Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund Endorsements

Democrat Lisa Callan is running for re-election to Position 2 representing the 5th Legislative District, where she has served for the past three years. Before that, she served as both an elected member and president of the Issaquah School Board and worked in the private sector as an engineer and project manager.

Callan has worked hard for positive change in Washington, including improving economic security for working families and investing in our youth and public education. This year, she was named an Advocate for Affordable Housing by Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County for her work to expand housing options for all. Callan introduced two bills to protect students’ mental health as well as legislation to promote safety from surgical smoke for both health care workers and patients. In this race, she has earned broad community endorsements due to her consistent leadership and progressive values.

Republican Chad Magendanz is running once again for the Legislature, this time challenging Callan. He is a former Microsoft program manager who previously served as the president of the Issaquah School Board and in the state House from 2013 to 2017. Magendanz stepped down to run for state Senate in 2016, losing to Sen. Mark Mullet, and then ran again for state House in 2018 and lost to Rep. Bill Ramos.

While in the Legislature, Magendanz maintained a conservative track record, including being the sole East King County legislator of either party to vote against a transportation bill that would have reduced traffic gridlock on the I-405 corridor. Magendanz is running to cut corporate oversight laws that protect workers, consumers, and the environment. Magendanz was proud of his "A" rating from the National Rifle Association during his last campaign, which raises questions about his willingness to keep our communities safe from gun violence.

Rep. Callan is the clear choice in this race and deserves to be re-elected to Position 2 in the 5th Legislative District.

Progressive incumbent Rep. David Hackney is running for a second term representing the 11th Legislative District in Position 1. Before joining the Legislature, Hackney spent 25 years as a practicing attorney, including at the U.N., and worked at a handful of progressive organizations that focused on environmental protections and workers' rights. In 2019, he was appointed to the Washington State Human Rights Commission by Gov. Inslee.

This past session, three of Hackney's bills were signed into law. His legislation protected the sensitive information of currently or formerly incarcerated Washingtonians, created a tax exemption for organizations maintaining affordable housing, and increased access to electricity as a transportation fuel for all Washingtonians. Hackney is running for re-election to continue investing in a clean energy future, tackling the housing crisis, and building safe and economically secure communities.

His challenger this year is Republican precinct committee officer Stephanie Peters, who is running under the extreme Election Integrity Party mantle. Her main priority is to question election security, echoing the messages of MAGA Republicans who are trying to overturn the will of the people in the last presidential election. As of late October, Peters does not have a functioning campaign website to detail her priorities.

Rep. Hackney is by far the best choice in this race for his experience and his effective first session as a legislator.

Jamila Taylor is running for re-election to the 30th Legislative District, House Position 1. Taylor is an attorney who advocates for crime victims and has an extensive record of volunteer service. She previously served as the statewide advocacy counsel for the Northwest Justice Project, where she managed a network of legal aid attorneys, and has worked on youth intervention programs and other violence reduction efforts. Taylor was elected chair of the state Black Members Caucus this year, where she advocates for racial equity for all Washingtonians.

In her first term, Taylor sponsored successful bills to restrict the open carry of guns in public places like school board meetings, establish the state's first statewide digital equity plan, and create a system to locate missing Indigenous people. She was the prime sponsor of legislation that will expand scholarships for community and technical college students. She also supported increasing housing options near transit to alleviate the state's housing crisis. If re-elected, Taylor wants to work on crime and violence prevention, affordable housing access, and health care.

Taylor's opponent Casey Jones states that he is a Federal Way police commander with 23 years in law enforcement who, unsurprisingly, wants to increase prosecution. Unfortunately, law and order is the only campaign agenda point on his website. Aside from a desire to reduce police accountability measures passed recently in the Legislature, Jones offers no further vision for the district. This doesn’t speak to an interest in the majority of work that a legislator needs to do to keep their communities healthy and whole, including protecting our water and air, supporting great schools, addressing the housing crisis, and more.

The 30th District doesn't need more abrasive and divisive rhetoric. As we continue to recover from the pandemic, the district needs someone who can bring together communities and write legislation that works for everyone. Taylor's standout first term has shown that she is a progressive and capable legislator, and she has earned your vote in the 30th Legislative District.