Washington

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.

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 in the U.S. House to help Washingtonians and the rest of our country achieve stable housing, living affordability, family-wage jobs, and accessible health care. She has leveraged her tech background to balance consumer rights with innovation to create protections that benefit us all. DelBene was a key legislator in getting the Child Tax Credit passed and leads the effort to expand it going forward in order to keep putting cash back in the hands of working families and reducing 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.

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.

Progressive Jason Call is challenging Larsen for Congress in Washington's 2nd District. He is a high school math teacher who serves on the board of Whole Washington, which seeks to provide universal health care to everyone in the state. Call got his start in activism by protesting the first Iraq War and worked his way up to running for Congress. In 2020, he came up just 1 percent short of qualifying for the top two general election contest with Larsen in this relatively safe Democratic district.

Call is running on a sweeping platform that includes Medicare for All, free college, ending student debt, a Green New Deal, and a housing guarantee to help end our housing insecurity crisis. When it comes to public safety, Call supports banning assault rifles and wants to end the transfer of military equipment to police forces. He was proud to be named a Green New Deal champion and refuses to take any money from corporate PACs.

Beyond Larsen's failure to sponsor key legislation, Call is quite critical of the way Larsen has led the Aviation Subcommittee of the Transportation Committee. Rather than prioritizing aviation, Call believes we need to transition rapidly to using more high-speed rail and transit to fight climate change.

During our interview, Call acknowledged that many of his policies would require substantial structural changes to become law. He told us that he wants to use his candidacy - and if elected, office - as a platform to build grassroots support for progressive policies. His long-term goal is to build support for electing enough progressive senators to eliminate the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court.

While Call faces a challenging race against a longtime incumbent, he provides an alternative for those looking for bolder progressive leadership than Larsen.

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler to represent Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. Perez identifies as a working-class Washingtonian and she co-owns a family auto repair shop with her husband. She also serves as the executive director of the Stevenson Downtown Association, which is a part of the Main Street America coalition to bring economic vitality to all communities. Additionally, Perez serves as an elected member of the Underwood Soil and Water Conservation District board.

Perez is running on a progressive platform to champion the needs of working families and improve the quality of life for all her constituents, particularly those in rural areas. As a working mom and small business owner, she is especially passionate about making health care and child care more accessible to all Americans. If elected, she also wants to protect reproductive freedom, represent the needs of rural residents, invest in clean energy, strengthen workers’ rights, and address the rising cost of living so that we can all afford the basics like rent, gas, and groceries.

Perez is the clear choice in this crowded race. She deserves your vote to represent the 3rd Congressional District and fight for progressive change at the federal level.

Doug White is the sole Democrat running for U.S. Representative for the 4th Congressional District. His platform is focused on protecting the local environment and expanding rural health care. He has worked for multinational businesses and comes from several generations of Central Washington farmers. 

White's focus would be a huge change from incumbent Dan Newhouse's conservative policies as well as the proposals of the MAGA Republicans in this race. He believes that climate change needs to be mitigated by local energy from solar and wind. White believes immigrants need a path forward to citizenship and that more must be done to secure affordable housing for all, provide a safety net for seniors and the vulnerable, and that infrastructure from waterways to broadband internet need to be modernized and rebuilt. Unlike most of his opponents, White also supports passing a law to protect reproductive freedom for all Americans.

White is broadly endorsed by many Democratic organizations, unions, and more. For his willingness to take on the district's and nation's biggest issues, like protecting water and building up communities more equitably, we recommend Doug White for Congress for the 4th District.

Ann Marie Danimus is running for U.S. Representative in the 5th Congressional District to develop a more equitable economy for working families. As a double-transplant recipient who has had to navigate the mires of the U.S. health care system, Danimus wants to see improvements at the national level from a representative who will support rural communities. She is an executive board member of the Spokane County Democrats as well as a precinct committee officer. She has served in numerous community organizations, including as founder of Stubborn Girl Fund 4 Arts and Education as well as Raise the Roof.

Compared to Hill, more of Danimus' focus is on small businesses and rural jobs. She wants to regionalize sustainable farming, create federal grants for localized meat production, and reduce greenhouse gases in transport. She also supports single-payer health care and wants to draft bills to reduce veteran suicide. In our questionnaire from Danimus, she also highlighted the need for federal tax reform and her desire to expand the U.S. House so elected officials could better represent and advocate for their districts.

Danimus has pledged to take no money from corporations, corporate PACs, or corporate lobbyists, and is endorsed by one county and one legislative district Democratic group.

Rebecca Parson is a progressive activist, small business owner, and former instructor at Johns Hopkins University running for Washington's 6th Congressional District. Parson also challenged Rep. Kilmer in 2020 and came in third in the primary, earning 13.5 percent of the vote. She got her start in activism as a housing organizer and has been a leader with the Tacoma & Pierce County Democratic Socialists of America and Tacoma Indivisible.

Parson is running on an extremely progressive platform that includes a Green New Deal with 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, protecting and expanding Social Security, national rent control, and Medicare for All. Possibly the boldest part of her ambitious platform is her plan to repurpose vacant homes to house people experiencing homelessness. During our interview, she said she wants the federal government to purchase many of the 11 million vacant homes. For those who don't wish to sell, she wants to make it "financially onerous to have an empty home."

When asked about how she plans to make change in our often-gridlocked Congress, Parson pointed to Rep. Cori Bush as an example of someone who is both writing legislation and making change through direct action. If elected, she would organize more direct action and use her platform to draw attention and build support for progressive issues over time.

While we struggle to see a path forward for some of her more bold ideas, she does offer an alternative to voters who are looking for a much more progressive and outspoken alternative to Kilmer.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal is running for re-election in the 7th Congressional District. She has a long history of civic leadership on immigration reform, economic justice, and civil liberties. Rep. Jayapal founded OneAmerica (formerly Hate Free Zone) in 2001 and built it into the largest immigrant rights organization in the state and a national model. She also played a key role on the Mayoral Advisory Committee that created Seattle’s $15 minimum wage, and this year secured $31 million in federal funding for community projects in the Seattle area, including housing, sciences, education, and the environment. 

Since her election to Congress in 2016, Jayapal has resisted the Trump administration and conservative extremists at every turn and provided a voice for progressives across the country. She has supported the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Dream Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for young DACA recipients. She also introduced legislation to expand collective bargaining and provide relief to workers and businesses during the pandemic. More recently, she has called for a national women's strike in response to the Supreme Court's ban on abortion and the curtailing of reproductive freedom across the country. Jayapal is also seeking to codify a transgender bill of rights to protect our country from the erosion of trans civil rights. 

Jayapal is responsive to her constituents and has held over 100 town halls during her time in Congress. She is the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has been one of the strongest progressive advocates in Washington for the needs of all in this country. Pramila Jayapal has earned your vote.

Dr. Kim Schrier is seeking re-election to her seat in the U.S. House representing Washington’s 8th Congressional District. Before serving two terms in Congress, she worked as a pediatrician and ran a local pediatric practice in Issaquah caring for kids and families across the region.

Elected in 2018 as the first Democrat to hold the seat, Schrier has consistently brought her community values and professional health expertise to Congress. Unlike her Republican opponents, Schrier would support a federal law protecting reproductive freedom for all Americans. This term, Schrier supported the bipartisan infrastructure bill that will provide essential funding to improve local roads and bridges, as well as $19 million dollars for pedestrian safety projects in the 8th District alone. She also voted for Build Back Better, which would provide funding for early education, extend the child tax credit, reduce the cost of child care, and combat climate change. If re-elected, Schrier wants to prioritize the everyday needs of working families as well as be a compelling changemaker on public health issues like affordable prescriptions, gun violence prevention, clean air, and fresh groceries.

Schrier has been a standout member of Congress working across party lines to get things done for her district. She has earned your vote for re-election.

Stephanie Gallardo is a progressive teacher and first-generation Chilean American challenging Rep. Smith this year. She lived on the University of Washington campus until she was 10 years old while her parents were finishing their education. She has taught history in the Tukwila School District and was elected to serve on the Washington Education Association board.

Gallardo's lived experience has shaped her platform and campaign for office. She supports Rep. Jamaal Bowman's Green New Deal for Public Schools Act, which would invest billions in green retrofits for school buildings, hire hundreds of thousands of new educators, and improve accessibility on campuses. She would also back Sen. Cory Booker's legislation to provide comprehensive and medically accurate sexual health education for all students.

Foreign policy is Gallardo's other top priority. During our interview, she stated that her family's escape from Chile as political refugees showed the danger of our country's "expansionist foreign policy." If elected, she would add her name to Rep. Jayapal's bill to prohibit the U.S. from aiding Saudi Arabia in their war with Yemen. She also wants to redirect some of the historically large defense budget that Smith writes to invest in education and fighting climate change. On community safety, Gallardo expressed support for revoking immunity for gun manufacturers, banning assault weapons, and prohibiting the military from transferring powerful equipment to law enforcement.

Gallardo's platform and experience offer a clear contrast for voters looking for a progressive alternative, particularly on foreign policy, to Rep. Smith.

Rep. Marilyn Strickland is seeking re-election to continue serving Washington’s 10th District in the U.S. House. Strickland previously served as the mayor of Tacoma and on the city’s council before joining Congress in 2021, when she became the first African American and Korean American representative from Washington. She also formerly led both the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Pierce Transit.

In her years serving the public, Strickland has been a champion for working people in Washington and beyond. She has worked to lower the cost of prescription medicine, recover social security and veterans' benefits, and make corporations pay their share. Strickland also advocated for strong investments in public infrastructure like clean water, broadband, roadways, and parks. If re-elected, she will continue to fight for reproductive freedom, accessible health care, stable housing, and voting rights. Strickland has broad support in this race including endorsements from news publications, progressive organizations, community groups, and elected leaders across Washington and the country.

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.