Condado de Grays Harbor

Kelli Hughes-Ham is a high school teacher and Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Jim Walsh for 19th Legislative District, Position 1. Hughes-Ham serves both on the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum board of directors and as an elected Democratic precinct committee officer. She has also worked on the union bargaining committee and as a building representative for the Ocean Beach Education Association.

Hughes-Ham is running on a progressive platform focused on making the district a more sustainable place to live and work for everyone. She would prioritize climate solutions to protect our ecosystems, our local industries, and our communities for future generations. Hughes-Ham also wants to increase affordable housing options to make sure that everyone can access a roof over their head.

Rep. Walsh has been one of the most extreme MAGA Republicans since joining the Legislature in 2017. In 2021, he generated immense criticism when he wore a Star of David to protest COVID-19 vaccine rules, likening the state’s science-backed pandemic response to the Holocaust. He thinks criminalizing drugs further, rather than investing in prevention and treatment, will directly help those struggling with addiction.

Last session, Walsh voted against a slate of progressive bills including legislation to keep our communities safe from high-capacity firearms and to reduce the state’s carbon emissions. If re-elected, he will continue opposing efforts to rebalance our upside-down tax code and make corporations and the wealthy pay their share.

Residents in the 19th Legislative District deserve a representative who will take the most pressing community issues seriously and seek solutions that benefit all of us. We recommend Kelli Hughes-Ham for House Position 1.

Rep. Mike Chapman is a moderate Democrat running for re-election to the 24th Legislative District, House Position 1. First elected in 2016, Chapman has fought for economic policies that create jobs in rural communities and protect the environment. In previous sessions, he was a co-sponsor of a major environmental bill to reduce state greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and focused on quality K-12 education. This year, he sponsored legislation to expand early childhood development programs and affordable child care.

Chapman's opponent, Sue Forde, has been involved in the Republican Party for years, serving as the elected chair of the Clallam County Republican Party since 2019. Though she says that if elected she will better serve families, she is adamant about maintaining the state's upside-down tax code, which benefits the wealthiest Washingtonians at the expense of middle- and low-income families. Like many other Republicans running this year, her emphasis on law enforcement as the solution for community needs and removing medically-accurate sexual health education for students point to a regressive agenda that would drag our state backward.

Veteran Matthew Rainwater is seemingly even more conservative than Forde. His campaign is focused on smear language - railing against Black Lives Matter and Antifa - without many details on what priorities he believes the Legislature should enact. Like Forde, he supports the regressive status quo of our tax code that keeps the wealthiest from paying their share for the services we all need and use, like transportation, education, and more.

While we have been disappointed in some of Chapman's stances, including his previous inaction on police accountability, he far outmatches his conservative opponents in providing a forward-looking vision for the district. Vote Mike Chapman for Legislature.

Rep. Steve Tharinger is running for re-election to the 24th Legislative District in House Position 2. Since 2010, Tharinger has been a progressive leader for the district, passionate about providing affordable health care options to all Washingtonians and unwavering in his advocacy for innovative policies that protect the environment.

This year, Tharinger sponsored bills to keep our communities safe by restricting ghost guns and banning guns in certain locations like school board meetings. He also passed legislation to expand the paid family and medical leave program and increase youth access to behavioral health care.

Tharinger has two opponents this year. Republican Brian Pruiett is making a second attempt to unseat Rep. Tharinger. Much of his platform rants about the governor and Democrats using an endless stream of Republican talking points. Notably, he opposes increasing funding for public schools to ensure our kids have everything they need to succeed.

Like many Republicans running this year, Pruiett is trying to divide and scare us about crime instead of providing our communities the care, security, and support we need. Rather than supporting proven strategies to reduce gun violence and address homelessness, Pruiett wants us to believe that the solution is more guns and putting even more people in jail.

The other challenger in this race is Darren Corcoran, a retired military member and a self-described moderate Democrat. He does not note any community leadership or political experience but is running on some solid values, including protecting the right to abortion and strengthening gun safety laws.

Our communities are safe when everyone, no matter what they look like or what zip code they're in, has opportunities for affordable health care, a great education, and fair wages. Pouring in more guns and adding more militarized police is not the solution, and Pruiett's fear-driven agenda would deepen mistrust.

Steve Tharinger's experience and ability to pass solid health and environmental protections make him the best choice in this race.