City of Olympia

Jasmine Vasavada is running in District 1 for the Port of Olympia seat being vacated by the retiring Commissioner Joe Downing. Vasavada is the director of policy and government affairs for the Washington State Department of Commerce where she strives to help Washington communities and economies thrive. She has worked in public service for years and, before that, she used her law degree for public interest advocacy and legislation.

Vasavada is running on a broadly progressive platform to generate community economic prosperity, protect Thurston’s ecosystem, and build a culture of diversity and belonging at the port. She wants to invest in broadband for rural farms and ranches, innovate support for small businesses, create living wage jobs, clean up Budd Bay, restore the Deschutes Estuary, and collaborate with the community, including seeking partnerships with tribal governments. In this race, Vasavada has been endorsed by progressive elected leaders at the state and local level and by community organizations including political, labor, and advocacy groups.

Vasavada is facing Bill McGregor, a former commissioner who served on Olympia’s elected port commission for 15 years. Before that, he spent his decades-long career working at a number of different Washington ports in high-level operations positions, including at the Port of Olympia. McGregor is also active on a number of community boards. If elected to serve again, he wants to improve economic investment in the community, prioritize environmental stewardship, and lead by engaging the community. Unfortunately, in 2021, McGregor vocally opposed public health guidelines that were put in place to keep us all safe during the pandemic.

We recommend Vasavada for Port of Olympia, District 1 because of her strong platform and impressive endorsements from progressive advocates.
 

Maggie Sanders is running for the newly created District 4 seat on the Port of Olympia. Sanders identifies as a “triple citizen” of the United States, of the Washington community at-large, and of the Makah tribe. She has dedicated her career to public service, working in environmental stewardship, workforce development, and community advocacy, particularly for tribal representation and within the Makah tribe. In her most recent position, Sanders advocated for clean air, representing local tribes as a commissioner on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Tribal Air Association.

If elected, Sanders wants to be a staunch advocate for environmental and community concerns at the port. She believes that there can’t be economic development without both community and workforce development to ensure that port investments can lift all boats. Her extensive experience in public service and expertise in public administration paired with her demonstrated progressive values position her well to execute her campaign priorities. In this race, Sanders has earned a large number of progressive endorsements, which speaks well to her ability to work together and build consensus on tough issues. 

Also in this race is Rose Chiu Gundersen, a first-time, moderate candidate and business leader. Gundersen grew up in Hong Kong and has established herself strongly in the community as a small business owner, liaison for small businesses to the Washington State Department of Labor, and most recently in high-level retail services for the Washington Retail Association. She co-founded Washington Trafficking Prevention. In this campaign, her top priority is to beautify the waterfront to make Thurston County a destination, and she also wants to combat human trafficking, create jobs, and invest in some environmental clean-ups.

We recommend Maggie Sanders for Port of Olympia, District 4 to bring her impressive progressive vision and public service experience to the commission.
 

First-time candidate Sarah Tonge is running to serve the Port of Olympia in the newly created District 5. Tonge has more than a decade of experience working in information technology and she volunteers with the local Democrats and as a member of Moms Demand Action.

Tonge is running a progressive campaign that strongly emphasizes port leadership that protects a green future for Thurston County. Her campaign priorities include engaging the port’s diverse community and industry stakeholders, bringing tech upgrades to improve port efficiency, moving away from destructive logging, and putting the community and the ecosystem above special interests. She has earned endorsements from the county Democrats and local progressive organizations, as well as community members and elected officials.

The other candidate in this race is Troy Kirby, a local cider bar owner, former Lacey City Council candidate, and sports consultant. Kirby is running on a platform that lacks progressive ideas to uplift Olympia and instead focuses on potentially cutting community funding and upgrading port equipment. 

Thurston County residents deserve a port commissioner who will approach the seat with a thoughtful, community-centric vision. Sarah Tonge is the best choice for the Port of Olympia in District 5.