27th 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.

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. 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.

Sen. Yasmin Trudeau was unanimously selected by the Pierce County Council in late 2021 to replace Sen. Jeannie Darnielle when she resigned to take a role in the state Department of Corrections. Trudeau is now running to complete the remainder of the Senate term representing the 27th Legislative District.

In her brief time in office so far, Trudeau has sponsored a large and ambitious slate of bills aimed at supporting youth, health care, and keeping people in stable housing. Some of her passed legislation include allowing unaccompanied, homeless youth to provide their own consent for health care, requiring landlords to accept both electronic and non-electronic payment for rent, and requiring insurance to cover donor breast milk. If re-elected, Trudeau has pledged to continue working hard to make life more secure for working families. She believes the Senate should continue making investments in behavioral health, housing, climate, and transportation policies, and she hopes to lead the charge.

Trudeau faces two challengers from the right. Mike Stewart refers to himself as a bohemian capitalist and states that he wants voters to be their best selves. As of mid-July, he has only shared a long list of issues without concrete solutions or policy ideas other than blaming Washington Democrats.

Republican precinct committee officer and administrative manager Ashley Ray has a bullet point list of priorities on her site that outline her conservative agenda. Some priorities offer little information about her actual policy goals, such as "policing and justice system." She also repeats common talking points from MAGA Republicans this year who want to deny students an honest and accurate education. Overall, she does not appear to support a progressive agenda that would help the district recover from the pandemic and make it a safe and thriving place for all.

Neither Republican challenge is offering a detailed or thoughtful agenda about how to improve life for all in the community. Trudeau is the clear choice in this race for her experience and strong leadership in the Senate.

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins is running for re-election to the 27th Legislative District, Position 1. She has been a passionate and effective champion for progressive values, particularly in her fight for women, equity, and closing tax loopholes. She now serves as the first woman and LBGTQ+ Speaker of the House in Washington.

Jinkins consistently advocates for the wealthy to pay their share and fund the resources that our communities need to thrive. Recently, she has pledged to protect the right to abortion in Washington state since Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the conservative Supreme Court majority. In previous sessions, Jinkins sponsored bills to improve education funding and secure resources for a new health clinic in Hilltop that serves low-income patients.

Jinkins has two challengers this year: Todd Briske and Jalonnie Givens-Jackson. Web developer and Republican Briske does not appear to have community or political leadership experience. He states that he supports the ideas of the Forward Party, including ranked-choice voting, "human-centered capitalism," and tolerance. He also states that he wants to create jobs, increase nuclear power, and institute a guaranteed basic income.

Republican Givens-Jackson describes himself as a MAGA enthusiast and liberal gang member turned conservative activist. His policy points are mostly slogans: Authorize Policing, Accountability in Government, and Family Structure is Everything.

Speaker Jinkins is an integral part of progressive advocacy in the state and has worked hard to improve life for all in the district and the state. She has earned your vote for state House once again this year.

Rep. Jake Fey is running for re-election to House Position 2 in the 27th Legislative District. He is a reliable progressive who has championed youth, environmental, and education issues in Olympia. As the son of German immigrants who helped raise his younger siblings at age 13 after his father passed away, Fey is very committed to ensuring future generations of Washingtonians have the support they need to succeed.

Fey is a transportation advocate who has used his position leading the House Transportation Committee to improve mobility for all. This year, he worked with his Senate colleague Marko Liias to pass the greenest transportation package in Washington's history. He also sponsored bills recently to require the state to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and led the legislative response to address the transportation budget shortfall.

Beyond transportation and the environment, Fey also sponsored bills this year to increase student access to mental health resources and establish community oversight boards to increase transparency around law enforcement's interactions with the public.

As many things re-open from the pandemic in a time of transition, our state needs legislators like Fey who have the experience and progressive values needed to lead us forward. Fey is the clear choice in this race.

Lakewood City Council member Linda Farmer is running for Pierce County auditor. Outside city council work, Farmer is the chief communications officer for the state’s Department of Enterprise Services and previously worked for the county library system. She is an active community leader serving on the South Sound Housing Affordability Partners board and Washington’s Sex Offender Policy board.

Farmer is running to make sure the auditor’s office operates as efficiently and transparently as possible. She wants to expand voter access through increased drop box availability, multi-language services, and civic engagement education. Farmer also wants to modernize the office so that records and license services can be as quick and efficient as possible for residents.

Also in this race is Deryl McCarty, the former deputy county auditor. He is a conservative who the county Republican Party backs in this nonpartisan race. McCarty’s platform is influenced by MAGA conspiracies of election fraud and dangerously stokes mistrust in our democratic institutions.

The final candidate in this race is Damon Townsend. He is the president of the Rapids Park Association and has worked in elections administration in the county for the last 8 years. On July 29, the Tacoma News Tribune reported that Townsend resigned from the Pierce County auditor's office in 2019 "after being put on notice he was to be suspended for conduct unbecoming a county employee."

We recommend Linda Farmer in this race because of her experience in public service and her support from elected leaders.

Democrat Marty Campbell is seeking re-election to continue serving District 5 on the Pierce County Council. Before joining the county council in 2019, Campbell served on the Tacoma City Council, including time as the city’s deputy mayor. He has run two small businesses and previously chaired the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, which provides support for survivors of abuse and sexual violence.

If re-elected, Campbell wants to continue fighting for affordable housing, violence prevention, electric public transit, and essential services for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. He fought for federal small business support to help with the pandemic recovery and has been a strong advocate for investments in stable housing options in the county. He believes adding mental health professionals to law enforcement responses will make our communities safer. His vision is for everyone in the county to have access to stable housing, reliable public transportation, and living-wage jobs.

Republican Nancy Dailey Slotnick is challenging Campbell in this race. Slotnick is an Army veteran and owns a consulting business with her husband focused on security and risk assessment. She is running to cut the county budget, which will impact working people’s access to prescription medications, health care services, food, and rent. However, she also lists giving more funding to law enforcement as her top priority in this race.

Marty Campbell is the best choice for District 5 on the Pierce County Council.

Gig Harbor City Council member Robyn Denson is running for Pierce County Council in District 7. She is campaigning to fill Derek Young’s seat when he leaves the council this year because of term limits. Denson has been an active and effective council member in Gig Harbor. She is also a small business owner who works in real estate, hosts a local radio show, and has served on a number of community boards focusing on schools, parks, and equity.

Denson has worked hard to build equitable economic opportunity in the county. One of her top priorities is addressing the housing crisis, where she plans to draw on her experience as a nonpartisan housing analyst in the state House to implement real solutions. Denson is also running to protect our environment, bring municipal broadband to the region, invest in public transit, and increase access to mental health resources.

Denson is the clear choice for Pierce County Council, District 7 in this crowded race.