Pierce County

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 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 a clean Dream Act in support of immigrants who arrived in the country as children with their undocumented parents. He supports common sense gun safety legislation and co-sponsored the Voter Empowerment Act, an online voter registration act 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.

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 held more than 50 town halls in her first term and is endorsed by numerous progressive partner organizations and Democratic elected officials.

Also in this race are Democrats James Mitchell and Keith Arnold, Independent Corey Bailey, Republicans Jesse Jensen and Keith Swank, Trump Republican Dave Saulibio, and Ryan Dean Burkett, who states he has no party preference. Mitchell is an anti-choice Democrat who describes himself as "old school" and believes vaccines are dangerous. Arnold is a perennial anti-choice candidate who has been on the ballot in every election since 2008. Bailey wants to prioritize re-opening Washington state, which public health experts agree is not safe.

Jensen is a manager at Amazon and a former Army captain who was recruited by Republicans to run in this district. He claims he will protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and lower the cost of health care but doesn't offer any substantial policy ideas. Swank is a police officer and commander of the Metro Special Response Section who wants to make the Trump tax cuts that benefited big corporations permanent. Saulibio also ran for Congress in 2018 and pledges to support all legislative actions that support Trump. Burkett is running to institute term limits and move the U.S. to the metric system. He is not a serious candidate. 

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

First elected in 2016, former state Rep. Kristine Reeves is also running for the open 10th Congressional District seat. She is the Director of Economic Development for the Military and Defense sector for Washington state, where she has helped secure millions of dollars for small businesses and local infrastructure. In the Legislature, Reeves has been a champion for paid family and medical leave, gun safety, and making childcare more affordable. She took a more cautious approach than Doglio to several pieces of legislation, including voting against taxing polluters and increasing protections for tenants. 

In her Fuse interview, Reeves said her life experience would guide her priorities and decision making in Congress. She is motivated to address affordable housing and homelessness by her experience growing up as a foster child and being homeless herself at times. She supports universal health care and points to her own health care emergency that nearly left her bankrupt as a young adult. Reeves also stated that she is the only leading candidate in the race with foreign policy experience.

If elected, Reeves would be the first Black person elected to Congress from Washington in our state's 131-year history.

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 climate-centered focus 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 is facing 35 opponents this year, the most prominent of which are Republicans Sen. Phil Fortunato, Tim Eyman, and Bothell Mayor Joshua Freed. Fortunato is a social conservative who has abandoned working families while in the office. In past legislative sessions, he voted against protections for LGBTQ school children and against expanding access to reproductive health care for women. Freed believes we should be less cautious about COVID-19 protections and rapidly re-open the state, a faulty strategy in the face of death and difficult recoveries even for previously healthy coronavirus patients.

Eyman is one of the worst candidates for governor the state has ever seen. Eyman's legal problems range from fraudulently diverting funds from his ill-conceived initiatives into his personal bank accounts to wide-ranging campaign finance violations to stealing a chair from Office Depot. He is the face behind many of Washington's most damaging initiatives, including the most recent disaster that has cut tens of billions of dollars from state transportation projects. Eyman has lately been doubling down on his cringeworthy antics by comparing Gov. Inslee's COVID policies to George Floyd's murder.

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, who serves 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 attacks "foreign and domestic." She wants to improve digital security and increase funding for county auditors to safeguard 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, and she has failed to condemn the president's relentless attacks on voting by mail.

Also in this race are Independent Ed Minger and Progressive Party candidate Gentry Lange. Minger wants to prohibit candidates from running paid ads, which is blatantly unconstitutional, and Lange wants to end voting by mail in Washington, a particularly confounding position during a pandemic.

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, and has successfully supported laws reducing property taxes.

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 referred to the state Legislature "raiding" the Rainy Day Fund. He has also 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.

Recently, 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 Democrat Joshua Casey and Republican Chris Leyba. Casey is a CPA who wants to bring his financial expertise to the auditor's office. Leyba is a former police detective who currently runs an animal rescue on his farm. If elected, he would prioritize buying from Washington businesses and saving taxpayer dollars.

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 and 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 people in Washington. He has sued the Trump administration 50 times as of October 2019 and won every completed case (22 by his own count). Some of Ferguson's biggest accomplishments from the past few years include protecting 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 is running against Republicans Brett Rogers, Mike Vaska, and Matt Larkin. Rogers states that with over 20 years of law enforcement experience, including time with the Seattle Police Department, he would be well-suited to research and set criminal justice policy. A member of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Vaska's priorities include reducing regulations for business and streamlining the permitting process. Larkin states that he's running to prioritize "the homeless situation" that "no one is doing anything about," and promises to empower law enforcement while making Washington more business-friendly.

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, she has focused on wildfire management and climate action.

This year, Franz released a climate resilience plan for rural Washington that includes expanding wind and solar farms and massive reforestation. 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 is running against six other candidates: Republicans Cameron Whitney, Steve Sharon, Maryam Abasbarzy, and Sue Kuehl Pederson, Democrat Frank Wallbrown, and Libertarian Kelsey Reyes. Wallbrown and Abasbarzy have no campaign details available. Pederson is the former chair of the Grays Harbor Republican Party and says she's running to bring new leadership to the office and to balance the state's economy and ecology. Reyes works in the restaurant industry and has no concrete campaign details or website available. Finally, Sharon is running to investigate the effects of 5G towers and Whitney is running to follow Trump's suggestion of raking forests to stop forest fires.

Franz has the experience we need to guide and protect our state from increasingly dangerous fire seasons to 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's schools navigate the pandemic. He made the tough decision early to close schools for the year to keep kids and families safe and 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 a handful of opponents in this non-partisan race: conservative Ron Higgins, former Republican legislative candidate Maia Espinoza, Dennis Wick, Stan Lippman, and David Spring. Espinoza has garnered attention by publishing a false and inflammatory voters pamphlet statement attacking Reykdal. Lippman is a disbarred lawyer and anti-vaccination advocate, Spring doesn't think we should have closed schools during the pandemic, and Higgins wants to inject religious teachings into public education. Wick is a former member of the Snohomish School District Board of Directors who wants to modernize our school system.

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, state legislator, and 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 Obamacare 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 running against Republican Chirayu Avinash Patel and Libertarian Anthony Welti. Patel wants to model the office of the insurance commissioner based on a hybrid of the Ronald Reagan and Thomas Jefferson administrations, though he gives few details on what this would mean. Welti is running on a vaguely anti-corruption platform and wants to allow insurance companies to offer cheaper plans with fewer protections for consumers.

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. She 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 also advocating for rural broadband to connect her district with work and education opportunities, as well as commitments to affordable housing, accessible healthcare, and a greener economy.

She is running against Republicans Matt Marshall and incumbent Rep. JT Wilcox. Marshall is a far-right candidate and one of the founders of the Washington Three Percent, a militia group. He is also an associate of Rep. Matt Shea, who was deemed a "domestic terrorist" by an independent House investigation. 

Wilcox has been a hindrance to progress in the Legislature and prides himself on being a conservative figurehead. During the past few legislative sessions, Wilcox has voted against many 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.

Whitcher Rockett is the clear choice for a new, progressive direction 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 homeless people 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. If elected, Door would prioritize improving expanding health care access and mental health treatment, pushing for living-wage jobs in the district, and promoting more equity and investment in the classroom.

Door is running against Republicans Emmett Smith and Rep. Chris Gildon. Though he does not appear to have a website or detailed platform available as of mid-July, Smith is an attorney who has also worked extensively with drilling companies and oil corporations. He states that everything costs too much and he would use his financial and legal experience to navigate the current medical and economic crisis.

Gildon is one of several Republican legislators who called for leaving re-opening decisions up to local governments, despite the fact that, as of late-July, the pandemic is continuing to grow across the state. Gildon voted against creating a statewide office of equity, requiring greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to zero by 2050, and reducing transportation pollution.

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, working Washingtonians, and others in her district. As an educator, she wants to secure more stable funding for schools. She also wants to see additional rapid transit to accommodate the more than 50 percent of workers who live in Pierce but work outside the county, investments in small business, job training in renewable energy positions, and a shift away from the state's heavily regressive tax system.

Smith is running against Republican Rep. Kelly Chambers, a business owner whose priority would be schools, though she doesn't outline a specific plan for improvement. Chambers voted against establishing the Washington State Office of Equity and the bill for comprehensive sex education for students, and is endorsed by secessionist and right-wing extremist Rep. Matt Shea. 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. Rep. Chris Gildon currently holds this seat, but is moving on to run for state Senate this year.

Duthie is a board member of the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation. He aims to strengthen K-12 education by reducing class sizes, adding more special education resources, and making sure teachers are fairly compensated. Duthie would also focus on health care affordability and reducing traffic congestion in Pierce County.

Duthie's opponent is Puyallup City Councilmember Cyndy Jacobsen. Jacobsen is running to repeal the comprehensive sex education bill and to keep taxes low, and wants the state to "re-open safely but quickly" - a set of priorities at odds with each other as July brings a new statewide jump in the rate of coronavirus cases.

Duthie is the best choice in this race.

Carrie Hesch is challenging Republican Rep. Jesse Young for the 26th Legislative District, House Position 1. Hesch 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 making the tax code more equitable, health care reform, and protecting workers, including making sure front-line employees get the personal protection equipment (PPE) that they need.

Young 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 sex education bill that passed this year and has devoted time and energy to repealing it. Also in this race is Democrat Drew Darsow, who does not have a strong campaign presence or website available.

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 is a substitute teacher who has worked in the district with underserved and elderly populations, helping them gain health care access. Her campaign is focusing on keeping infrastructure projects on budget and ensuring health care access for all. She hopes to use her experience as a Community Outreach Specialist for Shared Housing Services to tackle the affordable housing crisis. Stanford also challenged Caldier in 2018 and narrowly lost.

Caldier has stood in opposition of progressive policies time and time again. She voted against automatic voter registration, which has been proven to expand 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 does not support commonsense gun safety legislation.

Also in this race is Republican Alisha Beeler, who is challenging Caldier from the right. She is endorsed by local Republican groups because of her opposition to gun safety legislation as well as age-appropriate sex education.

Joy Stanford is running a strong campaign and deserves your vote.

Sen. Jeannie Darneille is running for re-election in the 27th Legislative District. Sen. 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, health care access, and expanded economic opportunities for all. This year, Sen. Darneille sponsored legislation requiring schools to incorporate curriculum on local tribal history and voted to prohibit discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status.

Also in this race is Republican Kyle Paskewitz. Paskewitz is the Executive Director of Parentalink, a nonprofit organization. He is anti-choice and wants to cut taxes rather than reform our upside-down tax code. Paskewitz's campaign social media includes pictures of the protests to recklessly re-open Washington state before it was safe to do so.

Sen. Darneille is a strong progressive and has earned your vote.

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins is running for re-election to the 27th Legislative District, House Position 1. Jinkins is the first woman LBGTQ Speaker of the House in Washington and has been a passionate and effective champion for progressive values, particularly in her fight for women, equality, and closing tax loopholes. She was the first lesbian to serve openly in the state Legislature and helped pass marriage equality. Jinkins also sponsored bills to improve education funding and secured funding for a new low-income health clinic in Hilltop. Rep. Jinkins has advocated for a capital gains excise tax on the wealthy that would fund schools. This year, Speaker Jinkins oversaw the passage of progressive legislation as well as emergency funding to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Jinkins is being challenged by Ryan Talen, a Democrat who doesn't have a strong campaign presence.

Speaker Jinkins 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 when his father passed away, Rep. 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.

Also in this race is Independent Barry Knowles, a perennial candidate whose campaign materials have not been updated since 2016.

Rep. Fey is the clear choice in this race.

T'wina Nobles is challenging Republican Senator Steve O'Ban. Nobles is the President and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, an educator, and the University Place School Board Director. She has worked in education for 15 years as an instructor, PTA leader, School Board member and is endorsed by numerous Democratic elected officials. Nobles has three kids in public schools and one who graduated from Curtis High School. She wants to increase pay for teachers, reduce class sizes, and work to make schools more inclusive and equitable. Nobles knows more needs to be done to ensure families in the 28th are healthy and safe. She wants to reform our upside-down tax structure and fight for better wages and affordable housing for working people.

Sen. O'Ban is a notorious conservative who has previously sued the state to prevent Washington women 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 it was safe. 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 in this race and would make a great state senator.

Rep. Mari Leavitt is running for re-election for the 28th Legislative District, House Position 1. 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 addition, Leavitt was recently appointed to the State Legislators’ Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs.

Also in this race is Kevin Ballard, a Republican with no elected experience who has repeatedly used his social media presence to call on Governor Inslee to re-open Washington before it is safe. Ballard does not have a strong campaign presence.

Rep. 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 the 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. If elected, Bronoske will prioritize supporting working families, addressing the opioid epidemic, reducing health care costs, and improving our transportation system.

Bronoske is running against Republicans Jamie Michaud and Chris Nye. Michaud is a real estate broker who is running on a conservative platform including "quickly" re-opening Washington state. Nye has previously served on the University Place City Council and currently owns a marketing and listing service for real estate owners. His campaign emphasizes the fiscal challenges Washington will be facing in the coming years but does not offer any proactive solutions for solving these challenges.

Bronoske is the best choice in this race.

Rep. Melanie Morgan is running for re-election for the 29th Legislative District, House Position 1. She was elected to the Franklin-Pierce School Board in 2015 and has been a strong advocate for representation and equity in Olympia. This year, Morgan sponsored legislation to prohibit race-based hair discrimination and supported gun safety legislation as well as establishing the Washington State Office of Equity. Morgan also worked with Young Life to create a mentorship group for young Black men, focusing on participation in STEM fields.

Morgan is facing a challenge from Republican Koshin Mohamed Fidaar, an Army veteran and executive director of Somali Community Services Coalition. He states that the district has a high amount of crime but fails to offer thoughtful solutions to address it. Fidaar also states that he will advocate for working families, but makes no mention of flipping our state's deeply regressive tax code. He has no detailed policy platform available as of late July.

Morgan is the clear choice in this race and has earned your vote.

Incumbent Rep. Steve Kirby has served in the state House for 20 years and was on 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 supporting working families.

Unfortunately, Kirby has also supported many bills for 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. Rep. Kirby also has yet to have a town hall this year. Finally, we are very disappointed in Kirby’s recent campaign mailer, which had racist and xenophobic undertones.

Also in this race is Republican Terry Harder, whose platform includes complaints about how the Washington state tax system punishes those who have less, but doesn't offer any solutions for relief. He is not progressive and is not running a strong campaign.
 

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 is a member of the Actors' Equity Association. She is running on a platform of quality education and health care for all and investing in the economy to create living-wage jobs.

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. Stokesbary is one of the Republicans who filed a lawsuit against Governor Inslee for extending the Stay-At-Home order. Zach Stover, who states he has no party preference, does not have a strong campaign presence as of mid-June.

Young is the best choice for Legislature in this race.

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 as of mid-June but does support expanding access to technology for students and campaign finance reforms to reduce the influence of big corporations in politics.

Also in this race are Republicans Eric Robertson and Jerimy Kirschner. Robertson previously served as an administrator with the Valley Regional Fire Authority and as a legislator until 1998. He used his time in the legislature to work to lower taxes and is not very progressive but has earned some support from labor unions. Kirschner is very conservative and his campaign priorities include $30 car tabs and lowering taxes without any plans to replace the revenue with a more progressive structure.

There are no strong progressive choices in this race, but we recommend voting for Clark or Robertson over Kirschner, who is very conservative.

Navy veteran and former state representative 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 is also prioritizing bringing in 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 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.

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, 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 the 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, opposed closing tax loopholes to fund education, and voted against ensuring equal pay for women. 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 Pierce County Council in District 2

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 Democrats Preston Anderson and Tim Farrell and Independent Javier H. Figueroa. Anderson is a clinical social worker in Tacoma who wants to bring his expertise working in behavioral health and homelessness to the Pierce County Council. In addition, Anderson wants to expedite light rail construction and increase funding for Pierce Transit. Farrell is a former Pierce County Councilmember and County Charter Review commission member who is running again because he believes experienced leadership is particularly important at this moment. His priorities would be to avoid budget cuts, ensure services are targeted in the right places, and improve food security. Figueroa is a member of the University Place City Council and is focused on supporting small businesses, protecting the environment, and reducing child-trafficking.

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 break partisan gridlock on the council and get back to focusing on improving the quality of life of Pierce County residents. Specifically, she wants to ensure the voices of all people in Pierce County are heard, create a dedicated revenue stream to fund mental health care, and reduce sprawl in rural areas. In her Fuse interview, Hitchen said she wants to focus on 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.

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.