26th 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.

Democrat Emily Randall is running to replace retiring Republican State Senator Jan Angel in the 26th Legislative District. Prior to running for public office, Randall worked at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Planned Parenthood, where she advocated for improving health outcomes for local underserved populations. Randall is running for Senate to keep higher education affordable and expand job training programs for graduating high school seniors. Additionally, Randall wants to expand access to affordable health care for Washington families.

Randall is running against Republican Marty McClendon. McClendon is a Trump-style talk show host who is also currently serving as the Pierce County Republican Party Chairman. He is a perennial candidate who unsuccessfully ran for Lt. Governor in 2016 against Cyrus Habib. His simplistic platform focuses on reducing business regulations and "reducing government waste."

Randall’s dedication to public service and experience working on important public policy issues makes her the clear choice in this race.

Navy veteran Connie FitzPatrick is running for the 26th Legislative District House Position 1. She is running on a platform of providing affordable higher education and training programs, reducing transportation costs, and improving veterans care. Her passion for a robust educational system, veterans, and families has earned her a strong base of support from labor unions, health organizations, environmental groups, and more.

Fitzpatrick is running against Republican representative Jesse Young. Incumbent Rep. Young's priorities include reducing the number of people on Medicaid and replacing the Affordable Care Act, though he does not say what the alternatives will be for health care for his district. Young has also voted against a score of progressive issues, including automatic voter registration and prohibition of conversion therapy on LGBTQ children. Last fall, Young was restricted from dealing with his legislative assistants by the Legislative Ethics Board after a series of credible allegations of mistreatment and hostile work environments. He's also facing allegations of using taxpayer funding to support his re-election campaign events.

Fitzpatrick is the best choice in this race.

Democrat Joy Stanford is a substitute teacher in the Peninsula School District. As a former health care professional, she cites her work helping underserved and elderly populations gain access to the care they need as part of her political experience. Her campaign is prioritizing infrastructure projects, leveraging her education experience to support students, expanding technical and vocational training, and ensuring health care access for all.

Stanford is challenging Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier for the 26th Legislative District House Position 2. Rep. Caldier deserves credit for voting for a gun safety bill and for standing up for sexual assault survivors. However, Rep. Caldier has also voted against automatic voter registration, which makes it easier for eligible citizens to vote, and she voted against legislation to expand access to reproductive health care.

Stanford is the best choice in this race.

Democrat Paul Andrews is running to be the next Kitsap County Auditor. With 23 years of relevant public service and IT experience, Andrews wants to use his background in technology to modernize and defend the integrity of Kitsap County elections. Andrews values public accountability, leadership, and efficiency, and seeks to eliminate "human error" in the office's processes and procedures. If elected, Andrews will prioritize creating an online county archive of recorded documents, maintaining accurate voter rolls, and fostering a culture of transparency.

Andrews is running a competitive race against Bremerton city councilmember and Democrat Richard Huddy, who is focused on improving the office's constituent services and outreach to voters. As the current Chair of the City Council's Financial Committee, Huddy emphasizes the importance of effective staff management while the Auditor office moves to implement same-day voter registration and a new financial system.

Paul Andrews is the best choice in this race because of his strong support from community leaders.

Deputy County Prosecutor Chad Enright is running unopposed for Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney. Prior to serving as the current Chief Deputy Prosecutor for the Felony & Juvenile Division in Kitsap County, Enright worked for four years in private practice. In 2015, he was promoted to his current position in the county prosecutor's office, where he gained experience prosecuting both major crimes and misdemeanors while supervising 15 attorneys and their caseloads. Enright is prioritizing the effective management of resources and financial stewardship as well as ensuring that the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney's office represents the people well. Chad Enright deserves your vote.

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.

Deputy Solicitor General Rebecca Glasgow is running unopposed for this open seat on the Court of Appeals. For ten years, Glasgow has served the people of Washington in the Attorney General’s Office and as the lead counsel to Secretary of State Kim Wyman. Glasgow supports equity in the legal system and believes that judges must be “impartial, fair, and unbiased” because they are the “guardians of the rule of law and the rights of every person.”

Currently, Glasgow is a board member for the Campaign for Equal Justice and the Strophy Foundation. She is also a former president of Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services and Washington Women Lawyers, an independent bar association. Glasgow’s record of public service, knowledge of the law, and courtroom conduct has earned a judicial rating of “Exceptionally Well Qualified” from six independent bar associations. Prominent Republicans and Democrats have also endorsed her candidacy. Attorney Rebecca Glasgow has earned your vote.

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.