28th 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.

Representative Derek Kilmer is a moderate Democrat who is a reliable supporter of job creation and infrastructure improvement. He has been a leader on small business development and protecting the Puget Sound during his three terms in Congress. A former state Senator, he previously worked as a business consultant and economic development official. Kilmer is a sponsor of a clean Dream Act in support of immigrants who arrived in the country as children with their undocumented parents. He supports commonsense gun safety legislation and cosponsored the Voter Empowerment Act, an online voter registration act that helps keep voting rights equitable. Rep. Kilmer has also worked on several environmental bills, including the Wild Olympics Wilderness and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Kilmer is running against Republican Douglas Dightman. Dightman is a family physician running on a platform of supporting national defense and the free market. He also supports legislation to weaken protections for workers in labor unions.

Kilmer is widely supported by our progressive partners 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 Denny Heck is a moderate Democrat who has had a long and effective career in both the private and public sectors. In Olympia, he served as a five-term state representative, House majority leader, and chief of staff to former Gov. Booth Gardner, and is the co-founder of TVW. In Congress, he has fought to make college more affordable, reduce health care costs, create middle class jobs, and ensure veterans get the benefits they have earned. He supports immigration policies that create a path to citizenship and has been working this year to help prevent health care premium increases due to Trump's policies.

Heck is running against Republican Joseph Brumbles, a self-described constitutional conservative. His campaign platform is undetailed and states that he is standing for "liberty." He suggests solving the issue of affordable energy with the free market and not taxing fossil fuels, and he wants to reduce the size of government by eliminating federal agencies.

Heck is the best choice in this race.

Mari Leavitt is challenging Representative Dick Muri for the 28th Legislative District House Position 1. Leavitt is the deputy director of Pierce County Connections and a former president of the University Place PTSA. Through her community leadership, she has gained a vast amount of experience supporting veterans, enhancing early childhood learning, and promoting workforce development to help struggling families land on their feet. Leavitt believes we need to close tax loopholes so that out-of-state corporations will finally pay their share. She'll work in Olympia to give our schools the funding they need and improve graduation rates so that students can excel after high school.

Leavitt is challenging far-right Republican Representative Dick Muri, who was appointed to fill the seat of Steve O'Ban when he was moved up to the Senate. This year, Rep. Muri doubled down on his conservative platform by voting against automatic voter registration, expanding access to women's health care, and a responsible gun storage bill.

Leavitt is the best choice in this race to bring new leadership to Olympia.

Rep. Christine Kilduff is a former University Place School Board member who serves as Vice-Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. She is a strong and effective advocate for improving economic opportunities in the district, strengthening our schools, and improving access to health care. She has also been a great advocate for veterans and military families during her time in the Legislature. This past session, Rep. Kilduff sponsored legislation to increase community outreach programs to veterans in rural and remote areas, ensuring that they can access health care, education, and employment services. As a PTA parent, she has supported tuition freezes at two- and four-year colleges and a college loan bill of rights.

Rep. Kilduff is running against Republican Maia Espinoza, the Founder of the Center for Latino Leadership. While Espinoza avoids calling herself a Republican candidate on her website, her conservative policy positions and endorsements from prominent Republicans speak for themselves.

Rep. Kilduff has earned your vote for state House.

Julie Anderson was elected by special election in 2009 and then re-elected to this position in 2010 and 2014. She is a former Tacoma city councilmember and has served in several community groups, including the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation and Rotary International. She is running unopposed.

Mark Lindquist is running for his third term as Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney. He has earned a reputation for being a hard worker, and his accomplishments include forming an Elder Fraud and Identity Theft team to prosecute targeted scams against the elderly and helping increase penalties against drunk drivers. He has earned the support of many local progressive organizations.

Unfortunately, Lindquist has also generated several high-profile ethics controversies. He faced a whistleblower investigation that found he ran a highly politicized office and retaliated against subordinates and critics who disagreed with him. Lindquist is facing a formal bar disciplinary hearing for discussing an active murder trial on a national cable television show while the jury was still deliberating, against the advice of his staff. If Lindquist loses the case, he could lose his license to practice law and be unable to carry out the duties of his office. In addition, Lindquist lost a long-running lawsuit over his refusal to release text messages in public disclosure requests, costing Pierce County taxpayers more than $1 million in fines and fees. We also have concerns about Lindquist's lack of progress toward reducing racial inequities in the local criminal justice system.

Pierce County Councilmember Derek Young is a former four-term Gig Harbor city councilmember. He has prioritized improving mental health services and environmental protections during his four years on the county council. He also serves on numerous boards representing Pierce County, including the National Association of Counties and the Puget Sound Regional Council Growth Management Policy Board. As a board member for Pierce Transit, Young fought to minimize cuts to public transportation options for Pierce County citizens.

He is facing Navy veteran and school board member David Olson, who is running on a standard Republican platform of public safety and fiscal responsibility.

Young's experience, ties to the communities, and knowledge of policy issues facing the county make him the best choice in this race.

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.

First appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee in December 2013, Acting Chief Judge Linda Lee was elected to continue serving in this position in 2014. Previously, Judge Linda Lee served 10 years as a Pierce County Superior Court Judge and worked as a private attorney for 13 years. She is a devoted community member and an avid supporter of the Chinese Reconciliation Park Foundation and the Pierce County Minority Bar Association's Youth and Law Forum. Judge Linda Lee has earned another term.

Attorney Lizanne Padula is running for the Pierce County District Court Judge Position 3. As a former prosecutor, private litigator, and reserve police officer, Padula has spent her career helping people navigate the court system. Padula aims to improve the criminal justice system by prioritizing the public safety needs of the community and only offering punitive sanctions that serve to rehabilitate offenders. Padula is running on a platform that supports work-release and re-entry programs for convicted individuals.

Padula is opposed by Pierce County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lewis. Lewis has spent more than 15 years serving Pierce County in the prosecuting attorney's office and is highly involved in the community. While Lewis has ample relevant experience, including serving as a pro tem (substitute) judge in Pierce and Kitsap County courts, a public allegation of misconduct has placed doubts on his candidacy.

Padula is the best choice in this race.

Attorney Karl Williams is running for Pierce County District Court Position 6. With more than 30 years of legal experience, Williams is the most qualified candidate in this race. Williams has served as a judge pro tem for the cities of Fife, Puyallup, and Ruston, as well as on the Pierce County District Courts for more than 20 years. Williams is focused on keeping communities safe, ensuring that justice is administered fairly, and making the courts more accessible to underserved populations. He is passionate about serving the greater Pierce County community and volunteers with a number youth organizations including University Place Youth Court and the Pierce County Minority Bar Association. Williams has been rated "Exceptionally Well Qualified" by the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar, Washington Women Lawyers, and the Tacoma Pierce County Minority Bar Associations.

Williams is running a highly competitive race against current Assistant Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor John Sheeran, who has more than 22 years of legal experience. Sheeran is supportive of strengthening the mental health and drug courts in Pierce County. However, Karl Williams is the best choice in this race because of his judicial experience and ties with the community.

Dwayne Christopher is running for Tacoma Municipal Court Judge, Position 3. Christopher’s professional background includes representing clients in civil cases, working nine years as a superior court judicial assistant, and serving as a pro tem (substitute) judge in Pierce County District Court. He is passionate about serving underrepresented communities and keeping communities safe. From volunteering as a mentor for high school and college students to serving as the current president-elect of the Palmer Scholars program, Christopher is dedicated to serving Tacoma's communities and youth. He also sits on the boards of the City Club of Tacoma, Tacoma Rescue Mission, and Paint Tacoma Beautiful.

Christopher is running against attorney Derek M. Smith, who has more than twenty years of experience in criminal and civil law. While Smith is qualified for this position, attorney Dwayne Christopher is the better choice in this race.