31st Legislative District

Michelle Rylands is an Army veteran and PTA president running against incumbent Senator Phil Fortunato. She is strongly in favor of fully funding K-12 education, and also advocates for fixing our state's upside-down tax code and helping local small businesses.

Fortunato was chosen by Republicans to replace long-time senator Pam Roach. While he is very conservative on many issues, he deserves credit for playing a key role in breaking the final state budget impasse this year by pushing his Republican colleagues to fund the contracts of state employees. Nevertheless, Rylands is the best choice in this race.

Edgewood City Councilmember Nate Lowry is a landscape architect who has been a strong progressive voice in the community. He's running for the 31st District House seat to fix Washington's upside-down tax code and fund Head Start and STEM education. He is running against Republican Morgan Irwin, who was recently appointed to this seat and has not demonstrated progressive values. Lowry is the better 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.

Mitzi Johanknecht has worked in law enforcement for 32 years and is running to "restore honor and integrity to the Office of Sheriff." She believes the controversies surrounding the Sheriff’s office have been demoralizing for the department and a distraction for officers in the community. Johanknecht is against safe injection sites but has pledged to uphold any local laws surrounding these sites. She says she has never reported anyone to ICE and is a strong proponent of restorative justice. Johanknecht earned the support of staunch progressives such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal and The Stranger newspaper.

Johanknecht is challenging Sheriff John Urquhart, who was first elected in 2012 after serving 23 years as a sergeant and department spokesperson, where he was twice named Officer of the Year. As Sheriff, Urquhart has been an ally on a wide range of progressive issues. He supports sanctuary cities and protecting immigrant communities, and he was an outspoken critic of two anti-transgender ballot measures. He has been endorsed by a number of progressive organizations.

However, Urquhart has also been plagued by very troubling ethics issues in recent months. Late last year, reports surfaced that Urquhart was accused of raping a colleague 15 years ago. The FBI, Seattle Police Department, and the King County Prosecutor’s office investigated the allegations and did not find grounds to pursue criminal charges against him. However, the county ombudsman’s office faulted Urquhart for blocking an internal investigation into his behavior. You can read a lengthy description of the events here. In the closing days of the election, Urquhart has faced renewed criticism for attempting to bully and intimidate people who accuse him of wrongdoing and because a representative of his campaign threatened to release one accuser’s medical records to discredit her charges.

We expect our leaders in law enforcement to uphold the highest ethical standards and maintain the trust of the community they are sworn to protect. For this reason, we cannot recommend Urquhart and believe Johanknecht is the best choice in this race.

Denice Carnahan is running for King County Council, District 9. As an experienced businesswoman, she has a deep understanding of the needs of working families and the many challenges facing King County. As a candidate, Carnahan is prioritizing the development of long-term transportation and public safety solutions that equitably enhances King County communities. She is focused on ensuring that King County remains a great place to raise a family.

Carnahan is running against Republican incumbent Reagan Dunn, who has opposed responsible growth legislation and progressive tax reform measures during his tenure. His lack of principled leadership has stifled progress on the county level. For her progressive vision, Carnahan deserves your support in this race.

Micheal Shepard is running for Port of Bellingham Commissioner Position 1. Shepard is a progressive environmental advocate with the skills and drive to bring meaningful change to the Port of Bellingham. He recognizes the need to balance job growth and business development with pragmatic solutions for safeguarding the natural treasures of the Port of Bellingham.

Shepard is running against incumbent Dan Robbins, who is not a strong supporter of environmental protections or workers' rights. Shepard is best choice in this race.

Berry Wenger is running for Port of Bellingham Commissioner Position 2. As a former union member and organizer, he values job creation and workers' rights. He aims to pursue projects that will restore the shoreline and invest in the community. Wenger is committed to balancing sustainable growth and environmental restoration.

Wenger is running against Republican Ken Bell, who is running a conservative pro-business campaign. For his progressive vision, Barry Wenger is best choice in this race.

Angela Harris is running for Port of Edmonds, Commissioner District 1. Harris is a Senior Business Program Manager at Microsoft and would bring more than 20 years of budget management, leadership, and nonprofit adovacy to the role. She is running to increase engagement between the community, city council and the Port of Edmonds. Additionally, Harris aims to identify better solutions for storm water management, improve the Edmonds Marsh, and enhance the Edmonds shoreline.

Harris is running against incumbent Fred Gouge, who has served in the position since 1999. Gouge has responsibly managed the port's budget and played a key role promoting business development. Harris is the better choice in this race because of her broader support from progressive partners.

Retired strategic city adviser Susan Paine is running for Port of Edmonds, District 5. Paine has experience serving on the Edmonds School Board and as a strategic adviser for City of Seattle. Paine aims to increase collaboration with the City Council and the community especially on matters related to the development of the waterfront. Paine is prioritizing environmental stewardship as well as finding funding to understand the long-term financial impacts for redevelopment proposals and addressing contamination remediation in the Port.

Paine is running against incumbent Steven Johnston, who was appointed to the position in May 2016. Johnston is focused on business development and supporting the Port's tourism industry. Paine is the stronger choice in this race because of her support from progressive partners.

Small business owner and community leader Bill Fishburn is running for Port of Olympia to improve ethics and transparency on the commission. Fishburn aims to support local farms and businesses while providing much-needed jobs for veterans.

Fishburn is challenging incumbent Bill McGregor, whose track record on key issues skews conservative. For his fresh perspective on revitalizing the Port of Olympia, Bill Fishburn is the clear choice in this race.

Incumbent E.J. Zita is running for re-election to the Port of Olympia Commissioner District 3 seat. A faculty member at the Evergreen State College, Zita is a progressive who has worked hard to ensure that local taxes and economic investments at the port serve the whole community and enhance the environment. Throughout her tenure, Zita has prioritized providing sustainable economic opportunities for all, and holding the port to higher accountability standard that safeguard the interests of farms, residential areas, and schools.

E.J. Zita is running against challenger Gigi McClure, who is not running a progressive campaign - McClure is in favor of the port continuing to ship fracking sands. For her proven track record on delivering quality results, we recommend Zita in this race.

Former Seattle City Council member Peter Steinbrueck is running to ensure that the Port of Seattle balances job growth and development with environmentally friendly environment platforms. He aims to make the Port of Seattle a leader in reducing emissions and restoring habitats. While Peter has a proven track record on supporting workers' rights, living wages, and environmentally responsible policies, we lean toward Shridhar for Port of Seattle, Position 4.

John McCarthy is running for the Tacoma Port Commissioner Position 1 against army veteran and port security specialist Eric Holdman. McCarthy served as a Tacoma Port Commissioner from 1983 to 1992, and a Pierce County District Court judge for 22 years. While McCarthy is not the most progressive candidate, his previous experience and community involvement makes him the best choice in this race.

Don Orange is a small business owner who has lived in Clark County for 30 years. As a community advocate, Don has fought for working families and government accountability. Orange has also been a dedicated opponent of the dirty and dangerous Tesoro-Savage project, which would be the largest oil by rail terminal in the country. Orange is committed to standing up for the community’s public health and safety, and creating clean energy jobs through the Port of Vancouver that protect the Columbia River and Clark County for future generations of families to enjoy.

Orange is running against conservative Kris Greene. Due to a quirk in campaign finance laws, Port of Vancouver candidates can accept unlimited campaign donations, and Greene has taken full advantage of that. As of October 17, Greene had accepted a staggering $370,000 from the same oil companies lobbying the Port of Vancouver in favor of the export terminal. In addition, leaked documents from his former campaign strategist show that oil companies were largely calling the shots on Greene’s campaign.

Greene’s massive conflicts of interest and support for this dangerous oil terminal should raise concerns for voters across the political spectrum. Don Orange is the clear choice in this race.

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.

Yolanda Trout-Manuel is running unopposed to retain her seat in Position 4. She serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and she is a well-known advocate for traffic safety and for her domestic violence work. She received a 2015 Outstanding Award from the local Domestic Violence Task Force and an Outstanding Citizen Activist Award for Excellence in Traffic Safety from the Washington Traffic Safety Commissioners for her work on Washington's Highway 12. Trout-Manuel serves on several regional and national boards, including the Puget Sound Latino Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Elective Legislative Officials, and the National League of Cities. She plans to focus the upcoming years on homelessness, public safety, and the economic health of Auburn.

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.

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.

Hoang Tran is running for Position 4 against Republican Diana Noble-Gulliford. At 18, Tran fled Vietnam and eventually arrived in America as a refugee. He has worked in public service for over 20 years and currently works as an administrator in public assistance programs for the state Department of Social and Health Services. Tran's campaign is centered on public safety through crime prevention programs and police department funding, addressing homelessness, and ensuring fiscal responsibility in government. He would like to increase the number of businesses owned be people of color in the city.

His opponent, Diana Noble-Gulliford, is a former city councilmember and current president of the Historical Society of Federal Way. Her biggest priorities are economic development and public safety. She supported the six-month housing moratorium on multi-family units, which Tran had reservations about due to the need for affordable housing. Tran is the better choice in this race.

Roger Flygare owns two court reporting agencies and is a U.S. Army veteran. He is a member of the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Washington Business, the Federal Way Coalition Against Trafficking, and the past President and Commanding General of the Association of Washington Generals. His campaign is prioritizing public safety and economic development. Flygare would support the local moratorium on multi-family housing until the number of single family homes is roughly equal to the number of multi-family homes, as he states it puts an undue burden on social services and schools.

He is running against Republican Martin Moore, who has switched parties and supported Democratic and Republican leaders and initiatives over the years. Moore's campaign has prioritized public safety, bringing tech jobs to Federal Way, fighting a B&O tax, and transparent government.

Flygare is the best choice in this race.

Incumbent Heather Shadko is serving her first term on the Puyallup City Council. She is a contracts manager for the Port of Tacoma, and has served as Chair of the Puyallup Library Board, and a member and vice-chair of the Planning Commission. Shadko's time on the council has been positive - fighting for humane treatment of the homeless, supporting Puyallup as Washington's second pollinator-friendly "Bee City," and advocating for public open space.

She is running against Cynthia Jacobsen, a math teacher at Pierce College. A fiscal conservative, her main campaign goals are mitigating population growth issues, fiscal responsibility, and working with charities and regional governments to address homelessness.

Shadko is the experienced, progressive pick for this position.

Julie Door is running for reelection to the Puyallup City Council District 3, Position 2 seat. Door was first elected to the city council in 2013. Since then, she has made strengthening the economy on behalf of working families one of her main priorities. On the council, Door supported the purchase of the Van Lierop farm to create a new park, implemented a Safe Routes to Schools initiative, and has worked on securing adequate shelter for the homeless in inclement weather. Door works with the Pierce County Opioid Task Force. She is the community services chair of the Puyallup Kiwanis Club and a board member of the South Sound 911 Board, among other community involvement.

Her opponent, Jeremy Hamel, is a DJ whose campaign focuses on curbing non-local development buyers and mitigating traffic issues. He has no political or community organization experience. Door is the best choice in this race.

My-Linh Thai is running for reelection to the Bellevue School Board, Position 5. In her first term on the school board, she singlehandedly raised the issue of racial equity in education; because of her advocacy, racial equity is now a core guiding principle of the school board. As a Vietnamese refugee who moved to Washington at age 15 without speaking a word of English, Thai has an acute understanding of the true difference public education can make in the life of a child. Because Bellevue is the most diverse city in the state of Washington, Thai is best equipped to represent and advocate for all students in her district. She wants to enhance communication between all "clients" of the school district (parents, children, teacher, and staff) and close the achievement gap in math and reading.

Her opponent, Hugh Gladner, is running against the "cronyism" of the current school board and espousing a platform of transparency, partnering with charter schools, and getting more people in the district involved with the school district.

We recommend My-Linh Thai in this race.

Eastside high school teacher Anita Damjanovic has more than 13 years of experience in the field of education. Damjanovic is passionate about revitalizing K-12 education programs. She wants to invest in STEM education and early arts programs, create an early world language education program, and promote stronger teacher recruitment and retention strategies. Damjanovic also advocates for having school nurses present in all schools to ensure that the health and safety needs of students are met.

Cassandra Sage is a family advisor for Seattle Children’s Hospital and a Cub Scout leader who serves the community in many ways. As a mother with two sons with special needs, Sage wants to see more inclusion of special education kids in general school population. If elected, she would support increasing vocational programs, promote fully funded, equitable education, and increased support for college-bound students and their parents.

Both candidates have promising visions for the school district, however we lean towards Anita Damjanovic in this race because of the support she has earned from our progressive partners.

Scott Clifthorne is a consultant and the current president of a local parent-teacher organization at his son's elementary school. He volunteers as a coach for youth soccer and high school debate, and has served on the Olympia Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Clifthorne's campaign is focused on community engagement and equity strategies - providing outreach to all areas of the community for input on education issues, supporting evidence-based equity strategies like hiring more teachers of color to help students of color succeed, and supporting public alternative programs as a roadblock to the privatization of education.

He is running against incumbent Mark Campeau. Campeau is the current board president and has focused his previous campaigns on reducing class size and supporting students who need help to achieve grade-level goals. Clifthorne is the most progressive candidate 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.

Deana Brower is running for reelection to the Spokane School District Board of Directors, Position 2. First elected in 2011, Deana Brower is currently Board President and is active in the greater Spokane community. Prior to joining the school board, Brower taught primary education for 12 years, served as a youth education advocate in Eastern Washington. Brower is unopposed in this race.

Mike Wiser was recently appointed to the Spokane School Board and is now running for a full term. In addition to his commitment to the Spokane School District, he is VP of Strategic Planning for CHAS Health. Wiser is running to bring a data-driven analysis to school improvement while ensuring that standardized tests don't dominate the classroom. He's also committed to supporting students with the community services they need to show up to school ready to learn.

Wiser is running against Jennifer Muroya Thomas, who does not share Wiser's experience and progressive values. Wiser is the best choice in this race.

Ubah Aden is running for Tukwila School District Position 4. Aden is a health coach and active community leader who would bring a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the Tukwila School Board. She has served on the Tukwila School Budget Committee and the Tukwila School Parent Advisory Committee.

Aden is opposed by Edna Morris, an educator who lacks Aden's inclusive and bold vision for Tukwila's schools. Aden is the best choice in this race.

Marisa Peloquin is running for University Place School Board Director, Position #2. A retired colonel in the U.S. army and a parent of two children, Peloquin understands the value of a quality education. She is running to ensure that the children of working families are supported academically and have access to the resources they need to build a bright future. She is a local community leader and an outspoken advocate for inclusive communities, safe neighborhoods, and social equality.

Marisa Peloquin is running against Nate Angelo, who has not released a detailed platform that explains his vision for University Place schools. Peloquin is the best choice in this race.