11th 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 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.

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.

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.

Progressive incumbent Rep. David Hackney is running for a second term representing the 11th Legislative District in Position 1. Before joining the Legislature, Hackney spent 25 years as a practicing attorney, including at the U.N., and worked at a handful of progressive organizations with focuses on environmental protections and workers' rights. In 2019, he was appointed to the Washington State Human Rights Commission by Gov. Inslee.

This past session, three of Hackney's bills were signed into law, protecting the sensitive information of currently or formerly incarcerated Washingtonians, creating a tax exemption for organizations maintaining affordable housing, and increasing access to electricity as a transportation fuel for all Washingtonians. Hackney is running for re-election to continue investing in a clean energy future, tackle the housing crisis, and build safe and economically secure communities.

His challenger this year is Republican precinct committee officer Stephanie Peters, who is running under the extreme Election Integrity Party mantle. Her main priority is to question election security, echoing the messages of MAGA Republicans who are trying to overturn the will of the people in the last presidential election. As of mid-July, Peter has no campaign website to detail her priorities, choosing to instead link to the local Republican legislative district site.

Rep. Hackney is by far the best choice in this race for his experience and his effective first session as a legislator.

Incumbent Rep. Steve Bergquist is running for re-election to Position 2 in the 11th Legislative District. Bergquist is a former deputy majority floor leader and currently serves as the vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee. Outside of the Legislature, he teaches high school in the Renton school district and previously owned a small business.

Bergquist's legislative priority is making community investments to continue economic recovery, particularly for students, working families, and small businesses. This year, Bergquist introduced bills to help with shortages in school staffing, allow young people to pre-register to vote, and provide career advancement opportunities for public school paraeducators. As a union member, Bergquist has been a consistent advocate for creating living-wage jobs in the 11th Legislative District.

Bergquist faces a challenge from Republican Jeanette Burrage. She served on the Des Moines City Council from 2012 to 2015 and as a state representative in 1981. Burrage has run for multiple other positions throughout the years, including failed campaigns for Legislature in the 33rd District in 2014 and for Highline School Board in 2019.

Unfortunately, she wants to bring a slate of regressive policies to Olympia. While only a bare-bones website and no detailed policy agenda available as of mid-July, Burrage's primary concern based on her official voter's guide statement seems to be denying kids a modern education. Every child, no matter their zip code, background, or color, deserves to see themselves and their experiences in history. Writing out race in every part of the school agenda doesn't help children, it simply erases many of them and denies them the chance to learn about the cultures and experiences of different people.

Rep. Bergquist's work to improve the lives of students, working people, and families in the district make him by far the best choice in this race.