City of Mount Vernon

In this pivotal election, Vice President Kamala Harris embodies a hopeful vision of unity, freedom, and progress for our country’s future. Harris has worked closely with President Biden to implement a broad and impressive agenda. Before that, she had a strong track record, ranging from leading the nation on recidivism reduction as San Francisco district attorney to fighting for marriage equality as California’s first woman attorney general to her hard-fought progressive victories in the U.S. Senate.

Throughout her public service career, Harris has demonstrated integrity, leadership, and tenacity in fighting for regular Americans. Her 2024 campaign priorities include ensuring American billionaires pay what they owe in taxes while alleviating the burden on middle-class families, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, restoring and protecting reproductive health care across the country, defending civil rights against the authoritarian vision of MAGA Project 2025, making housing, childcare, and education more affordable for all Americans, and more.

Joining Harris as a running mate on the Democratic ticket is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a champion of working families and former high school teacher. Walz’s community leadership experience ranges from serving as a local football coach to representing a primarily Republican district as a Democrat in the U.S. House. Walz’s priorities are firmly rooted in his Midwestern upbringing, union membership, and Army veteran background. He worked to lower the prescription cost of insulin to $35 for many Minnesotans. Walz believes in responsible gun ownership, uplifting rural farmers, and protecting LGBTQ+ kids.

While we can continue to push Kamala Harris’ platform towards even more progressive goals, it is clear that she is the best choice to make history as our next president of the United States.

Democrat Maria Cantwell is running for another term in the U.S. Senate, where she has served the state of Washington since 2001. Before that, she served in the state Legislature and had a successful career in the private sector, leading marketing efforts for a large tech company.

In Congress, Cantwell has been a strong advocate for environmental protections and clean energy. She recently sponsored bills to protect waterways while promoting clean energy and strengthening tribal involvement in matters relating to conservation and land management. This spring, Cantwell partnered with Sen. Patty Murray to secure $28 million in funding to replace lead pipes in Washington and ensure safe drinking water across the state. In this race, she is running on a broad and detailed platform to address Washington’s most pressing issues, including protecting and restoring reproductive health access, increasing funding for K-12 and student loans, and expanding the affordable housing tax credit and other housing solutions.

Dr. Raul Garcia is the Republican challenger for the U.S. Senate seat. After initially announcing a campaign for governor, he is now running to install conservative leadership in one of Washington’s senate seats. Dr. Garcia is a Yakima-based doctor and hospital medical director who previously ran for governor in 2020. He has served in leadership positions across medical institutions, nonprofits, and small businesses. Garcia has received support from some of Washington’s most prominent conservatives.

Cantwell has been a thoughtful and hard-working advocate for the people of Washington. She has earned your vote for another term in the U.S. Senate.

Congressman Rick Larsen is running for re-election to the U.S. House in Washington's 2nd Congressional District. Larsen is a moderate Democrat who is serving his twelfth term in Congress and previously worked as a Snohomish County Council member. In office, he has specialized in areas of global trade, environmental conservation, and transportation and infrastructure, a committee on which he is the lead Democrat.

In office, Larsen has helped to make historic investments to address climate change, modernize infrastructure, and combat the opioid epidemic by giving Americans struggling with substance abuse the support they need. He is a reliable vote with the Biden administration’s priorities such as child tax credits, lowering prescription medication costs, voting rights, student loan reduction, and clean energy. He continues to be a more moderate voice in this race, rather than a leader for bold progress. If re-elected, Larsen wants to support working families and small businesses, address climate change, support reproductive freedom, prevent gun violence, and expand affordable health care so that everyone, regardless of income, can access the care and medication they need.

Conservative Cody Hart is also in this race with the familiar tagline to “Make America Great Again.” Hart is a civil engineer and Navy veteran who is using this campaign to espouse far-right ideas and conspiracy theories that only serve to distract from the issues facing the district. If elected, he wants to enact extremely restrictive laws on reproductive health care access, eliminate gun violence prevention policies, and prevent students from learning age-appropriate sexual health education.

We recommend Rick Larsen.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson is running for governor on his impressive record as an advocate for all Washingtonians. He has served as attorney general since 2012 and has won some of the biggest and most consequential legal cases in Washington's history during that time.

Ferguson has a record of success in litigating against the Trump administration and greedy corporations. When Donald Trump attacked access to contraception, Ferguson took him to court and won. Ferguson has sued the federal government to clean up the Hanford nuclear facility more quickly and has defended the Affordable Care Act from the Trump Administration, helping preserve care for 825,000 Washingtonians. Other wins include protecting statewide water quality from Trump's pro-pollution environmental policies, securing over $1 billion from opioid manufacturers to fund treatment, and fighting back against child detention laws.

All of these wins echo Ferguson's priorities in running for governor: to continue fighting to improve health care access, protect consumers, and strengthen the rights of working families in Washington. If elected, he plans to scale up behavioral health care. Recognizing that currently "our jails are collectively our largest mental health provider," he is committed to a large number of interventions in our communities including prevention, adding more health providers, and more peer service support. He's also committed to breaking up corporate monopolies and reducing the cost of living, establishing Washington as a clean energy hub, and exploring high-speed rail infrastructure.

Republican and former U.S. Representative Dave Reichert is running against Ferguson. Reichert served Washington’s 8th Congressional District in the House for 14 years. During that time, he took some bad votes against climate protections and health care affordability and voted for a national abortion ban, among other anti-abortion votes. He also previously served as the elected King County sheriff, and worked on the prominent Green River Killer case.

While Reichert is adept at sounding more moderate than some of his MAGA colleagues, his policy positions tell the truth, particularly when speaking to friendly crowds of Republicans behind closed doors. Earlier this year, Reichert said that he opposes marriage equality, which Washington voters passed in 2012 and became the law nationwide in 2015. More recently, Reichert finally admitted that he plans to vote for Trump this November and cited his signed MAGA hat as evidence of his Republican credentials. Finally, Reichert questioned humans' impact on climate change, despite the overwhelming scientific consensus. Reichert is clearly out of step with the values of most Washingtonians.

Bob Ferguson is an accomplished progressive who leads with integrity and grit. He is the best choice to be the next governor of Washington.

Democrat Denny Heck is running for a second term as Washington’s lieutenant governor. Heck is a former representative who served the 10th Congressional District from 2013 until 2021. His professional background also includes serving five terms representing Legislative District 17 in the state House, starting small businesses in his community, serving as the chief of staff to Gov. Booth Gardner, and founding one of the nation’s largest statewide public affairs networks.

Heck has fought for a number of Democratic priorities, including rebalancing our upside-down tax code, investing in public infrastructure, reducing health care costs, increasing workforce development and employment opportunities, and making college more affordable. He's running to continue fighting for affordability, health and safety, and opportunity for all Washingtonians.

Heck is running against Republican Dan Matthews, a veteran and former school board member running to deprioritize public schools in favor of private education, cut spending on social services, and roll back laws that hold corporations accountable. He is not a progressive choice and doesn't represent the needs of our communities.

We recommend Denny Heck for another term as the state’s lieutenant governor.

Democrat Steve Hobbs is running for another term as Washington's secretary of state. He first joined the office when he was appointed in 2021 and was retained by voters in 2022. Hobbs, a first-generation Japanese American, previously served as a lieutenant colonel in the Washington Army National Guard and a four-term state senator for the 44th Legislative District.

In office, Hobbs has pursued a progressive set of priorities to ensure Washington’s election integrity, making the state safe from attacks and accessible to all Washington voters. He has worked on strengthening digital security, preventing the spread of misinformation, and promoting voter outreach. Unfortunately, in the last election, he expressed concerns about implementing ranked-choice voting for fear of the fragility of public trust and the accessibility of it to non-English-speaking voters.

In this race, Hobbs’ top two priorities are to ensure our elections remain both secure and accessible for every eligible voter. While he has and will continue to pursue security measures – such as cybersecurity investments and improvement grants, Hobbs also believes it’s his job to restore community trust in him and his office. He has also taken great strides to reach eligible voters from historically disenfranchised communities, including formerly incarcerated voters.

Republican Dale Whitaker, who owns a small tax business, is also in this race. Whitaker serves as the executive director of We Believe We Vote, which claims to educate Christian voters by supporting conservatives with some of the most extreme views in the state, including strong anti-abortion stances, homophobic positions, and a belief that the Christian Bible should be the ultimate guiding text for leaders. In this race, Whitaker’s top priority is election transparency and security. Unfortunately, the greatest threat to our democratic, electoral processes has been incursions from the far-right, of which Whitaker is affiliated. Washington voters deserve a secretary of state who is above divisive, conspiracy-based politics.

Hobbs is the best choice for Washington's secretary of state.

Democratic incumbent Mike Pellicciotti is running for re-election to Washington state treasurer. Pellicciotti was first elected to the position in 2020. Before that, Pellicciotti served as a representative for Legislative District 30 in the state House, an assistant state attorney general, and a deputy prosecuting attorney for King County.

In public office, he has advocated for transparency and public accountability. He has never accepted corporate campaign donations and previously worked to make the Legislature’s records open for public view. As a treasurer, he has prioritized economic security and prosperity for all, especially working families and retirees. In office, he has worked to strengthen budget reserves, increase pension funds, and manage debt costs.

Republican Sharon Hanek is challenging Pellicciotti in this race. Hanek is a certified public accountant and serves as the vice chair of the Pierce County Planning Commission. Hanek has run for office unsuccessfully several times before, including losing by more than 17% statewide in her 2012 run for state Treasurer. Hanek is the founder of My Family My Choice, a far-right group aligned with Moms for Liberty that wants to ban books and promotes conspiracy theories about public schools. We can't afford to give Hanek a statewide platform for her dangerous, far-right agenda.

Pellicciotti has been a reliable Democratic leader in the Washington state treasurer’s office and he has earned your vote for another term.

Incumbent Democrat Pat McCarthy is running for a third term as Washington state auditor. McCarthy made history as the state’s first woman auditor when she took office in 2017. Before that, she served Pierce County in the elected roles of both executive and auditor and was previously a member of the Tacoma School Board, including as board president. She serves in multiple community leadership positions including on the Asian Pacific Cultural Center Advisory Board and with the Pierce County Sexual Assault Center.

In her first two terms, McCarthy has worked hard to bring accountability and transparency to the auditor’s office. She previously launched important investigations into both white-collar crime and unemployment benefit cases and even oversaw the largest fraud case in state history pertaining to misappropriated local housing funds. Looking towards another term, McCarthy wants to prioritize public and private sector integrity, responsible resource use, and advancing the office’s technology infrastructure to serve the public better.

Spokane County Republican Party leader Matt Hawkins is challenging incumbent McCarthy in this race. Hawkins created the We The People interactive calendar, which details events in U.S. history that he deems important. He has run for elected office before including vying for the top Republican Party job in the state last year, as well as the Washington state Senate in 2018. In this race, Hawkins boasts a typically conservative platform which includes continuing to cast doubt on the security of our local elections and worsening the imbalance in our state’s tax code.

McCarthy has earned your vote for another term as Washington's state auditor.

Nick Brown is a former U.S. attorney for Western Washington running to protect the climate, our democracy, and Washingtonians' civil rights. Before his appointment by the Biden Administration in 2021, Brown worked as the general counsel for Gov. Jay Inslee. He also served in the US Army as a judge advocate general (JAG) officer, where he represented soldiers and the Army in legal matters, followed by working as a prosecutor. Brown has also served as chair of the attorney general’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights.

As the first Black U.S. attorney in the state's history, Brown notes that Washington is experiencing the highest number of hate crimes in 20 years. He wants to use the attorney general's office to implement laws that prosecute domestic terrorists, especially the burgeoning white supremacist movements that have threatened local leaders and committed violent hate crimes.

In our interview with Brown, he identified his top three priorities as strengthening the operations of the office, holding local jurisdictions accountable for upholding the law, and enforcing environmental protections. He emphasized his work with the attorney general's office as a special assistant attorney general and said that he would strive to build a more representative office and ensure they resolve problems with legal standards that led to the office receiving a fine last year. One of Brown's biggest accomplishments as an attorney was helping write Initiative 1639, Safe Schools and Safe Communities, which makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to own a semi-automatic rifle. He later defended the law against the NRA. Building on that success, Brown wants to continue to enforce laws against deadly weapons and defend the state against voter suppression, wage theft, and more. Brown also wants to enforce environmental laws strictly and uphold strong consumer protections by, for example, pursuing the ongoing investigation on monopolistic practices by landlords and rental companies to keep prices inflated.

Republican and Pasco attorney Pete Serrano is running to bring a conservative agenda to the attorney general's office. Serrano is the board president and general counsel of an organization that fights commonsense gun laws and public health mandates, and he was recently elected mayor of Pasco. He states that while he disagrees with these laws he will follow the state Constitution, but the Seattle Times also reported that he intended to remain "actively engaged" with the organization in a Facebook video on the organization's page. If elected he promises to "Make Washington Safe Again" and make the office more transparent. Serrano is not a progressive choice in this race.

Brown is the clear choice in the race to be Washington's next attorney general.

King County Council chair Dave Upthegrove is running for commissioner of public lands to fill the vacancy left by Hilary Franz. Upthegrove previously served in the Legislature for five terms, where he made history as the first openly gay representative from outside of Seattle. He joined the King County Council in 2013, where he has been a strong advocate for climate concerns and environmental protections. 

Upthegrove has an inclusive vision for using the office to improve the quality of life for all Washingtonians. Upthegrove wants to mitigate the damage of wildfire seasons, bring good jobs and services to rural Washington, preserve mature legacy forests, expand recreational opportunities on public lands, and center the idea of environmental justice to guide policy. While he lauds the incumbent Franz for her work on wildfire prevention, Upthegrove wants to be more ambitious when it comes to reforming forestry policies. He believes the department needs a more honest accounting of the carbon impacts of forestry and timber work, which he is well positioned to lead having managed King County's forest carbon program. Upthegrove also wants to use his experience and relationships in the Legislature to help pass laws and increase funding for the department's conservation work.

Former congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler is back on the ballot this election. In 2022, she lost her re-election primary to ultra-conservative Joe Kent and current Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. In Congress, Herrera Beutler voted with Trump more than 80% of the time, though she has received criticism from her party after voting to impeach Donald Trump following the January 6th insurrection. Herrera Beutler has overwhelmingly opposed bills that protect our environment including the 2021 Build Back Better Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, both of which contained bold policies to alleviate the climate crisis. She lacks a detailed campaign platform in this race but mentions wildfire mitigation, habitat preservation, and public land use as top issues.

The race for this open seat will determine whether our state will be a leader in fighting climate change, protecting our forests, and preventing forest fires or bow to the demands of big timber companies. Upthegrove's environmental track record in office and endorsements from Washington Conservation Action, the Sierra Club, and other environmental champions make him the clear choice in this race.

Incumbent Chris Reykdal is running for a third term in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Reykdal has been a strong champion for public education as superintendent, during his six years in the Legislature, and in 14 years on local school boards and leadership positions at educational institutions.

The superintendent's office provides resources and guidance on language access, student safety, school district budgeting, and student needs to Washington's 295 public school districts and six state-tribal education compact schools. In office, Reykdal has worked to reduce learning gaps, raise educator salaries, increase free meal access, and expand dual and tribal language learning programs.

In our interview, Reykdal acknowledged that the pandemic and declining birth rates have affected enrollment rates in public schools. Despite this challenge, he was proud that districts have made gains in other areas like retaining teachers of color. He identified the decrease in state funding, relative to inflation, as a fundamental challenge facing public schools. He reiterated his commitment to advocating for the Legislature to increase funding per student and allow districts to fund special education. He also expressed his commitment to keeping schools public, rejecting vouchers, and improving mental health support for students. This year, OSPI offered legislation to increase paraeducator pay to attract and retain these critical classroom supports. Finally, he cited his experience running a large state agency for the last eight years as a key strength compared to his less experienced opponent.

Gig Harbor School Board member David Olson is challenging Reykdal on a reactionary right-wing platform. Like many conservative school board directors, he welcomes conservative, politically motivated censorship that would block access to books and multicultural programming. Olson also wants to employ strict guidelines in our schools that penalize students who are struggling the most. According to The Seattle Times, he told the Washington Republican Party convention "that if every high school graduate opted for the skilled trades instead of pursuing a four-year degree, universities 'could all go bankrupt and that would save America.'" Olson's extremism and conspiracy theories are completely disqualifying for someone looking to lead our state's public education system.

Reykdal has strong support from educators across the state and has earned your vote for re-election.

State senator and attorney Patty Kuderer is running for Washington insurance commissioner. She has served the 48th Legislative District since 2015 when she was appointed to the state House before being appointed to fill the Senate seat vacancy in 2017.

Kuderer has been one of the most active sponsors of progressive bills in the Legislature. This year, she was the primary sponsor of a successful bill to ensure Narcan is available in Washington schools. As a secondary sponsor, she helped to pass a slate of progressive bills, including ensuring that valid ballots are not unduly rejected, limiting the ability to bring firearms to public places like zoos, transit stations, and libraries, and aligning state and federal financial aid programs. Kuderer is now campaigning for insurance commissioner on a progressive platform that includes exploring universal health care, reducing auto insurance costs, expanding cancer screening for firefighters, and improving access to climate change insurance for homeowners and businesses.

Republican state Senator Phil Fortunato is also running for the commissioner position. Fortunato was first elected to serve the 31st Legislative District in Olympia in 2016 as a representative before being immediately appointed to an open Senate seat. Outside public service, his professional background is in erosion control and stormwater management. In the Legislature, Fortunato was the primary sponsor of many far-right bills, including legislation to strip abortion rights for some Washingtonians and to oppose commonsense gun safety policy. If he's elected insurance commissioner, Fortunato wants to remove regulations that keep health care costs lower. He is vehemently opposed to universal health care policies that would allow all Washingtonians, regardless of income status, to access the care and medicine they need.

We recommend Patty Kuderer for Washington insurance commissioner because of her strong background in public service and clear vision for the office.

Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair is challenging Republican incumbent Ron Muzzal for the Legislative District 10 Senate seat. St. Clair has served as a county commissioner since 2018 and has spent her three-decade-long career in social work, including as a director of large social service organizations. She is also a proud volunteer foster parent.

On the Island County Commission, St. Clair has been a strong advocate for affordability and environmental protections so that county residents of all income levels can build sustainable futures. She is running on a pragmatic Democratic platform in this race while continuing to value bipartisanship, affordability, and community service. St. Clair’s top priorities include reducing corporate price gouging, advocating for reproductive freedom, ensuring prescription drugs and health care are affordable, protecting air, water, and local ecosystems, and supporting veterans. St. Clair also wants to bridge first responder and law enforcement resources to address the fentanyl crisis with compassion.

Ron Muzzall, the Republican incumbent, is running for another term in the state Senate. He was first elected in 2019 and works in the agriculture industry as a farm owner and manager. In his first year in office, Muzzall failed to provide strong leadership during the coronavirus pandemic and the following economic downturn. Last year, he voted against an abortion shield law that protects Washington state health care workers when they provide abortion care to patients from Washington and from out of state. In the 2024 legislative session, he voted against key bills to protect consumer data privacy and to reduce gun violence through stronger background checks.

We recommend Janet St. Clair for the state Senate position representing the 10th Legislative District to continue leading with community needs at the state level.

Clyde Shavers is running for re-election as state representative for the 10th Legislative District in Position 1. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who previously served as a public affairs officer and now works as a reserve officer.

In his first term, Rep. Shavers focused on several of the big issues he campaigned on, including addressing the housing crisis and prioritizing environmental sustainability. He was the prime sponsor for a successful bill that loosened limits on food bank funding for necessary items like diapers and menstrual products. Shavers also sponsored bills to expand hydrogen and fusion power to reduce our reliance on dirty fossil fuels.

Shavers is a member of the Capital Budget committee and states that he's proud to have supported a budget that funds clean drinking water infrastructure in Island County, the Camano Lutheran Childcare Center, and housing services for people with developmental disabilities.

Conservative Carrie Kennedy is challenging Shavers in this race. Kennedy is a self-described “Navy wife” who previously ran for the state Legislature and U.S. Congress. In her 2022 campaign, she disavowed both racial justice and COVID safety policy. Since then, she's shared antisemitic conspiracy theories and images on social media and has claimed to be a member of or supporter of right-wing militia groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. With her lack of community leadership experience and strong MAGA alignment, it is clear Kennedy is not a good choice.

While Shavers faced some controversy during his previous hard-fought campaign, his solid track record during his first term in Olympia has earned your vote for re-election.

Democratic Rep. Dave Paul is running for re-election in the 10th Legislative District for House Position 2. He joined the Legislature in 2019 after working for Skagit Valley College for more than a decade. As a member of the Transportation and Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committees, Paul has worked hard to improve Washingtonians' career opportunities and connectivity to work, play, and school around the state.

This year, Paul led efforts to cap the cost of life-saving inhalers and epinephrine injectors at $35 a month and to implement the 988 behavioral health crisis and suicide prevention system. Locally, Paul helped secure funding for the Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue's new station, outreach and services for rural youth mental health in Island County, the new La Conner library, the Anacortes Family Center, and Ebey’s Landing preservation. His strong track record of improving life in the district and his progressive vision for another term have attracted impressive endorsements in this race, including from a number of our partner organizations.

Republican Gary Wray is challenging Paul for state House. Wray is the immediate past president of the Building Industry Association of Washington, a conservative group that advocates for big developers and opposes protections for working people. Wray's platform repeats many divisive Republican Party talking points about attacking the LGBTQ+ community and fear-mongering about crime. We deserve a leader who won’t pit us against each other for what makes us different, but who advocates for our shared needs, like housing, health care, and clean air.

Paul has been one of the most thoughtful leaders in Olympia during his first two terms, reaching across the aisle to get things done for the district. We enthusiastically recommend Paul to continue representing the 10th Legislative District with strong community-centered leadership in the House.

Democrat John Snow is a U.S. Navy veteran who is running to make a difference in the lives of 39th Legislative District residents. Snow supports reforms that empower working Washingtonians, including supporting the right to unionize, rebalancing the state's tax code to make the wealthiest finally pay what they owe, and increasing wages. He also supports funding public education so that teachers no longer struggle to afford the basics. Unlike the incumbent, Snow also supports the right to abortion care. His platform has earned him the endorsement of three local Democratic organizations.

Snow is challenging conservative incumbent Sen. Keith Wagoner. Wagoner is a Navy veteran and a former Sedro-Woolley mayor who has served in the state Senate since 2018. He has supported a right-wing agenda in Olympia. Last year, he was the face of opposition to a Democrat-proposed bill requiring anyone purchasing a firearm to take a safety course beforehand. In the Senate, Wagoner also recently voted against bills to continue assistance programs to keep working families on their feet, to expand reproductive health access for all Washingtonians, and to provide the basic needs for our students.

Snow is by far the best choice in this race for the Legislative District 39 state Senate seat.

Republican incumbent Sam Low is running for another term in the state House. Low previously served on both the Lake Stevens City Council and Snohomish County Council before joining the Legislature in 2023. This past year, he largely voted along typical Republican lines against bills to increase reproductive health access and fund the basic needs of Washington students. However, Low’s positions on family-wage jobs and farmland preservation plans have set him apart from his ultra-conservative MAGA opponent. His platform in this race reflects a more moderate vision for addressing pressing needs in the district such as accessible broadband, roadway improvements, some environmental protections, and upgrades to district transit.

Former Rep. Robert Sutherland preceded Sam Low in this district and is now seeking his old seat again in this election. Sutherland is a biochemist and former U.S. Air Force aircraft mechanic who served in the state House from 2019 to 2023. He previously ran unsuccessfully for Snohomish County auditor despite denying the results of the 2020 election, promoting Trump’s dangerous lie. In this race, Sutherland is echoing the talking points of some of the most far-right conservatives who want to promote divisive and inaccurate information in our public school curriculums. Sutherland is not fit to hold elected office.

While we disagree with Low on many important issues, he would be a far better representative than Sutherland in this very conservative district. In this race with no progressive choice, we recommend Sam Low or writing in a progressive candidate of your choice.

Sen. Liz Lovelett is running for re-election in Legislative District 40. Lovelett is a fifth-generation Anacortes resident who previously served on the Anacortes City Council.

In her time in office, Lovelett has prioritized passing bills that support environmental conservation. This year, she was the prime sponsor of a bill to explore geothermal energy in the state and has helped secure local funding for ferries, addressed chemical pollutants (PFAS) in the water supply in the San Juans, and supported the construction of the new Lopez Food Center. She has also played a key role in passing legislation protecting orcas and the Salish Sea. If re-elected this November, Lovelett wants to continue her work expanding investments in the ferry system, increasing access to nutritious food and housing for residents in need, and addressing climate-critical projects.

Lovelett faces a challenge from Republican Charles Carrell, who ran against her in 2020 and lost by nearly 40 points. Though he has no website available as of mid-October, his 2020 campaign focused almost entirely on the vague promise of eliminating government redundancy without any specific path or experience that he would use to achieve that. He also supports conservative efforts to ban books, censor history, and eliminate multicultural literacy in our public schools.

Lovelett has earned your vote for state Senate from the 40th District.

Rep. Debra Lekanoff is running unopposed for re-election to Legislative District 40, Position 1. Lekanoff is currently the only Native American woman in the Washington State Legislature. She formerly worked for the Swinomish Tribe as the governmental affairs director and now serves as vice chair of the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee.

In her last term, Lekanoff was the prime sponsor of historic legislation that created the country’s first alert system for missing Indigenous women. This year, she was the prime sponsor for a bill to improve coordination between Washington's behavioral health system and the Indian behavioral health system. Lekanoff has also sponsored and supported bills that would expand much-needed middle housing to Washington (like triplexes and duplexes), fund food relief programs for people in need, and form rapid care teams to help children in crisis. In addition, Lekanoff recently spoke about her past challenges with addiction as a way to motivate the community to be proactive about dealing with substance abuse and how we can come together to solve them.

Lekanoff is a strong progressive who will continue to prioritize the environment, tribal representation, and community economic security. She has earned your vote for Position 1 representing the 40th Legislative District.

Rep. Alex Ramel is running unopposed for re-election to Position 2 in the 40th Legislative District. Ramel has been a strong progressive leader in the Legislature since his appointment in 2020 and re-election in 2022. He previously served on the board of the Whatcom chapter of Washington Conservation Action and now works as a climate policy advisor for an environmental nonprofit.

As a climate expert and former environmental organizer, Ramel has worked hard to protect Washington's clean air and water. This year, Ramel sponsored bills to upgrade the districts' energy systems in state-owned buildings and mitigate wildfire risk through electric utility planning. He also supported last year's successful bill to expand "middle housing" options like duplexes and triplexes to alleviate the state's immense need for affordable homes. Finally, he helped secure millions in funding for local projects like the Lopez Island Food Hub.

Ramel has been an outstanding advocate for progressive causes and has earned your vote to continue serving the 40th Legislative District.

Mount Vernon City Council member Richard Brocksmith is challenging incumbent Peter Browning to represent District 2 on the Skagit County Commission. Brocksmith is the principal at his own consulting firm and works for the Skagit Watershed Council as the executive director. Beyond his two terms on the Mount Vernon City Council, he has strong public service experience including as the founding director of the Skagit Housing Consortium.

Brocksmith is running for Skagit County Commission with a grassroots vision to unite the county and create opportunity for all. If elected, he wants to support community-driven density rather than the recent movement for Fully Contained Communities that proposes private developments on farmlands. Brocksmith also wants to strengthen relationships between local Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous farmers to create a shared vision for the region. His other top priorities are investments in county infrastructure, more good-wage jobs and workforce development, and protections for our local ecosystems to support environmental health and sustainable economic growth.

Brocksmith is challenging incumbent Peter Browning, who is running for a second term. Before that, Browning served on the Skagit Regional Health Public Hospital Commission for four years. His professional background is in business leadership and public health, and he has previously served as the director of public health for Skagit County and ran a number of small businesses. Browning wants to continue to address homelessness, engage Indigenous leaders in county planning, protect our natural environment, and support the local tourism economy.

We recommend Richard Brocksmith in this race for Skagit County Commission, District 2 because of his optimistic vision and the strong community endorsements he has earned.

Sal Mungia is an awarded and experienced local attorney running for retiring Justice Susan Owens’ Position 2 on the state Supreme Court. Mungia is a partner at a Tacoma- and Seattle-based firm where he works in trial and appellate law primarily focused on injury law and medical malpractice. He has a long history of leadership and service including, among other experiences, as the former president of the Washington State Bar Association, former chair of the Equal Justice Coalition, and a cooperating attorney with the ACLU of Washington.

Mungia’s career has been strongly community-oriented. He has done significant pro bono legal work while working to improve our criminal legal system. Now, he has earned wide and impressive support in his bid for the court including from sitting Supreme Court Justice Yu and Chief Justice González.

Federal Way Municipal Court Judge Dave Larson is also in this race. Before joining the Municipal Court, Larson worked as a trial attorney. Larson is the endorsed candidate by Washington state's MAGA Republican Party, known for its far-right positions and aggressive opposition to abortion access. Progressives are backing Mungia in this race.

We recommend Sal Mungia in this race to bring trusted, just, and community-minded leadership to Washington’s Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Steven González is running unopposed for re-election to Position 8 on the Washington Supreme Court. González was first appointed to the bench in 2012 and was chosen by his peers to serve in the chief justice position in 2021, making him Washington’s first chief justice of color. Before becoming a judge, González’s law career ranged from international business law and terrorism prosecution to civil rights pro bono work. He serves on the board of the Washington Leadership Institute to provide opportunities and support for legal professionals from backgrounds and identities that have previously been excluded from legal spaces.

In his leadership role on the state’s top court, González has sought to make the legal system a place for justice and dignity for all Washingtonians. He worked to make our courts more accessible to non-English speakers. González has received bipartisan support in past races but consistently received support from some of the state’s top progressive leaders. González has been ranked highly by some of the state’s most progressive bar associations including QLaw, Latina/o Bar Association of Washington, Washington Women Lawyers, and more.

We recommend Justice Steven González for another term in Position 8 on Washington's Supreme Court to continue bringing just and experienced judicial leadership to our top court.

Justice Sheryl McCloud is running unopposed for re-election to Position 9 on the Washington Supreme Court. McCloud is a former public defender who has served on Washington’s top court since 2013. She co-chairs the court’s Gender & Justice Commission and serves as the liaison to the state bar's Council on Public Defense. On the bench, Justice McCloud’s top areas of attention include constitutional and individual rights, and she authored the 2017 opinion barring a private business open to the general public from refusing to serve a gay couple. She was the founding member of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association.

In this election, her focus is on protecting constitutional rights. She has been rated “Exceptionally Well Qualified” by a number of the state’s top bar associations, including the King County Bar Association, QLaw, and the Washington Women Lawyers. These organizations ensure that our justices are treating all Washingtonians fairly and protecting constitutionally outlined civil rights.

Justice McCloud deserves your vote to continue bringing fair and experienced leadership to the state Supreme Court.

Judge Cecily Hazelrigg is running unopposed for re-election to her seat on the Court of Appeals in District 1, Division 3. Hazelrigg was first elected to the court in 2018. She also has litigation experience as a Skagit County public defender and as the owner of her own law firm. Hazelrigg has also gained strong judicial experience as pro tem justice for the Washington Supreme Court.

Judge Hazelrigg’s term on the Court of Appeals has been productive, impartial, and widely respected. She currently serves on the Court of Appeals Executive and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees to ensure that the court is as community-focused and efficient as possible. Her strong reputation has earned her impressive support in this re-election campaign, including from every sitting state Supreme Court justice.

We recommend Cecily Hazelrigg for another term serving Washingtonians on the Court of Appeals.