5th Legislative District

Senator Maria Cantwell was first elected in 2000 and continues to represent our state's progressive values in our nation's capital. Sen. Cantwell has been a leader on a wide range of issues including reproductive rights, supporting the Children's Health Insurance Program, defending net neutrality, passing oil spill legislation to protect our water, working on clean energy policies, and many more.

Sen. Cantwell is opposed by Republican Susan Hutchison. Hutchison is a former news anchor and past chair of the state Republican Party. She ran for King County Executive in 2009 and lost by twenty points. Hutchison is well-known for being a party-line Republican and for her fierce defense of President Donald Trump, including calling fellow Republican Ted Cruz a "traitor" for not supporting the president's campaign.

Sen. Cantwell has been a tenacious advocate for the people of Washington state and is the best choice in this race.

Dr. Kim Schrier is a pediatrician who was inspired to run for Washington’s 8th Congressional District because of Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. She is committed to building an economy that works for everyone and protecting Social Security and Medicare for all. She also wants to bring her voice to the debates about women’s health care and abortion rights in Congress, where there are currently no women doctors. Dr. Schrier supports letting Americans of any age buy into Medicare on a sliding scale to reduce overhead costs and increase competition for private insurers.

Dr. Schrier is running against Republican Dino Rossi, who previously ran unsuccessful campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate. Rossi has consistently sided with congressional Republicans, including supporting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy few. He is also strongly anti-choice and does not support commonsense gun safety legislation. While in the state Legislature, he wrote a budget that would have taken away health care from 45,000 low-income kids. Rossi would be another reliable vote for the Republican leaders and powerful special interests in Washington, D.C.

We need new leadership in Congress that puts working families before corporations and the wealthy elites who rig the rules. Dr. Kim Schrier is the best choice for Washington's 8th Congressional District.

Representative Adam Smith has been a reliable vote in Congress on progressive issues from taxation to immigration reform. He represents Washington's first majority-minority district, a community with 30 percent foreign-born residents and large Asian, Hispanic, and African-American communities. Rep. Smith is an advocate for greater equality, supports a path to citizenship for immigrants, reforming the tax code, and Medicare for All. Rep. Smith has used his position on the Armed Services Committee to introduce and support legislation that tempers Trump's belligerent foreign policy moves, including a bill that states the U.S. will not strike a country with nuclear weapons first.

Rep. Smith is running against Democrat Sarah Smith, who is challenging Rep. Smith from the left. She's running on a comprehensive progressive platform including Medicare for All, alleviating student loan debt, supporting a nationwide tenants’ bill of rights, and building 10 million social homes. Sarah Smith is highly critical of Rep. Smith’s votes in favor of the Iraq War and the Patriot Act. However, during her interview with Fuse staff, she failed to produce a robust and detailed plan for how she would implement the sweeping reforms she supports, politically and economically.

Rep. Adam Smith is the best choice in this race because of his experience, in-depth knowledge of public policy, and strong support from a wide range of progressive advocacy organizations.

Issaquah City Councilmember and small business owner Bill Ramos is running to fill the House seat vacated by retiring Representative Jay Rodne. Prior to serving on the city council, Ramos served on the Human Services Commission and the Planning Policy Commission. Ramos has earned a reputation as an environmentalist by fighting for sustainable development and growth policies, as well as supporting expanded transit options. Ramos is passionate about uniting the 5th Legislative District behind commonsense solutions that address our state's most pressing challenges like traffic congestion, housing affordability, and homelessness.

Ramos is running against former Republican state Representative Chad Magendanz. In 2016, Magendanz stepped down from the House to launch a failed campaign for state Senate. While in the Legislature, Magendanz maintained a conservative track record, including being the sole East King County legislator of either party to vote against a transportation bill that would've reduced traffic gridlock on the I-405 corridor.

Bill Ramos is the best choice for the 5th Legislative District House Position 1.

Democrat Lisa Callan is running for the 5th Legislative District House Position 2. Callan currently serves on the Issaquah School Board and is a member of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce. She is prioritizing transportation solutions and improving the quality of K-12 education. If elected, Callan would focus on reducing traffic gridlock, implementing sustainable growth policies, and increasing transparency within Olympia.

Callan is challenging incumbent Republican Representative Paul Graves. Rep. Graves does not support fixing Washington's upside-down tax code and has voted against progressive reforms that would address our state's toughest budget problems, as well as against a bill that requires state insurers to cover reproductive health care. Callan is the best choice in this race.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg is running for re-election on a platform of reforming and modernizing King County’s criminal justice system. His office’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program has become a national model for shifting low-level drug offenders and sex workers out of the criminal justice system and into community support services. Satterberg has been an outspoken advocate for outlawing the death penalty in Washington and he recently announced that his office will halt prosecutions for possession of small amounts of drugs.

Satterberg acknowledges the painful history of institutional racism in the King County prosecutor’s office and in the broader criminal justice system. He is actively working to change department policies and to train his staff to reduce the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on people of color. He offers thoughtful and detailed analyses of the challenges facing King County and he is willing to experiment with innovative new ways to support the community.

Satterberg is being challenged by progressive public defender Daron Morris. Morris has criticized Satterberg for not moving quickly and boldly enough to reform King County’s criminal justice system. In particular, Morris opposes the new youth jail that is currently under construction. Unfortunately, medical problems forced Morris to suspend his campaign in September.

Satterberg is the best choice for King County Prosecuting Attorney.

First elected in 2000, Supreme Court Justice Susan Justice Owens brings more 40 years of legal experience to Washington's Supreme Court. Prior to serving on the court, Justice Owens served nineteen years as a District Court Judge in Western Clallam County. Justice Owens has been a leader in the judicial community on addressing the impacts of domestic violence on children. Nationally, Justice Owens is a judicial trainer on this topic and participated in the writing of the Northwest Tribal Judges Domestic Violence Manual. Justice Owens is running unopposed for re-election and has earned your support.

Supreme Court Justice Steve Gonzalez has earned national recognition for his judicial expertise and work to increase access to the judicial system. Before serving on the Supreme Court, Justice Gonzalez served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and on the King County Superior Court for more than 10 years hearing criminal, juvenile, and family law cases. Justice Gonzalez is devoted to working for the people of Washington and serves as a board member for the Washington Leadership Institute, an organization that supports emerging community leaders from diverse backgrounds. As one of the few multi-lingual justices, he chairs the Interpreter Commission. Justice Gonzalez is rated "Exceptionally Well Qualified" by 10 independent bar associations in Washington state.

Gonzalez is being challenged by Bellevue-based attorney Nathan Choi, who ran unsuccessfully for a judicial seat on the Court of Appeals in 2016. Since then, Choi has faced numerous ethical controversies. In 2017, the King County Bar Association formally reprimanded Choi for violating KCBA's fair campaign practices guidelines by releasing misleading campaign materials and failing to follow state candidate rules. In February of this year, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson formally filed a lawsuit against Nathan Choi in a Thurston County Court. The case is still open.

Justice Steve Gonzalez is the best choice for Supreme Court Justice Position 8.

Washington Supreme Court Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud has been a fierce defender of constitutional rights and has written the decision in several consequential court cases. Prior to serving on the Supreme Court, she worked as an accomplished appellate court attorney for nearly three decades and was a founding member of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association. Her strong judicial track record has earned a rating of "Exceptionally Well Qualified" by 10 independent state bar associations, including Washington Women Lawyers and the newly-minted Veterans Bar Association.

Justice McCloud in running unopposed for Position 9 and deserves your vote.

Appointed earlier this year by Gov. Jay Inslee to this seat vacated by Judge Ronald Cox, Judge Beth M. Andrus is seeking to retain the Court of Appeals, District 1, Division 1 seat. Prior to entering the judiciary as a King County Superior Court Judge in 2010, Judge Andrus had a 21-year career as a private attorney practicing commercial litigation, intellectual property, construction, and employment law as well as appellate advocacy. In 2016, the King County Chapter of the Washington Women Lawyers Bar Association awarded her their Judge of the Year Award. Judge Andrus is known as an impartial problem solver who has a “tireless work ethic." It is also worth noting that she was nominated for a U.S. District Court appointment by former President Barack Obama, but the U.S. Senate refused to act on the nomination. Judge M. Andrus is unopposed and deserves your vote.

Chief Judge Marlin Appelwick has served on Washington’s Court of Appeals since 1998. Prior to entering the judiciary, Judge Appelwick was a private attorney and served for 16 years in the Legislature, including 12 years as a state representative for the 46th Legislative District. During his final three years in the Legislature, Judge Appelwick also served as the House Democratic Leader.

Since his appointment to the appellate court, Judge Appelwick has been committed to making just decisions, balancing judicial administration, and serving the public. He is committed to ensuring that information about the law is accessible for everyone and cares deeply about educating Washingtonians about their civil rights. He has been recognized by numerous organizations for his judicial expertise and conduct. Judge Marlin Appelwick is running unopposed for re-election and has earned another term.

Attorney Marcus Naylor has more than 26 years of experience serving the community through the King County Department of Public Defense. Having conducted more than one hundred jury trials over eight years as a judge pro tem, Naylor has the breadth of experience and temperament to be a fair and impartial administrator of justice for everyone in the courtroom. Naylor’s passion for the law and for helping others navigate the judicial process extends beyond the courtroom through his volunteer work with the Neighborhood Legal Clinic.

Naylor is running against public defender Joshua Schaer. Schaer is a former two-term Issaquah city councilmember who now works as a judge pro tem for the King County District Court and as an attorney at a private law firm.

Attorney Marcus Naylor is the best choice in this race based on his impressive judicial ratings, community engagement, and the considerable support he has received from the legal community.

Judge Ketu Shah was appointed to the King County District Court, Northeast Division in 2013 and then elected in 2014. Judge Shah brings with him more than 24 years of combined judicial and legal experience. Previously, he served as a prosecutor who helped create the domestic violence unit in Bellevue to hold domestic abusers accountable. Judge Shah values integrity, independence, hard work, and fairness. He presides over the Regional Veterans and Mental Health Courts and oversees the court’s therapeutic response, which helps veterans in their recovery. Judge Ketu Shah is running unopposed and deserves your vote.

Appointed to King County's Southeast Electoral District Court in April 2017, Judge Jason Poydras is running unopposed for re-election to the bench. During his 15-year career of practicing law, Judge Poydras has served as a public defender for the city of Seattle, prosecuting attorney for Pierce County, and an administrative law judge for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings. Judge Poydras is dedicated to public service, due process, and access to justice. Currently, he sits on the King County District Technology Committee - an entity that works to make the court system more accessible. Judge Jason Poydras has earned your vote.

Appointed to the court in April of 2017, Judge Matthew York previously served as a county Prosecuting Attorney and a pro tem (substitute) judge for King County's municipal courts. With more than two decades of combined judicial and legal experience behind him, Judge Matthew York received an "Exceptionally Well Qualified Rating" from several major independent bar associations including the King County Bar Association and Q-Law, the LGBTQ bar association. Judge Matthew York is focused on improving access to justice and cares deeply about ensuring that everyday people are equipped with resources they need to navigate the judicial system. Judge Matthew York is running unopposed and has earned another term.

First elected in 2010, Judge Nathaniel B. Green is a U.S. Navy veteran and a former Adjunct Professor at DeVry University who serves on the King County District Court. Judge Green "believes that justice and fairness are not just words to be spoken, but goals to be achieved." He is running unopposed and has earned another term.

Judge Corinna Harn was elected in 1998 to serve on the King County District Court. After 20 years of public service, Judge Harn has become a leader on the district court, having served as a Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge for the West Division over the course of her career. Currently, Judge Harn also serves as a King County Superior Court pro tem (substitute) judge where she hears cases related to the Dependency Pre-Trial calendars at Juvenile Court and the Regional Justice Center. She cares deeply about serving the community, effective judicial administration, and giving each case the attention it rightfully deserves. Judge Corinna Harn is running unopposed and deserves your vote.

Private attorney Virginia Amato is running for this open seat on King County's District Court. With more than 25 years of combined judicial and legal experience in the Pacific Northwest, Amato has earned the rating of "Exceptionally Well Qualified" from four independent bar associations. Her legal experience includes serving as a prosecuting attorney for several jurisdictions in Washington State. Additionally, Amato has served a pro tem (substitute) judge on King County's District Court since 2014. Virginia Amato is unopposed in this race and deserves your support.

Attorney Rhonda Laumann is running unopposed for election to King County's Southeast Electoral District Court, Position 6. Her legal and judicial experience includes working as a prosecutor, a pro tem (substitute) judge in district and municipal courts, and as an independent mediator. Laumann has worked with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy for over 12 years educating and mentoring lawyers who want to be advocates. Laumann believes that judges should understand the challenges facing working people and are tasked with the responsibility of communicating the expectations of the justice system to everyone who stands before them. Rhonda Laumann deserves your vote.