Snohomish County

Former Vice President Joe Biden has a long track record of public service. He represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009 and then served as President Barack Obama's vice president from 2009 to 2017. His personal history, including losing his eldest son to brain cancer, influenced his agenda and led him to become an advocate for the Affordable Care Act, the signature policy of the Obama administration. 

After facing numerous progressive challenges in the presidential primary, Biden has shifted his platform to the left for the general election. Some of the hallmark policies of Biden's 2020 platform include supporting a public health care option and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, as well as making huge investments in low-income housing assistance and public transit and making community college free. Biden has worked hard with progressive leaders like Sen. Bernie Sanders to unite the Democratic party under what is likely the most progressive party platform in history, though we need to continue pushing him to support bolder proposals like the Green New Deal.

California Senator Kamala Harris is Biden's vice-presidential running mate on the Democratic ticket. Harris was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 and served as California's attorney general before that. She ran her own campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination this election cycle before ultimately being selected as Biden's running mate in August. Harris made history as both the first Black woman and the first South Asian woman to be nominated for vice president by a major party. As California's first woman attorney general, Harris earned a reputation as a staunch advocate for victims and worked to pass marriage equality as well as protect the Affordable Care Act. In the Senate, Harris has sponsored progressive bills this year such as the Climate Equity Act of 2020, the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act of 2020, and the RELIEF Act. Harris also gained notice for her willingness to hold former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to account during Senate proceedings.

Biden's opponent is President Donald Trump, a man whose corrupt, lawless, and destructive track record speaks for itself. The damage that Trump and his administration have done to the public and to our democratic systems will take decades to reverse. Some of the worst moments of his presidency include a catastrophic national coronavirus response, separating thousands of children from parents and locking them in cages, eliminating critical environmental protections on our air and water, stripping healthcare protections for millions, and ramming through a dangerous, conservative Supreme Court nominee to rig the nation's highest court in his favor. 

While there are legitimate concerns about some aspects of Biden's track record, there is no comparison to Trump's attacks on democratic institutions and the rule of law, his dishonesty, his constant assaults on people of color and religious minorities, and his open embrace of white supremacy. Biden is the clear choice for President of the United States.

Rep. Suzan DelBene is running for re-election in the 1st Congressional District. DelBene is a former executive at Microsoft who has used her technology background to become a leader in protecting privacy rights against government surveillance. She was first elected in 2012 and has been an advocate for creating family-wage jobs in industries like aerospace, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy as well as advocating for reproductive justice. She also supports raising the federal minimum wage and passing comprehensive tax reform to ensure that corporations and the wealthy pay their share. This year, DelBene urged the Trump administration to send resources to Washingtonians and use science to combat the coronavirus crisis.

DelBene is running against Republican Jeffrey Beeler. Beeler is a conservative who opposes expanding health care access and investing more in transit. Since the primary, Beeler has expressed support for Trump's disastrous coronavirus response and opposes taking action to support the postal service, which is vital not only to ensure a fair election this year but also to provide access to medication and critical services for millions across the country.

Rep. DelBene is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote for her re-election.

Rep. Rick Larsen is a moderate Democrat who has been a strong advocate for jobs, transportation, and infrastructure projects in the 2nd District. Before serving in Congress, he served on the Snohomish County Council and worked on economic development for the City of Everett.

In Congress, Larsen supported the Lower Drug Costs Now Act to give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies and pass the lower drug prices to all Americans. He also voted for the Voting Rights Advancement Act, supported the coronavirus pandemic relief packages, and sought to reform student loans. Unfortunately, Larsen has been less ambitious when it comes to supporting climate change legislation and has accepted political contributions from corporations including Exxon Mobil as recently as last year.

Larsen's challenger is Republican and Navy veteran Timothy Hazelo, whose is running on a very conservative platform. He has used racist language to describe immigrants and has repeated some of Trump's most dangerous and misleading conspiracy theories. 

While Larsen is not progressive, he's a reliable Democratic vote and has earned the support of all our progressive partner organizations who chose to endorse in this race.

Rep. Kim Schrier was elected to represent Washington's 8th Congressional District in 2018. Schrier serves on the Education & Labor and Agriculture committees and prioritized gun violence prevention, health care (including reducing the cost of prescription drugs), and reproductive justice in her first term. Prior to running for office, she worked as a pediatrician in Issaquah for two decades. She is the first Democrat to hold this seat.

Rep. Schrier's strong re-election platform includes encouraging sustainable agriculture, addressing the climate crisis, safeguarding our elections, and protecting endangered species and lands. She is the only woman doctor in Congress and her perspective is incredibly valuable, especially during this unprecedented pandemic. Schrier has worked hard to listen to her constituents in her first term, including holding more than 50 town hall forums. 

Schrier's opponent is Republican Jesse Jensen, a manager at Amazon and a former Army captain who was recruited by Republicans to run in this district. Jensen has expressed his opposition to a $15 minimum wage while supporting Trump's trillion-dollar tax giveaway to corporations and the wealthy. In addition, he refuses to support investments in Black and brown communities, opposes holding big polluters accountable, and doesn't have a meaningful plan to expand health care access. 

Rep. Schrier is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Governor Jay Inslee has been a strong, principled leader on the important challenges facing Washington. Before he was elected as governor in 2012, Inslee represented both sides of the Cascades in Congress, opposed the Iraq war, and worked to increase accountability and oversight for Wall Street banks.

Inslee has established himself as a national leader on fighting climate change. He has invested more than $170 million into clean energy and energy efficiency projects, implemented the Clean Air Rule, and pushed for legislation that reduces pollution in Washington. In his 2020 bid for the presidency, Inslee brought a focus on climate to the race. Outside of his work on climate, Inslee has signed into law Washington's public option for health care, paid family leave, and the Equal Pay Opportunity Act.

Recently, Inslee has been a national leader in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. His proactive, decisive, science-driven efforts have saved countless Washingtonians from getting sick. Unfortunately, we've seen the flip side recently where states with governors who were slow or failed to act have seen dramatic increases in cases.

Inslee's opponent is Republican Loren Culp, the sole police officer of the town of Republic and one of the farthest right of Inslee's main primary challengers. Culp came to national fame for refusing to enforce the voter-approved Initiative 1639, which placed restrictions on semi-automatic firearm sales. Much of Culp's primary and early general election campaign has centered on opposing public health measures like wearing masks. 

Culp's policy track record is disturbing, especially related to the environment. He recently questioned whether the wildfires that have ravaged the region are climate-related. He's compared gun rights to the Holocaust and likened the governor's stay-home policies to the horrors of Japanese internment during WWII. He faces a lawsuit for failing to investigate a child sex abuse case and for intimidating the victim in a case that was swiftly prosecuted after the county stepped in and took over. 

As the coronavirus crisis continues and the gap in the state budget persists, we need real, experienced leadership at the helm of the state. Inslee is the clear choice for governor.

Former Port Commissioner and progressive state Rep. Gael Tarleton is now running for Secretary of State to serve as the state's chief elections officer, among other roles. First elected to the Legislature in 2012, Tarleton has been a strong advocate for environmental causes such as Governor Jay Inslee's initiative to reduce carbon pollution. She sponsored bills during her first term in the House to strengthen the maritime industry, improve access to health care, and ensure gender pay equity.

Tarleton is running for Secretary of State to expand access to voting in Washington while safeguarding our elections against "foreign and domestic" attacks. She wants to improve digital security and increase funding for county auditors to protect local elections from hacking attempts in the wake of the 2016 election. She would also expand audits of the state and local systems to identify any weaknesses that could be exploited.

Tarleton is challenging incumbent Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who has faced a bumpy road during her time in office. Last year, Wyman's office released a new $9.5 million voter registration database that was riddled with errors and led to a backlog of tens of thousands of registrations. King County elections director Julie Wise described the release as "irresponsible" and "not even functioning." In addition, Wyman was slow to support the Washington Voting Rights Act, same-day voter registration, and postage-paid ballots.

We need a progressive leader in the Secretary of State's office who is fully committed to protecting our elections and removing every barrier to participation in our democracy. Tarleton is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Mike Pellicciotti has served in the Washington state House representing the 30th Legislative District since 2016 and is now running for Treasurer. Pellicciotti has never accepted corporate campaign donations and has led efforts to make the Legislature's records open for public view. He also wrote the Corporate Crime Act, which increases financial penalties for corporate crimes by 100 times.

Pellicciotti is challenging incumbent Republican Duane Davidson. In 2016, incumbent Jim McIntire retired, leaving the seat open. Because of the crowded primary, two Republicans made it through to the general election, giving them control of the treasurer's office for the first time since 1957. Davidson previously served as the Benton County treasurer from 2003 to 2016. In his term, he has been a traditional Republican and has accused the state Legislature of "raiding" the Rainy Day Fund. He has only attended 3 of 18 critical pension meetings since fall 2017.

Pellicciotti has been a solid legislator and is the best choice in the race for Washington State Treasurer.

Washington Auditor Pat McCarthy has been a consistent advocate for government transparency and accountability during her first term in office. Previously, she served as Pierce County executive and Pierce County auditor, where she was honored as the 2006 Washington State Auditor of the Year.

McCarthy announced that her office has opened two independent audits of the Employment Security Department. The first will investigate the delay in unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second audit will look into how criminals stole hundreds of millions of dollars through a sophisticated fraud scheme.

McCarthy is facing a challenge from Republican Chris Leyba, a detective with limited audit experience related to this role. Leyba has expressed some very conservative viewpoints during the campaign, including opposition to stronger campaign finance laws, disagreeing with basic law enforcement reforms, and supporting Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic response.   

McCarthy's experience and commitment to oversight will be valuable as the state works to emerge from the pandemic and the recession. McCarthy is the best choice in this race.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson's accomplishments during his two terms in office are impressive. From delivering millions of dollars back to consumers who were wronged by fraudulent corporations to his ongoing battle with the federal government to clean up the Hanford nuclear waste site to successfully fighting two Tim Eyman initiatives, Ferguson has been a strong and effective advocate for the people of Washington. He has sued the Trump administration 80 times as of late September and won all but one completed case. Some of Ferguson's biggest accomplishments from the past few years include safeguarding consumer medical data, protecting statewide water quality from Trump's erosive environmental policies, and fighting back against the Trump administration's child detention laws.

Ferguson faces a challenge from Republican attorney Matt Larkin, who is currently the legal counsel for his family's manufacturing business. Larkin worked in the Bush White House on efforts to direct federal funds to religious charities and is an advocate for a traditional Republican platform. Larkin opposes the vast majority of the lawsuits that Ferguson has filed to hold the Trump administration accountable. 

Ferguson is the clear progressive choice for Attorney General of Washington.

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz has been a proactive force for protecting our communities from climate change. As the head of the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), she has focused on protecting public lands, wildfire management, and climate action.

This year, Franz released a climate resiliency plan for rural Washington that includes massive reforestation as well as expanding wind and solar farms. Given the statewide threat and impact of wildfires with recent record-setting fire seasons, she has also worked on a 20-year forest health plan and a 10-year fire protection plan.

Franz's opponent is fisheries researcher Sue Kuehl Pederson, the former chair of the Grays Harbor Republican Party. Kuehl Pederson is running on a conservative platform that focuses on significantly increasing logging of state forests and rolling back protections for endangered species. In recent interviews, Kuehl Pederson also downplayed the importance of climate change in exacerbating this fall’s forest fires. 

Franz has the experience we need to guide and protect our state from increasingly dangerous fire seasons and the rising threat of climate inaction. Vote Franz for Commissioner of Public Lands.

Chris Reykdal is running for re-election to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to continue his leadership of our state's public schools through this challenging time. Previously, Reykdal spent 14 years serving on local school boards and in leadership positions at community and technical colleges, as well as serving 6 years in the Legislature. In the state House, Reykdal had a strong progressive voting record and was a consistent champion for public schools.

In his first term as superintendent, Reykdal has pushed the Legislature to fully fund K-12 education, increase teacher pay, and close the opportunity gap for students of color. More recently, Reykdal has worked closely with Gov. Inslee to help Washington schools navigate the pandemic. He made the tough decision early to close schools for the year in order to keep kids and families safe and to slow the spread of COVID-19. If re-elected, Reykdal will continue to advocate for these priorities and work with schools across the state as they make the transition back to in-person education.

Reykdal is facing former Republican legislative candidate Maia Espinoza. Espinoza is a school music teacher and a former legislative liaison to the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs. She was motivated to run by her opposition to comprehensive sexual health education and gained attention by publishing a false and inflammatory voters' pamphlet statement attacking Reykdal. In addition, an Associated Press investigation found that Espinoza provided false or misleading descriptions of her own education and the organization she leads. As of mid-September, Espinoza is also dangerously pushing for classrooms to re-open fully for in-person learning, despite mass outbreaks at schools and universities across the country.

Reykdal is the clear choice for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has spent his entire career serving the people of Washington. Prior to running for statewide office, Kreidler was a doctor of optometry, a state legislator, and a member of Congress.

As insurance commissioner, Kreidler has been a consistent advocate for consumers and patients in overseeing insurance companies in Washington. Kreidler set up one of the first and most effective Affordable Care Act exchanges in the country, helping expand access to health care for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians. More recently, Kreidler moved quickly to issue an emergency order requiring insurance companies to waive copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for COVID-19 testing and office visits. In addition, he forced insurance companies to allow consumers to access other health providers if they did not have an in-network option for testing.

Kreidler is opposed by Republican Chirayu Avinash Patel, an insurance agent and biochemistry student at the University of Washington. He states that he wants to model the office of the insurance commissioner based on a hybrid of the Ronald Reagan and Thomas Jefferson administrations. Patel has no campaign website and does not appear to be running a credible bid for office.

Kreidler has earned your vote for re-election to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Rep. Derek Stanford served nearly 10 years as a state representative before earning an appointment to the state Senate to replace Guy Palumbo last year. Throughout his tenure in the Legislature, Stanford has been a strong proponent of LGBTQ+ rights, consumer protections, environmental sustainability, and strengthening access to higher education in Washington state. Most recently, Stanford sponsored legislation that prohibits state agencies from creating databases based on an individual's religious affiliation. Stanford was also the prime sponsor of the Kuhnhausen Act, named after a transgender teen who was killed in Vancouver this year. The law prevents the use of the "panic" defense if someone commits a crime after learning of a victim’s actual or perceived gender identity.

Stanford is running against Dr. Art Coday, who previously ran for U.S. Senate in 2012 and 2018. His website does not appear to have been updated since 2018, but in that year, Coday's top priority was to completely repeal the Affordable Care Act and leave tens of millions of Americans without health insurance and at the whims of a few private insurance companies. His campaign also strenuously opposed any gun safety legislation and was anti-abortion.

Stanford is by far the best choice in this race.

Rep. Davina Duerr is running for re-election to the 1st Legislative District, Position 1. Appointed to the Legislature in the summer of 2019 to replace Derek Stanford, Davina Duerr is a former Bothell City Council member and deputy mayor.

Duerr has long been a strong regional advocate for improved transit and the protection of parks and forested land. If re-elected, she would continue her work advocating for transit and climate action in the House. Her other priorities include improving public education with greater equity between districts, increasing the number of pre-K programs, bridge and road repair, funding gun violence research, and reducing the impact of the coronavirus.

She is running against Republican and automotive service director Adam Bartholomew, whose platform is very conservative. He does not support commonsense, age-appropriate sex education and is not open to finding new sources of revenue for vital programs across Washington, despite the state's coronavirus-caused budget shortfall of approximately $4 billion. During the recent movement for racial justice, Bartholomew dedicated much of his personal Twitter feed to sharing anti-Black Lives Matter content.

Duerr is the clear choice in this race.

Rep. Shelley Kloba is running for re-election to the 1st Legislative District, House Position 2. Prior to joining the Legislature, Rep. Kloba served her community as a trustee for the Lake Washington Schools Foundation, as a Kirkland City Council member, and as the Washington State PTA legislative director for two years.

In the Legislature, Kloba has extended her knowledge of education policy to become an advocate for Washington's youth. In 2018, Rep. Kloba was the primary sponsor of a bill that extended the Expanded Learning Opportunities Council, which increases opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds. This year, she expanded workers' rights by sponsoring legislation that would prevent a positive marijuana test from disqualifying people from most jobs, excluding positions like firefighters and federal workers.

Her challenger is Republican Jeb Brewer. Brewer is running on a conservative platform and wants to prioritize issues including traffic and homelessness. He states that he would reduce regulations for businesses and industries like construction.

Kloba has been a strong advocate for her constituents and deserves another term in the House.

Helen Price Johnson is challenging Republican incumbent Ron Muzzall for the state Senate seat in the 10th Legislative District. Price Johnson has held an impressive number of leadership positions in the community, including as a board member of the South Whidbey School District, as the first female board member of the Island County Commissioners, and on the Board of Directors of the Whidbey Community Foundation.

Price Johnson believes housing is a human right and that climate change requires action. She pledges to revise the district's housing regulations and move the state towards increased renewable energy. On healthcare and childhood education, Price Johnson wants to see more investment in mental health and addiction treatment as well as free early childhood education.

Her opponent, Ron Muzzall, replaced Sen. Barbara Bailey when she retired last year. Muzzall, a farm owner and manager, has not offered a strong policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has left hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians out of work and struggling to get by. Rather than investing in communities, Muzzall would make knee-jerk cuts to services at the moment they're needed most.

Price Johnson's extensive track record of civic service, strong community support, and vision for rebuilding our economy make her the clear choice in this race.

Architect Angie Homola is running for the 10th Legislative District, House Position 1. She has a long track record of public service and civic engagement in Island County, including serving as an Island County Commissioner. One of Homola’s accomplishments as a commissioner was to make the meetings available online so that people across the county could watch and participate in their local government. She is running for Legislature on a progressive platform of good government including campaign finance reform, increased affordable housing, and environmental conservation. Homola wants to prioritize farming and forestry, provide strong services for veterans, and use public and mental health care to end opioid addiction.

Her opponent is GOP candidate Greg Gilday, a lawyer who wants to address homelessness and improve local roads. He claims to be running to work on both “public health and economic health” but has been pushing to re-open the state's economy before public health experts say it is safe. His platform is not detailed but does include his opposition to age-appropriate sex education in schools. Gilday would be a conservative voice while Homola is a true progressive who will bring strong values to Olympia.

Homola is the clear choice in the race for House Position 1 representing the 10th Legislative District.

Incumbent Democrat Dave Paul is running for re-election this year in the moderate 10th Legislative District. Paul is the current vice-president of Skagit Valley College and has been a longtime advocate for children and public schools. He has been a strong progressive during his term in the Legislature and worked on bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs, as well as advocating for a 100% clean electricity grid by 2025. If re-elected, Paul states that he will continue to prioritize environmental work and re-opening the economy safely.

Paul is running against Bill Bruch. As a chairperson for the Skagit County Republican Party, Bruch is running on a cookie-cutter GOP platform. He states that those who are homeless or suffering from addiction must use "personal responsibility" to find a job, and implies that the role of government when it comes to these issues should be secondary to the private sector. On coronavirus, Bruch believes that Gov. Inslee's stay-home order is "totally unacceptable," ignoring both public health science and that COVID cases have continued to increase in Washington.

Paul has earned strong support from our Progressive Voters Guide partner organizations and is the best choice in this race.

Adrianne Moore is running against Republican incumbent Keith Goehner for the 12th Legislative District, House Position 1. She is a former manager at Room One, a health and social services center in Methow Valley. For several years, she was the center's sole employee, helping adults and children who were escaping domestic violence or needed mental health and substance abuse services. She's running for Legislature to continue her service to the community, especially for working families. Moore's platform includes incentivizing high-quality rural health care systems, bringing in more climate-friendly industries, and ensuring affordable housing.

Her opponent, Rep. Goehner, has voted against legislation to stop the climate crisis and opposed a bill that would require farmworkers' beds to be placed six feet apart to ensure safety during the pandemic. He is a consistent obstacle to progress in Olympia. 

Moore is the best choice for the 12th Legislative District, Position 1.

Democratic Rep. Strom Peterson is running for re-election to represent the 21st Legislative District, House Position 1. Prior to joining the Legislature, Peterson served on the Edmonds City Council for six years, where he proved to be a capable leader in Snohomish County. In Olympia, Peterson had a hand in passing several important progressive bills.

In 2018, Peterson was the primary sponsor of the Secure Drug Medicine Back Act, an innovative program to limit the usage of unused and expired prescriptions in Washington communities. In 2017, he was a sponsor of Breakfast Before the Bell, a nutrition program for hungry students. This year, Peterson sponsored legislation to prevent the solitary confinement of incarcerated youth in all but extreme cases. If re-elected, Peterson states that he would continue to prioritize education, the environment, transportation, and more.

Peterson is running against Republican Brian Thompson, who runs a fire protection engineering consultancy. He is running to roll back the recently passed comprehensive sex-ed legislation and Gov. Jay Inslee's emergency coronavirus safety measures, stating that "we are all essential." Despite campaigning for "medical freedom," Thompson is strongly anti-choice.

Peterson has a strong progressive track record. He is the best choice for House Position 1.

Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self is running for re-election to the 21st Legislative District, House Position 2. She is a counselor in the Everett School District, and an active member of the community, focusing on childhood education and strengthening health services through numerous community organizations. Since joining the House in 2009, Rep. Ortiz-Self has emerged as a progressive champion for improving the health and well-being of youth and families across Washington.

This year, Ortiz-Self was the prime sponsor on bills to increase student access to counselors and provide resources for homeless college students. Her bill to fund nonprofits in low-income communities passed this year as well. Rep. Ortiz-Self has been a member of the state’s Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee for more than six years. If re-elected, she wants to continue to fund and improve education, protect the social safety net, and invest in job creation to support economic recovery.

Also in this race is far-right Republican Amy Schaper, who states that she is running to protect our borders, promote free-market solutions, and oppose civil rights like same-sex marriage. Schaper is strongly anti-choice and led a draconian "heartbeat" petition that would "require an ultrasound before an abortion" and includes provisions to "prohibit and criminalize abortion" in some cases.

During this time of economic and health crises, the 21st Legislative District needs a representative who has demonstrated care and knowledge in protecting the district's most vulnerable residents. Ortiz-Self is the clear choice in this race.

Rep. Cindy Ryu is running for re-election in the 32nd Legislative District, House Position 1. Formerly the mayor of Shoreline, Ryu was the first Korean American mayor in the country and the first to serve in the state Legislature. In her position in the House, Ryu has prioritized supporting small businesses, affordable housing, environmental protections, and public schools.

Ryu is the Chair of the Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs Committee. In this role, Ryu has supported the development of tiny homes and upzoning in urban areas, as well as proposing a bill to create "housing opportunity zones" near high-quality transit. She has also advocated for reforms to hold law enforcement officers accountable. Unfortunately, Ryu was one of two Democrats who voted against legislation to exempt menstrual products from unnecessary taxation this March. However, Ryu also sponsored legislation prohibiting race-based hair discrimination and requiring the dispossession of forfeited firearms, both of which passed the House.

She is running against Democrat Shirley Sutton. Sutton is a former Lynnwood City Council member backed by the Persist PAC, a group centering the candidacies of Black women for state Legislature. Sutton championed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts while on the council and received the Snohomish County NAACP Carl Gipson Lifetime Achievement Award last year. Some of her highest campaign priorities include police accountability, incentivizing an environmentally-sustainable economy, and reversing Washington's upside-down tax code.

Ryu stands apart from her progressive opponent because of her legislative experience and support from partner organizations. She is the best choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Rep. Lauren Davis is running for re-election to the 32nd Legislative District, House Position 2. Davis is the founding Executive Director of the Washington Recovery Alliance, which seeks to help families and individuals who are struggling with mental health and addiction issues. She also helped launch the suicide prevention nonprofit Forefront in King County and served on King County's Behavioral Health Advisory Board as well as the Public Policy Committee for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Washington State before assuming office last year.

This year in the House, Davis sponsored legislation to prohibit race-based hair discrimination and to require the state to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. She will consider many strategies to resolve the state's budget crisis including a capital gains tax so that the wealthiest pay their share and program cuts that don't sacrifice state support for the most vulnerable Washingtonians. If re-elected, Davis wants to focus on mental health and addiction recovery, affordable housing, gun violence prevention, and education.

Davis is running against Tamra Smilanich, a non-partisan candidate and realtor. Smilanich is a perennial candidate who previously challenged Rep. Eric Pettigrew as an Independent in 2018, 2016, 2014, and 2012, as well as Sen. Adam Klein in 2010. She does not have a strong campaign presence in this race.

In just her first few years, Davis has emerged as a principled and effective progressive leader in Olympia. She has earned your vote in this race.

Sen. June Robinson is running to retain the Senate seat she was appointed to in May after serving as a representative for the 38th District since 2013. In the House, Robinson served on the Appropriations, Health Care & Wellness, and Agriculture & Natural Resources Committees and previously worked as a public health nutritionist. Robinson developed expertise in the state budget while serving in the House and wants to continue her work reforming our upside-down tax code, especially as we work to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Robinson's platform also includes increasing affordable housing, investing in roads and parks, and providing our students with the best possible schools. She has been an advocate for paid family leave, transparency in prescription drug pricing, and access to health care.

Republican Bernard Moody is challenging Robinson for the 38th District Senate seat. Moody has worked as a Snohomish County Sheriff's Office corrections sergeant since 2007. He is campaigning for policies that will further exacerbate Washington's upside-down tax code. Moody is also promoting a "law and order" platform and wants to increase funding for Pierce County's police force but has not mentioned any police accountability measures.

Robinson is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Rep. Emily Wicks is running to retain House Position 1 in Legislative District 38, to which she was appointed earlier this year when Rep. June Robinson was appointed to the Senate. Wicks is the president of the National Women's Political Caucus of Washington and worked as a legislative aide for Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib when he was in the Legislature. She has more than a decade of experience in government affairs and communications, and she founded a small business in 2019.

Wicks' campaign platform includes working towards an economic recovery that benefits everyone and strengthening our public health system. Her strong support for universal health care is more important than ever as the state continues to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and widespread unemployment. Wicks has served as a communications consultant, including for the Tulalip Bay Fire Department, and wants to work with local governments to support front-line workers.

Wicks is facing Republican Bert Johnson. Johnson is a perennial candidate who previously challenged Rep. Mike Sells and June Robinson. He ran as an independent in 2016 and 2018 but is currently running as a Republican. Johnson states that he will push back against science-based sex education and climate action. He wants to use law enforcement to criminalize our neighbors experiencing homelessness and disagrees with police reform efforts.

Wicks will bring a progressive approach to the state's ongoing pandemic response and economic recovery plan. She is the best choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Rep. Mike Sells is running for re-election to the 38th Legislative District, House Position 2. Sells is a longtime leader in the Legislature, serving as the chair of the Labor and Workforce Development Committee. He is a former teacher and labor advocate who previously served as the president of the Everett Education Association.

In the Legislature, Sells has worked on improving higher education and establishing the Washington State Office of Equity, as well as requiring the state to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in March, he worked swiftly with three other legislators to petition the White House to allow Disaster Unemployment Assistance to take effect in the case of pandemics. Now, Sells wants legislation that improves public health access and provides living-wage jobs to support economic recovery.

Sells faces a challenge from Libertarian David Wiley, a quality assurance professional and the elected chair of the Snohomish County Libertarian Party. Wiley wants to roll back protections for farmland and green space to benefit big developers. In addition, he supports defunding Planned Parenthood and would dramatically cut essential state services at the moment Washington families need them most.

Sells is a strong progressive leader in Olympia and deserves your vote.

Kathryn Lewandowsky is challenging Republican Sen. Keith Wagoner for a 39th Legislative District Senate seat. Lewandowsky is a member of the Washington Progressive Party and has been working as a registered nurse in Washington for 30 years. She previously served as the chair of her local Washington State Nurses Association chapter.

If elected, Lewandowsky wants to end corporate welfare and promote legislation that prioritizes people over profits. With her nursing background and support for Medicare for All, Lewandowsky will be a smart, progressive voice in shaping the state's COVID-19 response.

Lewandowsky is running against incumbent Wagoner, who voted against gun safety legislation and banning discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status this year. Previously, he refused to support requiring uninterrupted breaks for health care workers and has not supported legislation to combat the climate crisis.

Lewandowsky is the best choice in this race.

Democrat Claus Joens is challenging incumbent Rep. Robert Sutherland for the 39th Legislative District, House Position 1. Joens served as the interim chair of the Skagit County Democrats and has worked as a public school teacher as well as in the private sector.

Joens is running on a platform that includes supporting public education, universal health care, progressive taxation, and reinstating the Fairness Doctrine to ensure Washingtonians receive accurate, fair news coverage. His commitment to putting his constituents' health above profits in Washington's health care policy makes Joens an important voice in the coronavirus pandemic response. He is endorsed by local Democratic groups including the Snohomish and Skagit County Democrats as well as Congressman Rick Larsen.

Republican incumbent Sutherland was first elected in 2018. His re-election platform includes cuts to social services, reducing Gov. Inslee's emergency powers, and promoting the Second Amendment, having received an "A rating" from the NRA. This year, Sutherland voted against prohibiting race-based hair discrimination and he opposed gun safety legislation numerous times. Sutherland has used his campaign social media to promote far-right conspiracies, including suggesting that the pandemic is a hoax.

With lives at stake, Washington can't elect a politician who casts doubt on the threatening existence of COVID-19. Joens is the best choice for the 39th Legislative District, House Position 1.

Ryan Johnson is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Carolyn Eslick for the 39th Legislative District, House Position 2. Johnson has a background as a veteran, truck driver, and Teamster. He is running on a platform including expanding rural access to broadband, introducing Medicare for All, and supporting the environment. Led by progressive values, Johnson wants to reach across the aisle to promote legislation specific to the 39th district.

Eslick formerly served on the Sultan City Council and as mayor of Sultan. In Olympia this year, she opposed gun safety legislation, prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status, requiring the state to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and establishing a Washington State Office of Equity.

Offering a welcome change from Eslick's conservative agenda, Johnson is the best choice in this race.

Rep. John Lovick is running for re-election to the 44th Legislative District, Representative Position 1. Lovick is a former Snohomish County executive and Mill Creek City Council member, and he served as the speaker pro tem for five years. During his time in the Legislature, Lovick has been a strong supporter of unions and working people.

This year, Lovick sponsored legislation prohibiting race-based hair discrimination and supported gun safety legislation. With demonstrated progressive priorities, he offers experienced leadership in this time of crisis. Lovick has been outspoken about issues of racial justice since George Floyd's murder. As a Black former sheriff, Lovick has had unique success engaging constituents of different perspectives on accountability.

Lovick's opponent is Republican John Kartak. Kartak has served as the mayor of Snohomish since 2017 but this August, the Everett Herald reported that he was "not on speaking terms with five of the seven elected members of City Council." Kartak has not released a plan or platform detailing how he would respond to the pandemic as a member of the Legislature. In addition, he was recently criticized for allowing a gathering of 100 armed vigilantes with hate symbols to tailgate and intimidate Snohomish protestors. Finally, Kartak claimed that "there will always be some bigotry everywhere" after skipping a local forum on equity and race.

Lovick is a powerful voice for equity and justice in the House. He is the best choice in this race.

April Berg is running for the 44th Legislative District, House Position 2. Berg is a former small business owner who now serves as a director at the Everett School District and a planning commissioner for the City of Mill Creek. Her progressive platform includes affordable child care, ensuring workers have safe conditions and living wages, increasing support for early learning, and reducing disparities in graduation and discipline rates for students of color.

Berg wants to support the Housing Trust Fund to build more affordable housing and reduce barriers for shelters. She has endorsed a Clean Fuel Standard and pledges to advocate for environmental justice in underrepresented communities. After a head-on collision with a reckless driver suspected of being under the influence on the day of the primary, Berg remained in the race and took the opportunity to advocate for increased health care access and a strong safety net for Washingtonians facing mental health and addiction issues. 

Berg is running against Republican Mark James. James is a member of the Marysville City Council, veteran, and local business owner who does not have a detailed platform available. However, he supports an all-cuts approach to dealing with the state budget deficit that would slash essential services for thousands of Washingtonians at the moment they need it most. 

Berg has the experience and progressive ideas to be a fantastic leader in Olympia. She is the best choice in this race.

Jared Mead was appointed to the Snohomish County Council from District 4 in April to replace Terry Ryan, who stepped down. Prior to his appointment, Mead was elected to the state House in 2018 and also served on the Mill Creek City Council. As a legislator, Mead was an environmental champion who sponsored two bills to improve recycling, particularly for electronics that can contain hazardous chemicals.

On the Snohomish County Council, Mead is focused on improving transportation and supporting smart growth policies that keep housing affordable and protect the environment. In addition, he wants to use his role as chair of the Law & Justice and Human Services Committee to rethink policing and make sure everyone feels safe.

Mead is facing a challenge from Republican Brenda Carrington. Carrington, who has a background in construction and interior design businesses, unfortunately does not have a website or detailed campaign platform available as of mid-September. However, her social media pages have downplayed the severity of the pandemic and supported re-opening businesses before public health experts think it is safe to do so. 

Mead is the clear choice for Snohomish County Council in District 4.

Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis is running to retain Position 3 on the Washington State Supreme Court. Montoya-Lewis was originally appointed to the state Supreme Court in December 2019 by Gov. Inslee to replace Justice Mary Fairhurst. As a member of the Pueblo of Isleta tribe and the first Native American justice in Washington - and second in the nation - to serve on a state Supreme Court, Montoya-Lewis believes that representation on the bench matters.

Previously, Montoya-Lewis served on the Whatcom County Superior Court and as chief judge for a number of Indian tribes. She has spent much of her career on juvenile justice work and as a staunch advocate for communities who have historically been excluded from representation in the judicial system. In her short tenure on the court, Montoya-Lewis has been a thoughtful and engaged member who has earned the support of many respected judicial leaders and other progressive organizations. However, some progressives have expressed concern about a decision she wrote recently where she sided against nurses who had been deprived of guaranteed workplace protections. 

Also in this race is Judge Dave Larson, a Federal Way Municipal Court judge who also ran for a state Supreme Court seat in 2016. Larson was heavily supported by corporate PACs in his previous campaign and he espouses a conservative judicial philosophy focused on a narrow interpretation of the law.

Raquel Montoya-Lewis deserves your vote in this race.

Associate Chief Justice Charles W. Johnson is running to retain his seat in Position 4 of the Washington State Supreme Court. As the longest-serving justice on the court, having sat on the bench for nearly three decades, Johnson has proven time and again his judicial integrity, accountability, and impartiality.

During his time on the state Supreme Court, Johnson has consistently supported civil rights and equitable representation. He co-chaired the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission for 24 years and also served as co-chair for the 2004 Task Force on Civil Equal Justice Funding. On the bench, Johnson has opposed bias in judicial proceedings, joining the rest of the state Supreme Court this June in an open letter vowing to "administer justice and support court rules in a way that brings greater racial justice to our system as a whole."

Johnson is running unopposed for re-election to Position 4. With a commitment to justice for all Washingtonians, he has earned your vote.

Justice G. Helen Whitener is running to retain her position on Washington's Supreme Court. She was appointed to the Supreme Court this April by Gov. Jay Inslee. Prior to her appointment, she served on the Pierce County Superior Court, the Pierce County District Court a Pro Tem judge, and the City of Tacoma Municipal Court, after working for 14 years as a prosecutor and defense attorney.

Whitener has been rated as "exceptionally well-qualified" by a wide slate of bar associations and has earned an endorsement from every current Supreme Court Justice as well as several past justices. Notably, she is the first Black woman to sit on the state's Supreme Court, and as an immigrant from Trinidad and an openly gay justice, she brings new perspectives to the state's highest court. While serving on the bench, she has made a point to continue to interact with the community, teaching a civics course at Tacoma's Lincoln High School.

She is running against Richard S. Serns, a school superintendent who filed for office just weeks after passing the bar exam this spring. While he has no experience as a lawyer or judge, he states that his history of working with public records requests and privacy laws is preparation enough to serve as a justice.

Whitener is the clear choice for State Supreme Court Justice, Position 6.

Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens was first appointed to the state Supreme Court in 2008 by Gov. Christine Gregoire after many years of public service and was unanimously elected by her colleagues in 2019 to serve as the 57th Chief Justice of the state's highest court. She spent a decade serving students on the school board and mentored at-risk high school students as well as students at Gonzaga University. Stephens is also the first woman from Eastern Washington to serve on the Supreme Court. She has been rated "exceptionally well-qualified" by numerous legal groups and endorsed by a number of progressives.

Stephens is running unopposed this year and has earned your vote.

Judge Linda Coburn is running for Position 2 on the Washington Court of Appeals, Divison 1, District 2 to fill the seat left behind due to Judge J. Robert Leach's retirement. Coburn has served as an Edmonds Municipal Court judge since 2015. She has had a variety of trial experiences in her career from working as a Snohomish County public defender to being a law clerk for both Judge Dwyer of the Court of Appeals and Judge Bowden of the Snohomish County Superior Court.

Coburn has earned enormous support from local Democratic organizations as well as all nine current state Supreme Court Justices. Additionally, she is rated "exceptionally well-qualified" by multiple minority bar associations, including the Washington Women Lawyers, the Loren Miller Bar Association, and the Veterans’ Bar Association of Washington. Coburn was appointed to serve on the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission by the state Supreme Court in 2015.

Coburn has strong experience and values equality for all under the law. She is running unopposed for this position and deserves your vote.

Cassandra Lopez-Shaw is running for Position 8 on the Snohomish County Superior Court. Lopez-Shaw has practiced trial law in Washington for the last 17 years with both private firms and public organizations. In her career, Lopez-Shaw has tried criminal, civil, and family law cases, and she believes this diverse experience will be useful if she is elected to the court.

Lopez-Shaw is running to ensure that Snohomish County's Superior Court is an equitable place where all residents can find justice. In 2019, she was awarded the Domestic Violence Advocacy Award by the Washington Women Lawyers for her work to support victims. Lopez-Shaw has been rated "exceptionally well-qualified" by both the Veteran's Bar Association and the Loren Miller Bar Association. In addition, her campaign has received support from many local Democratic organizations.

Also in this race is Snohomish County prosecutor Robert Grant. Grant has also served as the judge pro tem in both Edmonds and Everett Municipal Courts. During his time in the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office, he "worked to promote gender equity and fair employment practices." Grant wants to bring his past experience and values, including fairness and hard work, to the bench to serve Snohomish County.

Cassandra Lopez-Shaw is the best choice for Snohomish County Superior Court, Position 8.