City of Redmond

Sen. Joe Nguyen was elected to the Washington state Senate in 2018 and has worked as a senior program manager at Microsoft since 2013. His parents were refugees from Vietnam who came to White Center, where Nguyen was born and raised.

During Nguyen's time in the Legislature, he has been an advocate for Washington's families and equality, including playing a leadership role in fully funding the Working Families Tax Credit. In addition, he co-sponsored legislation to require anti-racism and equity training in public schools.

Nguyen is running for county executive to implement sweeping actions on the affordable housing crisis, to reform the criminal justice system with deep changes and accountability, and to make the state's economy work for everyone, not just the wealthiest people. In particular, Nguyen has proposed to make all transit services free to improve access and increase ridership. He also wants to leverage the new Regional Homelessness Authority to significantly scale up the building of affordable housing.

Nguyen has the support of elected leaders including state Reps. Kirsten Harris-Talley and David Hackney as well as state Sen. Bob Hasegawa and Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. Nguyen is a progressive choice if you're looking for new leadership in the executive's office who will prioritize racial justice and systemic change.

Sarah Perry is a small business owner, nonprofit fundraiser, and Democratic activist who is challenging incumbent Kathy Lambert for King County Council in District 3. Perry has years of experience building financial support for nonprofits and universities in the Puget Sound area.

Perry is running on a platform of supporting small businesses, protecting farmlands and the environment, and improving transportation. In particular, she wants to provide more support for the 40% of the district in unincorporated King County that can't rely on city leadership for investments and infrastructure. In our interview with Perry, she presented a detailed overview of her campaign as a strong advocate for growth management. She wants to promote urban forests, preserve the district's natural areas, usher in alternative energy sources, and improve wastewater and storm runoff in open spaces. Perry also wants to see an equity lens brought to COVID recovery, ensuring that new modes of transit are brought to the district, supporting behavioral health, and assisting those struggling with affordable housing.

While the King County Council is officially non-partisan, Perry's opponent, longtime Republican Kathy Lambert, has lost touch with this diverse and rapidly changing district. Lambert has voted against transit access for years, including voting to end Seattle's downtown free-ride zone. She also voted against making the county sheriff an appointed position, which was proposed to give the council and county executive more oversight in the wake of protests against police brutality. Lambert was the only "no" vote on the 2019 bill to use state money to fund early learning, post-secondary education, and in-home care providers.

Lambert received broad criticism in early October for a mail piece from her campaign that singled out the only Black member of the King County Council with fear-mongering and divisive language. All six Democrats on the council, as well as King County Executive Dow Constantine, denounced the attack and said it has no place in our public discourse. 

We need to elect leaders who will bring people together to create meaningful change, not tear each other down and divide us with hateful rhetoric. Perry's extensive civic engagement and track record of collaboration has earned her overwhelming support from community leaders and progressive organizations. Vote for Perry for new progressive leadership on the King County Council from District 3.

Melissa Stuart is running for Redmond City Council, Position 4 to bring her advocacy for the environment and education to the council. She is the Director of Individual Giving at Boys and Girls Club of King County, has served on the board of Zero Waste Washington and South Transit, and as an Eastside Climate Justice Steward with the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy. She has also worked at Youth Eastside Services to help provide behavioral healthcare for families.

She is running against finance analyst Dennis Ellis, who is running a conservative campaign for the seat. He states that public safety - specifically through policing - is the number one essential for a city. Ellis disagrees with the methods that other cities have taken in shifting funding to proactive community services that reduce crime, like health care and youth programming. He states that he will move the conversation away from topics like climate change or walkable infrastructure to making the city a more business-friendly environment, though he does not state exactly how.

Stuart has been endorsed by several leading Democratic representatives and elected officials. While her campaign platform is not fully fleshed out on her website, her long record of community and professional service speaks to a candidate who is ready to contribute meaningfully to the council.

Stuart is the best choice for Redmond City Council, Position 4.

Incumbent Dr. Jeralee Anderson was first elected to the Redmond City Council in 2017. She is the president and co-founder of Greenroads International, which rates and advocates for sustainable transportation infrastructure. She has also been recognized for her achievements at the state and national level, working on the Gov. Inslee-appointed Washington State Public Works Board, as an alternate on the King County Regional Transit Committee, and on the Cascade Water Alliance board of directors.

Anderson's re-election campaign is focused on climate action, improving infrastructure, and economic justice. She is committed to implementing the city's climate goals by 2030 and wants to expand the tree canopy. Anderson will prioritize reduce housing costs and rents so that seniors aren't displaced and first responders can live in the community they serve. In addition, she supports expanding mental health response services and focusing development around transit hubs.

Anderson faces a challenge from AT&T program manager Tara Van Niman. Her platform emphasizes the need to take local action on climate change, improve community engagement, and promote smart growth that accommodates the influx of people moving to Redmond. Van Niman has earned the endorsement of some local leaders like Sen. Manka Dhingra and Reps. Roger Goodman and Larry Springer.

Anderson's thoughtful platform and strong support from our Progressive Voters Guide partner organizations make her the best choice in this race.

Leah Choi is challenging incumbent Cassandra Sage to represent District 3 on the Lake Washington School Board. Choi is a first-time candidate with a background in financial planning, education, and science.

Choi is running on a progressive platform that starts with bringing climate education front and center in public schools to prepare the next generation to face this crisis. She also supports technical training programs for alternative paths to success, following the science on later start times for adolescents, and improving equity work so that all Lake Washington students can thrive.

Incumbent Cassandra Sage was first elected to the school board in 2017 and has pushed a more moderate agenda since joining. In this race, she is prioritizing equity and inclusion, academic recovery, and mental health support across the school district. Outside of school board work, Sage is a family advisor at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

We recommend Leah Choi in this race because of her endorsements from our partner organizations and her clear progressive vision for the seat. She deserves your vote to serve on the Lake Washington School Board in District 3.

Incumbent Mark Stuart is running for re-election to Lake Washington School Board in District 4. Stuart was first elected to the school board in 2013 and now serves as the board vice president. Outside of elected office, he works in global media relations and volunteers as the president of the Sammamish Rotary.

Stuart is running to rebuild, focusing on what remote learning highlighted about equity, health, and access in the school district. He wants to invest in mental and emotional support for students as well as social-emotional learning and equity programs. Stuart’s top three campaign priorities are investing in diversity and inclusion programming, implementing anti-discrimination policy, and improving communication between the school board and the community. In this race, he is supported by a number of our progressive partner organizations as well as important elected leaders.

Vishal Misri, a former executive at a digital service company who now works for Amazon, is challenging Stuart in District 4. Misri is a parent of a Lake Washington school district student and a member of the PTA. He is running to improve mental health services, teacher support, equity and inclusion measures, and school infrastructure.

Mark Stuart deserves to be re-elected to the Lake Washington School Board in District 4 to continue advocating for an equitable and well-resourced school district. We recommend him because of his strong support from our partners and his proven track record of progressive leadership.

Katie Grainger is running for King County Public Hospital District 2, Commissioner Position 4. Grainger works as a communications consultant with Clinical Care at Providence. She was the first in her family to receive a college degree and went on to earn a master's at the University of Washington. Additionally, Grainger serves as an ambassador with the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation.

Grainger believes her experience living with an autoimmune disease paired with her work at a health care nonprofit makes her well-poised to bridge hospital administration and patient needs while bringing a community focus. If elected, she wants to work on health care reform at the local level in the service of the health and wellbeing of all district residents.

Grainger is facing retired emergency doctor Charles Pilcher. He was elected to Commissioner Position 4 in 2010 and is running to cut funding for services. While Pilcher is the only physician on the board, he does not appear to be a progressive choice.

Katie Grainger is the best candidate for King County Public Hospital District 2, Commissioner Position 4.