan is running for mayor on a platform of police accountability, housing affordability, and justice for all. She was the first openly gay U.S. Attorney in our country’s history. At the U.S. Department of Justice, she pushed to improve accountability for the Seattle Police Department, created a civil rights unit, and was an advocate for criminal justice reform. While Durkan’s support from business groups has raised questions among some progressives, she does not shy away from progressive positions and emphasizes that she is willing to stand up to anyone to make the right decisions when necessary. With a long track record of working on complex political and policy issues, Durkan is positioning herself as a consensus-building candidate with executive leadership experience who can work with advocates on all sides.

While Moon and Durkan agree on many issues, they have shown differences on a few key proposals:

Housing Affordability: Durkan would implement the current Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda to create 20,000 affordable units over 10 years by increasing density and requiring developers to build more affordable housing in exchange for upzoning. Durkan also wants to offer rent vouchers for low-income families and increase the number of tiny houses. Learn more here.

Homelessness: Durkan would continue sweeps of homeless encampments and opposes allowing people to sleep in public parks because of health and safety concerns. She also wants to build 100 new shelter beds in each city council district.

Youth Jail: Durkan supports building a new youth jail because she thinks conditions in the current facility are harsh and inhumane.

Education: Durkan has proposed offering up to two years of free college tuition for high school graduates to attend a public community college in Washington.

From the campaign trail: Durkan has a very confident presence, focuses on issues, and emphasizes that she is willing to make difficult decisions. She focuses on her extensive experience and track record in politics.

For more reasons why people are supporting Durkan, you can read this op-ed by Gary Locke, Ron Sims, and Norm Rice in the South Seattle Emerald.

Lorena González has been a truly impressive leader in her two years on the Seattle City Council. González is a civil rights attorney who runs a bilingual legal clinic for low-income residents and is the President Emeritus of OneAmerica, a Seattle-based immigrant advocacy organization. She supports police reform for bias-free and just policing, paid parental and family leave for all workers, and supports much of the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) for more equitable housing policy and as a part of the solution to homelessness in the city. If reelected, González wants to create a legal defense fund for immigrants and to fix our city's upside-down tax code. She is running against challenger and small business owner Pat Murakami who is not running as progressive of a campaign. González is the clear choice in this race.

Community activist Jin-Ah Kim is running for Shoreline City Council, Position 1. As a recovered survivor of opioid addiction, Kim has dedicated herself to helping people who struggle with homelessness and drug addiction. Kim is a precinct committee officer with 32nd District Democrats. As a candidate, she is focused on ensuring Shoreline's financial stability, building the city's ability to provide services to underserved populations, and mitigating changes brought by light rail and Point Wells development.

Kim is running against Shoreline City Council incumbent Keith McGlashan, who has served on the council since 2005. McGlashan supported World Refugee Day and more recently joined the unanimous vote of making Shoreline a safe and welcoming city. He is a member of the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Local Officials Committee (GLBLO), and has served on various community organizations like Shoreline Public Schools Foundation, King County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, and the National League of Cities, Community and Economic Development Committee.

Because of her support from our progressive partners, we think Jin-Ah Kim is the better choice in this race.

Mayor Chris Roberts is running unopposed for Position 7. He was elected mayor by his fellow councilmembers in 2016 after serving on the council since 2010. A member of the Choctaw Nation, Roberts has pushed for inclusive policies in local government and in the city itself. Last year, Roberts wrote a letter declaring that Shoreline would stand against deportation and discrimination and asked other mayors in the region to sign on as well. Roberts is seeking a regional approach to Shoreline's homelessness issues, and is focusing on affordable housing and transportation in the upcoming years.

Zak Idan is running for TukwiIa City Council Seat 5. Idan is a progressive leader who has dedicated his life to advocating for immigrants' rights and building stronger communities. He serves on several boards and commissions including the Community Oriented Policing Citizen’s Advisory Board, OneAmerica, and the Matt Griffin YMCA. As a candidate for city council, he is prioritizing sustainable economic development, improved local infrastructure and affordable housing policies.

Idan is running against Dennis Martinez, who prioritizes pro-business stances over addressing the needs of the community. Zak Idan is the best choice in this race.

An active community leader, incumbent De'Sean Quinn is running for re-election to Tukwila City Council Seat 7. Quinn is committed to promoting environmentally responsible policies, protecting workers' rights, and increasing affordable housing in Tukwila. Over the past 8 years, he has proven his ability to pass fiscally responsible budgets that balance the current development needs of the community while planning for the city's future. His track record of delivering results for Tukwila makes him the best choice in this race.

Eden Mack is the co-founder of Washington’s Paramount Duty, a relatively new group that has rapidly become a major force in Olympia advocating to fully fund public schools. Prior to that, Mack was the Legislative Chair of the Seattle Council of Parent, Teacher, and Student Associations. Mack is now running for Seattle School Board in District 4 on a platform of giving every school, teacher, and student the support and resources they need to succeed. She has three kids in Seattle Public Schools and is focused on ensuring schools keep up with the city’s rapid growth.

Also in this race is Herbet Camet Jr., who is not running a viable campaign. Mack has earned the broadest support from progressive advocates and is the best choice in this race.

Heather Fralick is a Senior Associate Faculty member at Cascadia College, an educator at Shoreline Community College, and an active member of the Cascade K-8 PTSA. She is also a former member of Shoreline’s Economic Development Advisory Committee. Fralick's campaign prioritizes equal and inclusive education for all children, fully funded education, and partnerships with parents and local community.

She is running against Jill Brady, who has served as Trustee and Co-President of the Shoreline Public Schools Foundation. Brady also supports fully funded education and inclusive schools.

Fralick is the better choice because of her broad support from progressive advocates.