Pierce 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. Derek Kilmer is running for re-election in the 6th Congressional District. He is a moderate Democrat who is a reliable supporter of creating jobs and improving infrastructure. Kilmer has been a leader on small business development and protecting the Puget Sound during his four terms in Congress. A former state senator, he previously worked as a business consultant and economic development official.

In Congress, Kilmer is a sponsor of the federal Dream Act in support of immigrants who arrived in the country as children with their undocumented parents. He supports commonsense gun safety legislation and co-sponsored the Voter Empowerment Act, an online voter registration system that helps keep voting rights equitable. Kilmer has also worked on several environmental bills, including the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This year, he supported coronavirus relief as well as the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.

Former education researcher Elizabeth Kreiselmaier is challenging Kilmer for the 6th Congressional District seat. Kreiselmaier is running on a dangerously conservative platform that prioritizes dismantling the Affordable Care Act in the middle of a global pandemic, defunding Planned Parenthood, and removing equitable access to education by privatizing our schools. Kreiselmaier says she enthusiastically supports Trump’s agenda and is amplifying some of his worst lies and conspiracy theories in her campaign. 

Kilmer has been a reliable vote in Congress and has earned strong support from progressive advocacy organizations for his re-election. Kilmer is the best choice for the 6th Congressional District.

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.

Veronica Whitcher Rockett is running to bring a progressive voice to Olympia as a House representative for Legislative District 2. Whitcher Rockett has served as a precinct committee officer for the Thurston County Democrats, chair of the Thurston County Young Democrats, and is currently vice chair of the Thurston County Democratic Women.

Through her work with her children's PTA, two of whom have special needs, Whitcher Rockett states that she wants to improve special education programs and ensure that schools are truly fully funded. She is advocating for rural broadband to connect her district with work and education opportunities online, which is more important than ever during the pandemic. Whitcher Rocket is also committed to affordable housing, accessible healthcare, a greener economy, and police accountability, stating in July that she supports banning law enforcement's use of tear gas and chokeholds.

Whitcher Rockett is running against Republican incumbent JT Wilcox. Wilcox regularly and actively blocks progress in the Legislature and prides himself on being a conservative figurehead. In recent years, he has voted against progressive reforms including net neutrality protections for internet users, equal pay for women, and equitable access to Washington's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Despite contracting COVID-19 himself this summer, Wilcox stated that his legislative priorities were focused on economic recovery, offering no public health policy.

Whitcher Rockett is the clear progressive choice for the 2nd Legislative District.

Puyallup mayor and local small business owner Julie Door is running for state Senate in the 25th Legislative District. Prior to being elected as mayor this year, Door served on the council for seven years, where she supported the purchase of the Van Lierop farm to create a new park, implemented a Safe Routes to Schools initiative, and worked on securing adequate shelter for people experiencing homelessness in inclement weather. She was the community services chair of the Puyallup Kiwanis Club and is a board member of the South Sound 911 Board, among other community involvement.

Door became mayor at the beginning of the year, navigating Puyallup through the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic by swiftly declaring a state of emergency so that the city could access additional resources. If elected, she will build on that public health experience to expand health care access including mental health treatment. Door will also push for living-wage jobs in the district and promote more equity and investment in the classroom.

Door is running against Republican Rep. Chris Gildon. Gildon is one of several Republican legislators who criticized Gov. Inslee's stay-at-home order and supported leaving re-opening decisions up to local governments despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the state. This year in the House, Gildon voted against creating a statewide Office of Equity, requiring greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to zero by 2050, and reducing transportation pollution.

As a lifetime resident of Puyallup with a keen grasp of the issues in the 25th District, Door will represent her constituents well in the Legislature. Door is the best choice in this race.

Puyallup School District teacher Jamie Smith is running for the 25th Legislative District, House Position 1 on a platform of improving life for families and working Washingtonians. Prior to seeking office, Smith spent 17 years as an educator in Puyallup.

If elected, Smith would prioritize securing more stable funding for public schools and increasing transit options to accommodate the more than 50% of workers who live in Pierce but work outside the county. In addition, she supports increasing investments in small businesses, job training in renewable energy positions, and fixing our state's upside-down tax code. Smith has said she supports expanded health care access to promote public health and to save the state money on overall care costs.

Smith is running against Republican Rep. Kelly Chambers, a conservative Republican who voted against establishing the Washington State Office of Equity and opposed comprehensive sexual health education for students. Kelly was endorsed by right-wing extremist and domestic terrorist Rep. Matt Shea in her re-election campaign. Chambers is strongly against balancing our state's upside-down tax code, despite the fact that her constituents with lower incomes pay at up to six times the rate of the wealthiest in the state under the current system. Chambers joined several other Republicans in challenging Gov. Inslee's extension of the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order in early May while the virus was still peaking, despite the recommendations of public health officials.

The people of the 25th Legislative District deserve a representative who cares about their health and economic well-being, not one who puts corporate profits first. Smith is by far the best choice in this race.

Firefighter and veteran Brian Duthie is vying for the 25th Legislative District, House Position 2. The seat is currently held by Rep. Chris Gildon, who is moving on to run for state Senate this year. Duthie has significant community experience including his role as a board member of the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation.

Duthie is campaigning to strengthen K-12 education by reducing class sizes, adding more special education resources, and making sure teachers are fairly compensated. He believes that the state will only begin economic recovery when the dangerous spread of COVID-19 is also addressed, and he relies on health experts and medical professionals to inform his approach to public health policy. If elected, Duthie will focus on health care affordability and reducing traffic congestion in Pierce County.

Duthie's opponent is Puyallup City Councilmember Cyndy Jacobsen. Jacobsen is running on a very conservative platform including support for defunding Planned Parenthood, opposition to marriage equality despite it being the law since 2012, and cutting investments in our transportation system that would reduce traffic and create thousands of jobs. In addition, she wants the state to re-open before public health experts say it is safe to do so and she has amplified dangerous conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. 

Washingtonians need leaders who will listen to health care professionals and science when creating pandemic policy. Duthie is the best choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Carrie Hesch is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Jesse Young for the 26th Legislative District, House Position 1. Hesch is a Teamster who works at the Washington Corrections Center for Women and serves as a Director on the Key Peninsula Community Service Board.

Hesch is running on a strong platform of health care reform, making the tax code more equitable, and protecting workers, including making sure front-line employees get the personal protection equipment (PPE) that they need. She is also campaigning to reform the criminal justice system to address overcrowding in Washington state prisons. Hesch has outlined detailed policy proposals to accomplish these progressive goals in office.

Young is a staunch conservative who voted against the creation of the Washington Office of Firearm Violence Prevention and opposed making it easier for young people to vote. He is a vocal opponent of the age-appropriate sexual health education bill that passed this year and has devoted time and energy to repealing it. Young says that the fix for a lack of affordable health care is a "focus on job creation" so that workers can be covered through their employers, a stance that makes no sense for unemployed, part-time, and underemployed people, especially during the pandemic. Even worse, he is determined to stand against the Affordable Care Act and gives no details on alternatives at a time when Washingtonians urgently need accessible and affordable health care.

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

Joy Stanford is challenging Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier for the 26th Legislative District, House Position 2. Stanford was a substitute teacher who has worked in the district with underserved and elderly populations, helping them gain access to health care. She challenged Caldier for this seat in 2018 and only narrowly lost.

Stanford has previously worked in housing services and the health care industry, and she hopes to use these experiences to address affordable housing and health care access with creative approaches. She is campaigning to keep infrastructure projects on budget and ensuring health care access for all, and will work to fix Washington's upside-down tax code. In response to recent protests for racial justice, Stanford said she supports increasing funding for non-police appropriate crisis responders such as mental health professionals.

Incumbent Michelle Caldier has built a career on opposing progressive policies. She voted against automatic voter registration, which has been proven to strengthen democracy by making it easier for eligible citizens to vote, and opposed legislation to expand access to reproductive health care. This year, she voted against prohibiting race-based hair discrimination and discrimination based on immigration status or citizenship. Caldier also voiced strong opposition to the comprehensive and age-appropriate sexual health education bill this year.

Joy Stanford will bring progressive priorities to Olympia. She is running a strong campaign and deserves your vote.

Democratic Sen. Jeannie Darneille is running for re-election in the 27th Legislative District. Darneille has been a strong advocate in her 12 years in the House and six years in the Senate, particularly for families who are struggling to make ends meet. She is a champion of women, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, health care access, and expanded economic opportunities for all.

This year, Darneille sponsored legislation requiring schools to incorporate curriculum on local tribal history and voted to prohibit discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status. She is running to reform the justice system and spoke out recently on the need for better public health in Washington prisons. If re-elected, Darneille will continue to fight for improved education, increased health care access, and gender and racial parity.

Also in this race is Republican Kyle Paskewitz. Paskewitz is the executive director of Parentalink, a nonprofit organization. He is anti-choice and opposes greater investments in our communities during the economic downturn. Earlier this year, Paskewitz's campaign social media proposed that Washington state should recklessly re-open before it was safe to do so, and he has since promoted anti-mask rhetoric on his personal social media.

Darneille is a strong advocate with the support of a number of progressive organizations. She deserves your vote in this race.

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins is running for re-election to the 27th Legislative District, House Position 1. Jinkins was the first lesbian to serve openly in the state Legislature, where she helped pass marriage equality. She now serves as the first woman and LBGTQ+ speaker of the House in Washington. In office, she has been a passionate and effective champion for progressive values, particularly in her fight for women, equity, and closing tax loopholes.

Jinkins has sponsored bills to improve education funding and secured resources for a new health clinic in Hilltop that serves low-income patients. She consistently advocates for a capital gains excise tax on the wealthy that would fund schools. This year, Jinkins voted in support of bills to establish comprehensive and age-appropriate sexual health education, to prohibit discrimination based on immigration status or citizenship, and to establish the Washington State Office of Equity. To confront the detrimental effects of the coronavirus pandemic in Washington communities, Jinkins wants to reduce tuition costs, provide job training, introduce a public option to increase health care access, and work to guarantee affordable housing.

She is being challenged by Democrat Ryan Talen, a registered nurse. Talen is running to restructure Washington's electoral system, proposing "proportional representation with ranked-choice" as an alternative. However, Talen doesn't have a strong campaign presence.

Jinkins is an important progressive leader in our state. She is the obvious choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Rep. Jake Fey is running for re-election to the 27th Legislative District, House Position 2. He is a reliable progressive who has championed youth, environmental, and education issues in Olympia. As the son of German immigrants who helped raise his younger siblings at age 13 after his father passed away, Fey is very committed to ensuring future generations of Washingtonians have the support they need to succeed.

This year, Fey sponsored a green transportation bill designed to move Washington towards more sustainable and cleaner ways of traveling. He also sponsored bills to prohibit race-based hair discrimination and to require the state to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. With the coronavirus pandemic requiring Washingtonians to stay home, Fey has led the legislative response to address the transportation budget shortfall.

Fey faces a challenge from Barry Knowles, a perennial candidate who listed himself as an Independent in this race despite his past role as chairman for the district's GOP. Knowles has not updated his candidate materials since 2016 and does not seem to be running a serious campaign.

Fey is a progressive leader in the House. He the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote.

T'wina Nobles is challenging Republican Sen. Steve O'Ban for the 28th Legislative District Senate seat. Nobles is the president and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, an organization that helps underserved communities navigate difficult economic times. She has worked in education for 15 years as an instructor, the University Place School Board Director, and a PTA leader.

If elected, Nobles wants to increase pay for teachers, reduce class sizes, and work to make schools more inclusive and equitable. She knows more needs to be done to ensure families in the 28th are healthy and safe, which she believes includes gun violence prevention, addiction recovery and mental health resources, and better health care access. Nobles is also running to fix our upside-down tax code and fight for better wages and affordable housing for working people.

Incumbent Sen. O'Ban is a far-right conservative who has previously sued the state to prevent Washingtonians from having access to birth control at some pharmacies. Likewise, he has fought against equality for the LGBTQ+ community, including leading the opposition to marriage equality. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Ban pushed to re-open the economy long before public health experts said it was safe to do so. This year, he opposed establishing the Washington State Office of Equity and voted against prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status.

Nobles is the clear progressive choice and would make a great state senator. In this tight race to unseat a conservative, Nobles deserves your vote.

Rep. Mari Leavitt is running for re-election for the 28th Legislative District, House Position 1. Leavitt was recently appointed to the State Legislators’ Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs. She has been a hard-working leader who represents the district well.

This year, Rep. Leavitt supported legislation to combat the climate crisis and passed bipartisan legislation to support military families. She also supported legislation to prohibit race-based hair discrimination. In this race, she is campaigning to strengthen the social safety net for seniors and families, create affordable housing, and support small businesses. If re-elected, Leavitt will continue to advocate for her constituents and pass bipartisan legislation.

Leavitt faces a challenge from Kevin Ballard, a Republican who served on the DuPont City Council. He has repeatedly used his social media presence to call on Gov. Inslee to re-open Washington before public health experts declare it safe to do so. Ballard, who was the co-chair of Ben Carson's 2016 presidential campaign in Pierce County, strongly opposes abortion and supports defunding Planned Parenthood. 

Leavitt is the best choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Dan Bronoske is running for the 28th Legislative District, House Position 2, to succeed retiring Rep. Christine Kilduff. Bronoske has worked as a firefighter in Pierce County and Lakewood for almost two decades. As an active union member, he has experience working in Olympia advocating for policies that protect all workers.

Bronoske launched his campaign with Rep. Kilduff's endorsement. If elected, he will prioritize supporting working families, addressing the opioid epidemic, reducing health care costs, and improving our transportation system. Bronoske's commitment to increased health care access and a progressive pandemic response is informed by his career as a first responder. His campaign boasts support from a number of progressive organizations.

Bronoske is running against Republican Chris Nye. Nye has previously served on the University Place City Council and currently owns a marketing and listing service for real estate owners. He emphasizes the fiscal challenges Washington will be facing in the coming years but does not offer any proactive solutions for solving these challenges. 

Bronoske will bring a strong progressive voice to Olympia. He is the best choice in this race.

Rep. Melanie Morgan is running for re-election for the 29th Legislative District, House Position 1. Morgan is an Army veteran who was elected to the Franklin-Pierce School Board in 2015 and worked with Young Life to create a mentorship group for young Black men, focusing on participation in STEM fields. Since 2018, she has been a strong advocate for representation and equity in Olympia where she has served as the deputy majority floor leader.

This year, Morgan was the lead sponsor on legislation to prohibit race-based hair discrimination. In addition, she supported gun safety legislation as well as the bill to establish the Washington State Office of Equity. Morgan has spoken out about the need for racial justice, drawing on her experience on the governor-appointed Equity Task Force, and wants to move forward with an equitable lens, including proposing legislation to make Juneteenth a paid holiday in Washington. Morgan is also campaigning to increase voter engagement, access to affordable housing, and public transportation in her district.

Morgan is facing a challenge from Republican Koshin Mohamed Fidaar, an Army veteran and Executive Director of the Somali Community Services Coalition. He claims the district has a high crime rate but fails to offer thoughtful solutions to address it. Fidaar has also not addressed our state's upside-down tax code, which currently asks working families to pay up to six times more of their income in taxes than the wealthiest.

Morgan is a strong progressive voice in Olympia. She is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote.

Incumbent Rep. Steve Kirby has served in the state House for 20 years, and previously on the Tacoma City Council for four terms. He sponsored legislation to give Gov. Inslee emergency powers because of our urgent need to address the climate crisis and has been a solid vote on many bills that support working families.

Unfortunately, Kirby has also supported legislation that benefits corporate interests and predatory lenders, and he has accepted campaign contributions from payday lenders, debt collectors, and pawn shops. Kirby endorsed former state Rep. David Sawyer's re-election campaign even after Sawyer faced broad and serious allegations of misconduct and sexual harassment. Kirby also has yet to have a town hall this year, and we were disappointed in his primary campaign mailer against Democratic candidate Sharlett Mena, which had racist and xenophobic undertones.

However, Kirby is a much better choice than his far-right opponent Republican Terry Harder, whose campaign site states that he will support the "God given second amendment right," any legislation that restricts safe abortion access, and reducing regulations on businesses. Harder says that he will take the tried-and-failed strategy of ending homelessness by preventing unhoused people from camping, but he has offered no solutions or ideas about where our unsheltered neighbors would go. 

Kirby is the better choice in this race.

Katie Young is challenging Rep. Drew Stokesbary for the 31st Legislative District, House Position 1. Young has worked as a director and stage manager for a decade and holds leadership roles in the Actors' Equity Association.

Young is a first-time, progressive candidate with strong community experience. She is running on a platform of quality education and health care for all, and investing in the economy to create living-wage jobs. Young is committed to environmental protections and has said that "every legislative decision we make must consider the climate crisis."

Incumbent Republican Stokesbary has voted against raising the minimum wage and equal pay for women. This year, he voted against prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status and establishing the Washington State Office of Equity. As COVID-19 cases rose in Washington state, Stokesbary joined other Republican extremists in filing a reckless lawsuit against Governor Inslee for extending the Stay-At-Home order.

With the support of many progressive organizations, Young is the best choice for Legislature in the 31st District.

Democrat Thomas Clark is running for the 31st Legislative District, House Position 2. Clark served in the Navy for six years and worked at Boeing for three decades supporting engineering development and system testing.

While Clark is running as a Democrat, he believes there is room for independence within a party. He does not have a detailed campaign platform but does support expanding access to technology for students and campaign finance reforms to reduce the influence of big corporations in politics. Clark told The Seattle Times that he wants to focus on police accountability and reforming Washington's upside-down tax code. He recently earned the support of a number of progressive organizations.

Clark is running against Republican Eric Robertson. Robertson has served in law enforcement for most of his career, aside from his time as a state representative from 1994 to 1998. As a representative, Robertson was accused of racial bias when he called in state troopers to search a Black teen who had come to testify against a bill in the Legislature. Now, Robertson is campaigning to "defend not defund" law enforcement and has used the #BlueLivesMatter hashtag on his personal Facebook without offering policy recommendations about how to strengthen police accountability.

Clark is the clear choice in this race.

Navy veteran and former state Rep. Larry Seaquist served eight years in Olympia, where he chaired the House Higher Education Committee and served on the Budget, Health Care, and Education committees. He has continued to work in the community through a homelessness prevention project with the Tacoma-Pierce County League of Women Voters and is currently a member of the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce. If elected to the county executive position, Seaquist's top priority is implementing local standards of coronavirus contact tracing and testing to rein in the virus. He will also prioritize creating family-wage jobs, providing more affordable housing, and addressing systemic racism in the community.

Seaquist is running against incumbent Bruce Dammeier, who is a former member of state Senate Republican leadership. In Olympia, Dammeier opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage, ensure equal pay for women, and close tax loopholes to fund schools. He has continued to advance a conservative agenda as county executive, including pushing back on efforts to reduce vehicle pollution through cleaner fuels.

In September, Dammeier fell into a controversy of his own making with his handling of the firing of a member of his executive team. Former Senior Justice Council Carol Mitchell, the only Black woman on Dammeier's team, was fired while her whistleblower case was open. Dammeier then took to his campaign and private social media to attack and discredit the staffer in a statement both unethical and unbecoming of a true leader of the county.

Pierce County deserves better, both in terms of progressive policy and stable leadership. Seaquist is by far the better choice in this race.

Small business owner Sarah Rumbaugh is running for Pierce County Council's open District 2 seat, which was vacated by Pam Roach. Rumbaugh is active in the community; she serves on the Tacoma Human Rights Commission and previously served on the Board of Governors for Evergreen State College. Rumbaugh is running to reset the local economy, which has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She wants to use this moment to create more family-wage jobs, build more affordable housing, and improve access to health care. In addition, Rumbaugh supports the creation of an Office of Equity and Race within Pierce County and wants the Pierce County Council to be more active on environmental issues, particularly when it comes to oversight of the Port of Tacoma.

Rumbaugh is running against Republican Sen. Hans Zeiger. First elected in 2010, Zeiger has been a party-line Republican in Olympia in opposing a host of commonsense reforms. He voted against raising the minimum wage, closing tax loopholes to fund education, and ensuring equal pay for women. In addition, he opposed marriage equality, voted to continue the abuse of children through the use of conversion therapy, and famously called the Girl Scouts of America a “pro-abortion, feminist training corps” and a recruitment ground for lesbians. Based on his 10-year voting record, Zeiger would be an obstacle to progress on the Pierce County Council.

Rumbaugh is the clear choice for the Pierce County Council, District 2 seat.

Former Tacoma City Council President Ryan Mello is an environmental champion who helped produce Tacoma's plan for addressing climate change. Currently, he's the executive director of the Pierce Conservation District where he works to protect our local clean air and water. Mello was the first openly gay man to serve on the Tacoma City Council.

Mello is running for Pierce County Council to improve housing affordability, address the behavioral health crisis, and fight for environmental justice. In his Fuse interview, Mello committed to working to reduce inequities in the criminal justice system by investing in community courts and other alternatives to jail. He also pledges to increase oversight of the county executive's office to ensure that taxpayer funds are being used to help working families.

Mello is running against real estate broker Javier H. Figueroa. Figueroa is a member of the University Place City Council who ran an unsuccessful Republican campaign for lieutenant governor in 2016. Although he's running as an Independent in this race, he has been endorsed by Republican leaders like Dino Rossi, Rob McKenna, and Steve O'Ban. 

Mello's excellent track record on the Tacoma City Council and strong support from our Progressive Voters Guide partners make him the best choice in this race.

Democrat Jani Hitchen is a high school science teacher running for Pierce County Council in the 6th Council District. Hitchen is running to create a dedicated revenue stream to fund mental health care, as well as reduce sprawl in rural areas. She wants to break partisan gridlock on the council and focus on improving the quality of life of Pierce County residents. In her Fuse interview, Hitchen said she will prioritize preventing homelessness by building a safety net that can help people stay in their homes.

Hitchen is facing corporate real estate attorney and Lakewood Deputy Mayor Jason Whalen. He's running on a conservative platform that lacks substantive details about how he would help the county recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Whalen's priorities include maintaining funding to county law enforcement and increasing the number of deputies as well as attracting new businesses to the county.

This race is particularly important because it could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Pierce County Council. Hitchen is the clear progressive choice for District 6.

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 Bryan Chushcoff is running for re-election to Position 4 on the Pierce County Superior Court, where he has served for the last 23 years. On the bench, Chushcoff has built a respected track record and was the presiding judge from 2009 to 2012. In addition, he has been a Budget and Finance Committee member on the Washington State Board of Judicial Administration and a treasurer for the Superior Court Judges Association of Washington state.

With more than two decades of experience, Chushcoff is seeking to retain his seat to maintain fair and impartial justice in Pierce County. In 2017, he received the William O. Douglas Award from the Washington State Association for Justice for his work on the Superior Court. Chushcoff has received diverse community support and the endorsement of every other judge on the Pierce County Superior Court.

Brady Horenstein is challenging Judge Chushcoff to bring a "fresh" perspective to the Superior Court. Horenstein has never sat on a bench but he has previously worked as a law clerk for the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II, and later as the associate director for legislative and judicial relations with the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts.

Judge Chushcoff is the best choice for Pierce County Superior Court, Position 4 because of his experience and commitment to equal justice for all.