38th Legislative District

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. Suzan DelBene is running for re-election to the U.S. House representing Washington’s 1st Congressional District. Since first being elected in 2012, DelBene has been a champion for working families, small businesses, and data privacy and consumer protections. This year, she served as the chair of the moderate New Democrat Coalition, a 98-member congressional caucus that seeks to find solutions that bring Democrats and Republicans together. She brings private sector experience from her background in tech, working at Microsoft early on and then leading a number of local startups.

DelBene has been a staunch advocate for bills to help Washingtonians and the rest of our country afford stable housing, find family-wage jobs, and access quality health care. She has leveraged her tech background to balance consumer rights with innovation to create protections that benefit us all. DelBene played a key role in passing the Child Tax Credit and is leading efforts to expand it going forward in order to reduce child poverty across the country. She also recently supported the bipartisan infrastructure law which sent federal funding to Washington to upgrade public roads, ports, broadband, and more. Now, she is running to keep protecting Social Security, Medicare, reproductive freedom, and community investments that help Americans afford the basics.

Mill Creek City Council member and sheriff deputy Vincent Cavaleri is challenging DelBene in this race. He wants to expand militarized police forces and send more people to Washington’s expensive and overpopulated prisons. Instead of Cavaleri's failed positions, we need greater investments in community solutions that compassionately address addiction, housing insecurity, and mental health so that we can all thrive.

DelBene is a pragmatic and hardworking Democratic leader who will continue to make progress at the federal level if she is re-elected. She deserves your vote to represent Washington’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Rick Larsen is a moderate Democrat who is seeking his eleventh term representing Washington's 2nd Congressional District. Before serving in Congress, he served on the Snohomish County Council and worked on economic development for the City of Everett.

Larsen has been a reliable vote on House Democrats' priorities. Since his last election, he voted for both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Build Back Better, President Biden's more ambitious effort to fund clean energy, child tax credits, and other progressive priorities. In past years, Larsen supported the Lower Drug Costs Now Act to give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies and pass on the lower drug prices to all Americans. He also voted for the Voting Rights Advancement Act, supported the coronavirus pandemic relief packages, and sought to reform student loans.

Republican Dan Matthews, a veteran and retired commercial airline pilot, is challenging incumbent Larsen in this race. Matthews lists dozens of "areas of concern" on his website with an invitation to "let the dialogue begin" but does not list any actual policy positions. However, some of the topics he lists are consistent with the MAGA Republican agenda we see across the country this year including dangerous rhetoric about voter fraud and border policies that echo Trump's 2016 talking points.

Larsen is the clear choice for Congress from Washington's 2nd Congressional District.

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.

Sen. June Robinson is running for re-election to continue serving the 38th Legislative District in the state Senate. She first joined the House in 2013 and was appointed to the Senate seat first in 2020 before being elected to it by voters that same year. Robinson also spent the last 10 years working for the Seattle & King County Public Health as a program manager for the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention section.

In the Legislature, Robinson has been a leader in economic security and public health. This year, she supported a slate of progressive bills including legislation to prohibit the sale of high-capacity firearm magazines and a bill to update our state’s climate action goals. Robinson was a primary sponsor of the capital gains tax, which would finally make corporations and the wealthy pay their share so that all our communities can access high-quality education, affordable health care, and child care.

Robinson is facing a challenge from Bernard Moody, a former marine who has spent more than 30 years in law enforcement work. Moody also challenged Robinson for this seat in 2020 when he ran on a conservative platform that was out of touch with community needs. If elected, he would support cutting funding for critical community supports, vote against policies that keep us safe from gun violence, and undermine reproductive freedom.

We need leaders in Olympia who will embrace science and put our communities first. June Robinson is the clear choice for state senator in the 38th Legislative District.

Julio Cortes is a progressive first-time candidate running to fill Position 1 after Rep. Emily Wicks retired. Cortes works for the city of Everett doing communications and marketing work. He is a leader in the community, serving on the board of the Everett Arena Public Facilities District and previously working with Cocoon House to support families and children experiencing housing insecurity.

Cortes has a strong community-focused platform in this race. If elected, he wants to make the district safer and more resilient so that everyone can have a roof over their head, food on the table, and the opportunity to succeed. Cortes specifically wants to invest in small businesses, create more sustainable, living-wage jobs, and ensure that corporations and the wealthy pay their share for the resources we all use. He believes that a key to addressing the housing crisis is investing in comprehensive wrap-around services for those experiencing homelessness in our communities. Cortes’ campaign has earned the endorsements of community organizations and local progressive leaders, including Rep. Wicks.

Cortes is running against Gary Kemp, a former union leader who is running on an extreme Trump Republican platform. If elected, he wants to send militarized police forces into our community while stripping back law enforcement accountability measures. His response to addiction in our community is to incarcerate those that are struggling most instead of investing in treatment. Kemp joins far-right Republicans who are fighting to control school curriculums so that Washington students don’t learn accurate history or comprehensive sexual health education.

We recommend Julio Cortes for House Position 1 because of his widespread community support in this race and his progressive vision for the 38th Legislative District.

Everett City Councilmember Mary Fosse is running for Position 2 in the 38th Legislative District to replace Democrat Mike Sells, who is retiring. Fosse was elected to the city council in 2021 where she has continued her advocacy for Everett’s underserved Delta neighborhood. Outside of elected office, she owns a local nursery that teaches plant workshops and she previously chaired the Delta Neighborhood Association.

During her first year on the council, Fosse championed an effort to secure more than $5 million dollars for a cleanup of the Delta neighborhood to ensure that all Everett residents have access to a clean, healthy place to live, work, and care for their families. She has also been an advocate for workers’ rights and climate action in office. Fosse's deep roots in the district give her a unique view into the needs of the people she's running to serve. If elected to the Legislature, Fosse’s top priority will be to support working families that are getting priced out because of the increasing cost of child care, housing, and health care.

Army veteran and Marysville City Councilmember Mark James is challenging Fosse for Position 2 on a conservative platform. James owns a coupon magazine company and previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Legislature in the 44th LD. If elected, he wants to direct money to further militarize our police while cutting funding for the public services that keep our communities safe like affordable health care, housing and food security, and high-quality schools. His approach to addressing addiction in our communities is based on fear-mongering and criminalization rather than the compassion and treatment we need.

Residents in the 38th Legislative District deserve a representative who will help all Washingtonians access the resources they need to live happy and healthy lives. Mary Fosse is the clear choice for Position 2.

Jason Cummings is running to serve Snohomish County as the county prosecuting attorney. Cummings has worked in the Snohomish County prosecutor’s office since 1999 and for the last 14 years has been the chief civil deputy prosecuting attorney there. He has spent his free time in a number of community leadership positions including as president of the Imagine Children’s Museum board.

Cummings wants to lead the prosecutor’s office with transparency and integrity. As a lead on the Data Collective Initiative, he also has a strong focus on understanding racial and ethnic disparities in Snohomish County so that the prosecuting office can deliver equitable and accurate legal services for all residents. In this race, Cummings has received many local and statewide endorsements to bring his extensive experience and a strong sense of justice to the seat.

Cummings is running against Brett Rogers, a lawyer and former Seattle Police Department officer. Like many of his fellow Republicans, Rogers wants to use police, jails, and prisons as a catchall solution for the social issues facing our communities, which is both more expensive and less effective. His views on crime and punishment echo antiquated, right-wing beliefs that don’t make our communities safer.

Jason Cummings is the best choice in this race. He deserves your vote for Snohomish County prosecuting attorney.

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.

Incumbent commissioner Tanya (Toni) Olson is running to continue serving District 3 on the Snohomish County Public Utilities District. Olson has been in this seat for 18 years and also serves as a member of the American Public Power Association and Northwest Public Power Council.

Olson is running on a more status quo platform this year. Her priorities include delivering reliable customer service, keeping rates as affordable as possible, and protecting our environment so that we have sustainable power for generations to come.

The other candidate in this race is Ken Maertens, a Navy veteran and mechanical engineer. Maertens says that one of the reasons he is running for this seat is that “[he has] time on my hands.” His platform emphasizes the ideal of planning for the future, however, he doesn’t have a focus on environmental sustainability nor any concrete policy suggestions yet in this race.

In this race with no progressive choices, we recommend Olson because of her focus on community and the environment.