Pierce County

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 Sen. 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.

Nate Lowry is a landscape architect and Edgewood city councilmember who has been a strong progressive voice in Edgewood. 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. Lowry is the progressive choice in this race.

John McCarthy is running for Position 1 for Tacoma Port Commissioner against Jim Jensen and Eric Holdman. McCarthy served as a Tacoma Port Commissioner Port Commissioner from 1983 to 1992, and a Pierce County District Court judge for 22 years. While McCarthy is not the most progressive candidate recommended in this guide, it is critical to vote against Jensen, who was outed for pro-Trump, misogynist, and racist tweets. McCarthy is the best choice in this race.

Elected in 2014, financial manager Nancy Backus is the first female mayor of Auburn. Prior to her first term, she served on the Auburn City Council for 10 years as Chair of the Finance and the Planning & Community Development committees, among other roles. In 2016, she served as president of Sound Cities Association (SCA) and was the first board member from Auburn to be elected to the Sound Transit board. Backus' first term is backed by an impressive list of accomplishments. Unemployment in Auburn is among the lowest in the state. 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. 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' leadership has earned her another term.

Joe Aboubakr is a board member of the Steilacoom Chamber of Commerce and a U.S. Navy veteran. His campaign is focused on reducing energy costs, improving the relationship between the city council and the Chamber of Commerce, and fixing crosswalks. Aboubakr is running against Roger Neal, who is not running a competitive campaign, and P.K. Thumbi, an immigrant from Kenya, mental health technician, and a community volunteer with the Kiwanis Club and the Steilacoom Historical Museum Association. Aboubakr is the best choice for Steilacoom City Council Position 3.

Catherine Ushka is President of the Tacoma School Board. She has served in the U.S. Navy and as Vice President of the Tacoma Charter Review, Commissioner for the City of Tacoma Human Services, and on the Executive Team and Steering Committee for the Eastside Community Center. Her campaign is focused on public safety, housing, and sustainable career paths. She advocated against state initiative 1515, which would repeal non-discrimination protections for transgender people in housing, employment, schools.

Ushka is facing progressive Shalisa Hayes and real estate developer Kevin Grossman. Hayes founded the Billy Ray Foundation and Mothers of Magnitude, organizations aimed at providing positive spaces and engagement for youth, and for mothers who have lost children. Hayes is also the lead organizer behind the creation of the Eastside Community Center, which will provide youth programming and a safe space for local youth to learn and play. Grossman is a former Shoreline City Councilmember and former Vice Chair of the Washington State Affordable Housing Advisory Board.

Ushka has earned the broadest support from our Progressive Voters Guide partners and is the best choice in this race.

Chris Beale is the best candidate for Position 5. He is Chair of the Planning Commission, and has also served as Vice Chair of the South Tacoma Neighborhood Council, a member of Pierce Transit’s Citizen Advisory council, and as Board President of the local non-profit ForeverGreen Trails. Beale is advocating for more affordable housing, storm water quality maintenance, support for Safe Routes to Schools, the Neighborhood Councils, and equitable road improvements. His campaign gives specific attention to South Tacoma to "address historic inequality of public investments." Beale is running against Janis Clark, Justin Van Dyk, Joanne Babic, and Brian Arnold. Beale is the best choice in this race.

Evelyn Lopez previously worked as Assistant Attorney General and Executive Director of the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. Lopez's campaign seeks increased neighborhood density to lower infrastructure cost, limit sprawl, attract small businesses, and make public transit more efficient. She advocates for mixed-use centers where residents could procure affordable housing and be near jobs, schools, and shopping. Lopez deserves credit for her outspoken opposition to the LNG development in Tacoma.

Jim Merritt is another progressive running who lost a close race to Mayor Strickland in 2009. This year, our Progressive Voters Guide partner organizations are lining up behind Woodards and Lopez.

Patti Dailey is a running against incumbent Steve Worthington and Ken Campbell for Position 3. She has called herself a champion of LGBTQ rights, veterans, youth, and seniors. Her campaign prioritizes protecting parks and green spaces like the Chambers Creek trail system and the Audriana Hess Refuge, promoting affordable housing and living wage jobs, and ensuring employment for local youth. Dailey is the best choice in this race.