Kitsap County

Sen. Patty Murray has been a consistent and strong progressive voice in the U.S. Senate. She's seeking re-election to continue fighting for our basic rights and a better quality of life in Washington and beyond.

Murray was first elected in 1992 and has been a champion for veterans, working families, women, and economic opportunities for all. Before her tenure in the Senate, Murray worked as a preschool teacher, on the Shoreline School Board, and in the Washington state Senate.

During her time in Congress, Sen. Murray has worked hard to keep our communities safe from gun violence, protect abortion access at the federal level so that everyone has reproductive freedom, and expand access to affordable childcare. This year, she voted in support of the Women’s Health Protection Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and a slate of other progressive bills that invest in working communities so that our country is a place where everyone can thrive. Murray has earned an impressive and diverse coalition of endorsements from local and national organizations, elected leaders, and unions.

Sen. Murray faces Tiffany Smiley, a triage nurse running on a MAGA Republican platform. Smiley has never held public office but she previously worked on Capitol Hill. Her Trump-inspired agenda aims to divide us while she seeks to cut funding from our most essential services and repurpose it for a needless border wall and more militarized police forces. Working Washingtonians need real solutions so that we can access the basics like gas, groceries, rent, and prescription medicine – not MAGA rhetoric and tax breaks for the wealthy.

Sen. Patty Murray is a national leader on many of the most important issues facing our country. She has earned your vote for re-election.

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, improving infrastructure, developing small businesses, expanding health care access, reforming campaign financing, and protecting Puget Sound.

In office this term, he voted for both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Build Back Better, President Biden's sweeping legislation to fund clean energy, child tax credits, and other progressive priorities. He also wrote the Tiny Homes for Veterans Act of 2021, which would establish a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to build tiny home villages for veterans experiencing homelessness. Now, Kilmer is running for re-election to continue helping middle-class families, creating living-wage jobs, and supporting small businesses that were hurt in the pandemic. He supported the Women's Health Protection Act and pledges to keep fighting to codify abortion rights in federal law.

Also in this race is former education researcher Elizabeth Kreiselmaier. She is running on a MAGA Republican 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 has promoted many far-right conspiracy theories, including supporting those seeking to overturn the will of the voters in the 2020 election to install Trump back in power.

Kilmer is the clear choice in this race to continue bringing steady leadership rooted in the district during these tumultuous times.

Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson is running as an independent to bring a non-partisan voice to the secretary of state's office. Anderson served on the Tacoma City Council before running for county auditor in 2009 and winning re-election three times. As Pierce County auditor, which is a nonpartisan position, she has administered dozens of elections while also overseeing licensing and public record-keeping.

Anderson is running because she believes political parties shouldn't be involved in running elections they are simultaneously trying to win. Her campaign priorities include supporting more local races becoming non-partisan, increasing access to voting and election information, and improving election security. She wants to translate the voters' pamphlet into 10 languages, going beyond what is mandated by the Voting Rights Act. She also wants to conduct risk-limiting audits in all 39 Washington counties and "pre-bunk" rumors to increase confidence in our state's election systems.

During our interview, Anderson expressed support for ranked choice voting because she believes it will allow candidates to break through our two-party political system. This is one of the biggest points of difference between Anderson and Hobbs.

Anderson offers voters an experienced option if they are looking for a nonpartisan administrator to manage our state's elections and support ranked choice voting.

Rep. Tarra Simmons is running for re-election to the 23rd Legislative District. Simmons is the founding director of Civil Survival, a nonprofit organization that helps formerly incarcerated people reintegrate and become advocates for their community. She also made history when she became the first formerly incarcerated person to graduate law school and be admitted to the Washington State Bar Association.

Simmons' previous campaign in 2020 focused on criminal justice and legal reform, as well as fighting for more robust support for working people. In just her first two years in office, she has delivered in a big way. Her first piece of legislation in 2021 was automatic voter registration for formerly incarcerated people. In the 2022 session, Simmons sponsored legislation limiting ghost guns, voted to make the wealthy pay their share into our communities, and supported increasing housing options near transit. If re-elected, she wants to continue building on her success in expanding access to free and reduced-cost health care, restoring civil rights, and funding education.

Her opponent, Republican Janell Hulst, is running on a party-line Republican platform this election. She wants to repeal police accountability measures passed in the Legislature, weaken oversight for corporations, and remove age-appropriate sex and health education from schools. She also is firmly against protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ youth and has no interest in helping flip our state's regressive tax code. This year, Hulst also attended a Kitsap County Public Health meeting to argue against doctors and public health officials trying to protect the community from the latest COVID omicron surge.

Hulst's anti-science stances and pushes against the civil rights of her potential constituents put her at odds with Simmons, who has been a strong advocate for restoring civil rights, health care access, and the district's youth. Simmons is the clear choice for the 23rd District.

Rep. Drew Hansen is running for re-election to House Position 2, where he has represented the 23rd Legislative District since 2011. As a trial lawyer and former law professor, Hansen's focus on education and civil rights has greatly improved the lives of residents in his district for the past decade.

Hansen helped expand the Olympic College engineering program for shipyard workers and sponsored legislation to protect marine jobs. Hansen has also supported fully funding the State Need Grant for low-income college students, as well as providing free and reduced college tuition for families earning less than $50,000 a year. One of Hansen's hallmark accomplishments in Olympia was passing a major gun safety law to prevent illegal purchases of firearms.

Challenging Hansen from the right is Paige Jarquin. She ran for Central Kitsap school director in 2021, though she submitted no bio to the official voters' guide and lost in the primary.

This year, Jarquin's platform remains thin on forward-thinking policies. She is seeking to repeal the Legislature's police accountability measures and pour more money into militarized police. Like many other Republicans this year, Jarquin's priorities don't mesh with the fact that many in the community are struggling to make rent and put food on the table. She refuses to address the state's upside-down tax code, which benefits the ultra-wealthy at the expense of low- and middle-income families. Jarquin also takes a vague stance on education, saying that what's taught in the classroom "isn't good" without offering any concrete policies or vision of her own.

Hansen has been a reliable progressive vote in the House who has led on several important issues for the district and the state. Vote for Drew Hansen in the 23rd Legislative District.

Emily Randall is one of the Legislature's strongest advocates for expanding access to health care and protecting reproductive freedom. Prior to running for public office in 2018, Randall worked at Planned Parenthood, where she advocated for improving health outcomes for local underserved populations.

Randall has been a productive legislator responsible for writing and passing a host of bills during her four years in office. Her accomplishments include raising the minimum wage for people with disabilities, eliminating disparities in medical training, and extending postpartum health care coverage. She also sponsored legislation that would have protected health care access for families in rural areas.

Randall is running for re-election to reduce the cost of higher education and expand job training programs for graduating high school seniors. She also wants to expand access to affordable health care for Washington families.

In stark contrast to Randall's record of building consensus to pass legislation, her opponent, Rep. Jesse Young, is one of the most extreme MAGA Republicans in Olympia. Young sponsored several bills aimed at eliminating abortion access long before the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. After the 2020 election, Young traveled to Arizona to promote Trump's election conspiracy that sought to overturn the will of the people. During the height of the pandemic, he promoted dangerous, anti-science lies that put lives at risk.

Beyond his radical policy positions, Young also displayed serious lapses in judgment and character while in office. In 2017, Young was banned from managing legislative staff because of "a pattern of hostile and intimidating behavior" in his office. If elected to the Senate, Young can be expected to continue pushing a radical agenda that's far out of step with the people of the 26th Legislative District.

As abortion and health care come under attack by conservatives both federally and at the state level, it is imperative that senators continue to expand coverage and make sure that health care is accessible for all. We strongly recommend a vote for Sen. Emily Randall in the 26th Legislative District.

Adison Richards is a lawyer running for the 26th Legislative District, Position 1. Richards previously worked for the Northwest Justice Project, which provides free legal assistance for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, among others. Richards also volunteers extensively in the community, including the Downtown Waterfront Alliance, Harbor History Museum, Tacoma Pro-Bono, and Bremerton NAACP. He wants to bring a vision of opportunity for all to Olympia to ensure that everyone in the district, no matter what they do for work or where they live, has the tools they need to succeed.

He believes public safety should include designated first responders with mental health training as well as more robust social services to address the underlying causes of crime, including the lack of affordable housing and job opportunities. He wants to support local shellfish farming, technical schools and apprenticeships, as well as expand rural broadband and fix local transportation issues, like the Fox Island bridge.

His opponent, Spencer Hutchins, served on the Gig Harbor City Council from 2017 to 2019 and is the co-owner of a real estate company. Hutchins wants to repeal the clean fuel standard, which will improve air quality by reducing dirty transportation emissions, as well as the capital gains tax, which will make the extraordinarily wealthy in our state finally pay their share. He also wants to repeal the long-term care law, which would help the majority of residents in Washington who will eventually need caregiving for daily needs, especially seniors and vulnerable populations.

Hutchins' reactionary agenda is endorsed by a slate of conservatives and Republicans, who are pouring money into this race. Notably, the Republican is also endorsed by representatives like Reps. Jesse Young and Jan Angel, two of the state's most anti-choice legislators who have repeatedly attempted advocated for restricting Washingtonians' freedom to choose if and when to have children.

Richards is by far the best choice for Position 1 from the 26th Legislative District.

Nursing home administrator Matt Macklin is running for the 26th Legislative District, Position 2 to build healthier communities and advocate for workers.

He notes that the fragile and underfunded systems of healthcare and housing buckled under the strain of the pandemic. He believes the Legislature can do more to retain skilled workers, including more fair reimbursement for mid-level providers. He also believes that investment into broadband internet and green energy would help grow the economy in the right direction. Macklin wants to see training centers for trade jobs, including health trades but also electricians, teachers, and more.

His opponent is Republican incumbent Michelle Caldier, who has stood in opposition of progressive policies more often in recent years. In 2022, she opposed legislation to expand access to reproductive health care and opposed commonsense gun safety legislation, including prohibiting the sale of high capacity gun magazines. In past years, she voted against prohibiting discrimination based on immigration status or citizenship and she opposed automatic voter registration, which makes it easier for eligible citizens to vote.

Macklin is the best choice in this race.

Progressive Julianne Y. Gale is running for the Washington state Senate in the 35th Legislative District, the seat currently occupied by the retiring Sen. Tim Sheldon. Gale currently manages the Skokomish Indian Tribe’s youth program and has previously worked as a union construction worker, teacher, and grassroots climate advocate. She identifies as a queer, American-Chinese Jew and believes both her personal and work experiences of bringing people together will allow her to represent all the residents in her district if elected.

As a co-founder of Mason County Climate Justice, one of Gale’s top political priorities is climate action. If elected, she would pursue regenerative foresting and clean water to ensure sustainable environments and jobs for generations to come. Having lost stable housing herself for a time, Gale also wants to make sure that Washington is a place where all people can access housing security and affordable health care.

Gale is running against Republican Rep. Drew MacEwen, who has represented the 35th Legislative District in the House since 2012. Now, he is running for the state Senate to prioritize the private sector while cutting funding to social services. In the last session, MacEwen voted against commonsense gun safety legislation and opposed a bill to put Washington on track with better energy code standards.

We strongly recommend Gale to represent residents of the 35th Legislative District in the state Senate with her vision for putting the community first.

James DeHart is running for Position 1 in the 35th Legislative District. DeHart has worked for a variety of state agencies in his career, including the Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Transportation. He is also involved with community orchestras and served as the musical director for a 2019 Broadway Olympia production.

DeHart is running on a progressive platform to invest in public infrastructure including school buildings, roads and bridges, transportation, meal programs, and high-speed broadband. If elected, he will also focus on climate solutions and specifically wants to look at energy alternatives that will benefit both residents and our environment. DeHart identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and wants to make sure that people of all marginalized communities, especially Washingtonians of color, have equal access to jobs, housing, and voting.

DeHart is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Daniel Griffey, who is running to remain in the seat he was first elected to in 2014. Outside of the Legislature, Griffey works as a lieutenant firefighter in central Mason County. Griffey voted with the majority of Republicans this year to block commonsense measures to protect our communities from gun violence and to institute environmental protections. He wants to further militarize our police, even though our communities are actually safer when we have access to good schools, jobs, and housing.

James DeHart is the clear choice for House Position 1 in the 35th Legislative District.

Former American diplomat Sandra Kaiser is running for Position 2 in the 35th Legislative District as a Democrat. Kaiser served the Department of State for almost 30 years with many presidential administrations, leading public affairs and directing U.S. embassy operations. In Washington, she has worked for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Evergreen State College, and she currently serves as the vice president of the Capitol Land Trust board.

Kaiser is running to improve economic security for working families, invest in social services and public infrastructure, and improve our kids' classrooms. She wants to leverage her past government and communications experience with her hometown knowledge to build economic, social, and environmental sustainability in the 35th Legislative District.

Kaiser is running against Navy veteran Travis Couture. He works for a manufacturing corporation that focuses on aerospace, arms, and defense, and he previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Legislature. In this race, he sets himself apart with an endorsement from Rep. Jesse Young, one of the most extreme Trump Republicans in the Legislature. Though Couture claims to prioritize public safety, he opposes policies to keep our communities safe from gun violence and efforts to hold police accountable for their actions. If elected, he would cut funding for community investments that help all Washingtonians access quality schools, housing security, and affordable health care.

We recommend Sandra Kaiser for Position 2 from the 35th Legislative District. She is the clear choice to bring thoughtful leadership and progressive values to the House.

Paul Andrews is the current Kitsap County auditor running for a second term in office. Andrews worked as a data analyst for more than two decades before joining the auditor’s office. Additionally, he has served on a number of community boards and is a current member of the Washington State Association of County Auditors board.

Andrews is running to continue bringing transparent and reliable leadership to the auditor’s office. He is proud of how his office managed elections safely through the pandemic. Andrews has opened a new voting center and also added a handful of secure ballot drop boxes to increase voter turnout. If re-elected, he wants to keep building accessibility, equity, and security in the auditor’s office to strengthen democratic systems in our communities and deliver high-quality financial and licensing services to the county.

Andrews faces a challenge from Republican Mike Simpson, an Army veteran and former Bremerton City Council member. Simpson has stoked some conspiracy theories about a ballot error that caused a special election for his council seat last February. Now, he is running without a campaign website on a platform that is full of blame and conservative rhetoric but lacks real suggestions for how the auditor’s office can best serve the county.

Paul Andrews deserves your vote to be re-elected as Kitsap County auditor.

Incumbent clerk David T. Lewis III is running unopposed for re-election to continue serving Kitsap County. He was appointed to the position last year by the county commissioners when Alison Sonntag left the role before the term was up. Lewis has served in the county clerk’s office for decades, including as a domestic violence specialist and deputy clerk. Outside of the office, he serves as the board president of Kitsap Legal Services.

Lewis wants to continue delivering quality legal services to the county while making sure the office is a welcoming, supportive place that all residents can rely on. If re-elected, he would modernize the office and utilize new technology in order to streamline services and give all Kitsap community members equal access to justice.

David Lewis has earned your vote to remain Kitsap County clerk.

Democrat Katie Walters is running for Kitsap County Commission in District 3 to replace the retiring conservative Edward Wolfe. Walters is an active community leader, serving as the executive director of the Kitsap Foundation and as a community relations director for the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Walters’ top campaign priorities include managing smart growth, ensuring public safety through police accountability and support, natural resource stewardship, and investments in housing and public infrastructure. Though she is more of a moderate Democrat, she approaches issues by centering on the needs of the community and she has earned a range of endorsements from community leaders.

Josh Hinman is Walter’s Republican opponent in this race. He is the director of a Christian organization and a former marketing consultant. Now, Hinman is running for the commissioner seat on a more conservative platform that opposes both balancing our state’s upside-down tax code and raising public revenue for investments in infrastructure and community services.

Katie Walters is the clear choice in this race to deliver community-driven solutions to Kitsap County.

Incumbent Chad Enright is running unopposed to continue serving as the Kitsap County prosecuting attorney. Enright was first elected to the office in 2018 and worked in the county prosecutor’s office for ten years before that. He currently also serves as a member of the Kitsap Community Resources board and the Washington State Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee.

In office, Enright has prioritized reducing recidivism and delivering fair justice. He participated in the National Expungement Week to give members of our community a second chance and the real opportunity to thrive after doing their time. Enright has also made an active effort to ensure equal justice for all Kitsap residents including requiring implicit bias training.

Enright has earned your vote for Kitsap County prosecutor.

John Gese was appointed Kitsap County sheriff last year and is now running to retain the seat. The Democratic incumbent has worked in the county sheriff’s office for more than 30 years, including as an interim sheriff, before officially taking over the position. He also serves as a member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Gese has an interest in the intersection of law enforcement and social work, and is working towards strengthening the sheriff’s office through community partnerships and police accountability. He also believes that providing the community with critical resources and services is an important way to reduce crime and create true public safety. Gese has earned a long list of endorsements in this race, including the local Democratic groups, elected progressive leaders, and unions.

Republican Rick Kuss has worked for the Navy for more than 20 years and is seeking elected office for the first time in this race. Kuss’ platform represents a more conservative approach to the sheriff’s office. He blames our neighbors struggling with addiction, wants to apply military tactics to local policing, and fails to share efforts to keep law enforcement accountable to the community.

Gese is the best choice in this race and should be retained as the Kitsap County sheriff.

Democrat Pete Boissonneau is running unopposed for Kitsap County treasurer to replace Meredith Green, who is not seeking another term this year. Boissonneau has been working for the county in financial services for the last three years, including serving as the chief deputy treasurer.

Boissonneau is running to bring competent, quality leadership to the treasurer’s office which manages public revenue. He will utilize his professional background in finance and investment management along with his direct work experience with the county office in order to continue the responsible stewardship of the county’s revenue which feeds the fire, port, water, school, and park districts.

We recommend Boissonneau for Kitsap County treasurer.

Justice Mary Yu is running unopposed to continue serving on the state Supreme Court. Yu was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2014, elected by voters to the seat later that year, and re-elected in 2016. Before joining Washington’s highest court, she spent 14 years as a trial court judge in King County Superior Court and earlier as the deputy chief of staff to former King County prosecutor Norm Maleng.

Yu has an unimpeachable reputation and has been rated “exceptionally well qualified” by a number of key bar associations. On the court, she has been a voice for equal justice and upholding the rights of all. Now, she is running with endorsements from all of her fellow justices as well as a number of retired justices from the court.

Justice Yu deserves your vote to continue serving as one of Washington’s state Supreme Court justices.

Justice Barbara Madsen has served on the state Supreme Court for 30 years and is running unopposed for re-election this year. She was only the third woman to serve on the court when she was first elected in 1992. During her time on the court, her fellow justices elected her the 55th chief justice of the court – a position she held for 7 years.

Having spent her career in both prosecution and public defense, Madsen has extensive knowledge of the criminal legal system and a passion for serving her community. Her re-election has been endorsed by each of her fellow justices and a wide range of other judicial leaders and community organizations.

Justice Madsen has served the state with fair and equal justice. She deserves your vote to remain in her seat on Washington’s Supreme Court.

Justice G. Helen Whitener is running unopposed for re-election to Position 6 on Washington’s Supreme Court. Whitener became the first Black woman to serve on the state’s Supreme Court in April 2020 when she was appointed to fill a vacancy by Gov. Inslee. Later that year, she won her election to fill the remainder of the term. Prior to joining the Washington Supreme Court, Whitener served on the Pierce County Superior Court and worked as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney before becoming a judge.

Justice Whitener is both a Trinidadian immigrant and openly gay, and has worked to be a representative voice for justice for all in the state’s highest court. In this race, she has earned the endorsement of each one of her fellow justices as well as some retired justices. Whitener has been rated as "exceptionally well-qualified" by a number of bar associations and has done an exceptional job since joining the court.

Whitener is an important voice on the State Supreme Court and deserves your voice to continue serving as a justice in Position 6.

Gig Harbor city prosecutor Stan Glisson is running for Judge Position 3 on the Kitsap County District Court. Glisson has spent his entire career as a trial lawyer, working in both criminal defense and prosecution. Glisson has also had judicial experience as a pro tem judge in local district and municipal courts since 2004.

Glisson’s top priority if elected is to bring equitable justice to all Kitsap residents. He also wants to make sure that the court has access to technology improvements and modern infrastructure. Glisson has received the highest rating from a number of key bar associations in the state and he is endorsed by a wide-ranging, impressive list of local judicial and community leaders.

The other candidate in this race is Shane Seaman, a court commissioner for the Bremerton Municipal Court. He also serves as a pro tem judge for local courts and sits on the board of a few community organizations. In this race, Seaman wants to serve the diverse Kitsap community with equal and trustworthy treatment in court.

We recommend Stan Glisson for Kitsap County District Court, Judge Position 3 to bring fair and accountable justice to all residents while serving on the bench.