Jefferson 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 higher 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, pass abortion rights 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. Patty Murray is a national leader on many of the most important issues facing our country. She has earned your vote for re-election.

Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson is running as a nonpartisan candidate to bring an independent 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 as a nonpartisan candidate 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 nonpartisan, 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.

While Hobbs spoke more about using cybersecurity to protect our elections, Anderson leaned on her professional expertise to describe ways to expand our democracy. She believes, for example, that the state should redouble its efforts to reach voters with disabilities. By using a secure, expert-vetted electronic ballot similar to those used for overseas military voters, Anderson sees a path forward to reach those who don't always have access to vote.

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. She supports grants for local jurisdictions that are interested in trying ranked choice voting so that it's not unduly expensive for local governments, and so that auditors can learn more about how to manage and implement it.

Anderson offers voters an experienced option if they are looking for an independent to administer our state's elections.

Democratic incumbent Greg Brotherton is running for re-election to continue serving as the Jefferson County commissioner for District 3. Brotherton was first elected to the seat in 2018. Outside of public office, Brotherton re-opened the Quilcene Village Store and served on the Quilcene School Board.

Brotherton is running on a platform to address the housing crisis to make sure all Jefferson County residents have a roof over their heads. To build housing security, he wants to expand affordable options while investing in services for those experiencing homelessness. Brotherton is committed to continuing to strengthen public health and following the science in policymaking around the pandemic. Brotherton also wants to prioritize climate action and public infrastructure investments. His re-election campaign has earned the support of a number of elected leaders and community members.

Brotherton has two Republican challengers in this race: Marcia Kelbon and Jon Cooke. Kelbon is an attorney who has worked as a startup executive and an engineer with the Navy. She identifies as a moderate and an independent but is running as a Republican with a platform of eliminating the regulations that protect workers and consumers in favor of growing profit margins as well as placing business interests above public health and science when it comes to pandemic guidelines.

Cooke is an elected Quilcene School Board member, a teacher, and a former county GOP chair. He is running on a conservative platform to cut funding from community services that help people in Jefferson County meet their basic needs. Instead, he wants to pour more money into law enforcement budgets to further militarize and grow the police presence in our neighborhoods.

Greg Brotherton is the best choice in this race. He deserves your vote to keep serving Jefferson County as the District 3 commissioner.