32nd Legislative District

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.

Rep. Suzan DelBene is seeking another term representing Washington Congressional District 1 in the U.S. House. DelBene has been a staunch advocate for working families, consumer protections and data privacy, health care, technology, and small businesses since she was first elected to the position in 2012. She also serves on the Pro-Choice Caucus. Professionally, her background is in tech, including working at Microsoft and leading a handful of local startups. In addition, she worked as the director of the Washington State Department of Revenue before joining Congress.

Some of DelBene’s greatest accomplishments in office include expanding the low-income housing and child tax credits, increasing access to baby formula across the country, funding job-training opportunities (resulting in $22 million for Washington state alone), and securing programs to support Americans struggling with substance abuse issues. In this race, she boasts a detailed, thoughtful platform that includes priorities to defend reproductive freedom, reduce the cost of living for working families, increase access to affordable health care, safeguard our local ecosystems and natural resources, strengthen the Social Security program, support Washington farms and food security, and more.

Her opponent Jeb Brewer works in program management and construction services. In 2022, Brewer challenged progressive Sen. John Lovick in Washington’s 44th Legislative District. Now, in his bid for Congress, Brewer is running on a moderately conservative platform. He says he wants to streamline the tax payment system but offers no ideas about how to balance our tax code so that corporations and the wealthy pay what they owe. Brewer shares support for health care affordability and environmental protections but criticizes the type of bold actions that can actually create progress on these issues.

DelBene is a strong Democratic voice in Congress who deserves your vote to continue advocating for Washington’s 1st Congressional District.

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.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is running for another term in the U.S. House representing Washington’s 7th Congressional District. Jaypal was first elected to the position in 2016 and has since become one of the strongest progressive voices in Congress, advocating for immigration reform, civil liberties, and economic justice as the chair of the Progressive Caucus. In 2001, Jayapal founded the now largest immigrant rights organization in the state, OneAmerica. She has also been a leader on local issues, including championing Seattle’s $15 minimum wage effort on the Mayoral Advisory Committee.

In Congress, Jayapal has pioneered bold progress, including being a strong advocate for reproductive freedom and abortion access, supporting trans civil rights, and speaking out for immigrants. She has criticized President Biden’s harsher border policies and spoken in support of peace in the Middle East amidst the rising death toll in Gaza and growing concerns of a regional war. She recently announced the House Progressives' 2025 goals, which include raising wages, investing in our future with clean energy and K-12 education funding, eliminating the Senate filibuster, and increasing regulation and accountability for the nation’s largest companies.

Jayapal faces a challenge from Republican Dan Alexander, a manager at Boeing who works in defense. His website is unavailable as of mid-October, though he has shared a less progressive campaign vision in this race. Alexander offers vague support for a united and strong government, a reasonable cost of living, support for the arts, mitigation of pollution, and foreign policy that prioritizes peace. However, as a conservative without any policy proposals in this race, it is fair to assume Alexander wouldn't support progressive policy to uplift the entire community and achieve that vision.

Congresswoman Jayapal exemplifies what it means to bring progressive, community values to Congress. She is a key voice in the U.S. House working to uplift our nation’s most marginalized and she has earned your vote for another term representing Congressional District 7.

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.

Democratic incumbent Cindy Ryu is running for another term in House Position 1 representing the 32nd District. She joined the Legislature in 2011, becoming the first Korean American to serve in the state Legislature. Before that, she became the first Korean American woman mayor in the country when she was elected mayor of Shoreline. Outside of elected office, Ryu runs a property management business.

Ryu is a reliable Democratic voice in Olympia with top policy focuses on public education, the climate, transit infrastructure, and small businesses. As a secondary sponsor, Ryu helped pass a slate of progressive bills this past session, including bills to strengthen voting processes, support professional licensing for undocumented Washingtonians, and enact the Nothing About Us Without Us Act to ​​promote disability justice.

Republican Lisa Rezac is challenging Ryu in this race. Rezac has attempted to paint herself as a moderate by pointing to her previous Democratic voting record. However, she actually chairs the 32nd Legislative District Republicans, leading the conservative agenda for the area. Like other right-wing candidates in this election, Rezac is running on a divisive platform that prioritizes business interests and misinformation.

Cindy Ryu is the best choice in this race.

Democrat Rep. Lauren Davis is running for another term in Legislative District 32, House Position 2. Davis has served in the state Legislature since 2019 and works as the strategy director of the Washington Recovery Alliance, a nonprofit supporting those experiencing addiction and mental illness that she helped found.

Davis has made gun violence prevention, addiction recovery, public education, and affordable housing her top priorities in office. In the most recent session, she supported several successful progressive bills, including legislation to strengthen commonsense gun safety measures, authorize professional licenses for undocumented Washingtonians, and expand wage anti-discrimination protections.

Republican Lori Theis is running on a conservative that echoes some of the MAGA movement's conspiracy theories. She claims to be running because of what she perceives to be corruption and "criminal enterprises" but fails to offer specific details or solutions.

Davis has earned your vote for another term representing the 32nd Legislative District.

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.

Incumbent Judge Leonard Feldman is running unopposed for re-election to the Court of Appeals in Division 1, District 1, Judge Position 4. Feldman was originally appointed to the role by Gov. Inslee and was retained by voters last year. Prior to joining the court, Feldman worked as an appellate attorney arguing across a range of case fields that introduced him to the procedures of the court. He also serves as a law professor at Seattle University.

Feldman has brought his longstanding commitment to public service to the Court of Appeals where he has been a fair, impartial, and measured judge, earning the respect of his legal peers. He will continue to bring good leadership and judgments to his courtroom in his next term. Feldman’s uncontested run is supported by local and county Democratic organizations as well as other judicial leaders.

Judge Feldman has earned your vote for another term on the bench.

Judge Janet Chung is running unopposed for re-election to the Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1, Position 7. Chung has dedicated her legal career to being a strong advocate for others including in civil legal aid as the advocacy director of Columbia Legal Services, as the legal and legislative counsel for a gender justice nonprofit, and in her other diverse legal experience. She has also served on the City of Seattle Gender Equity in Pay Task Force and the board of Washington Women Lawyers.

Judge Chung joined the Court of Appeals in 2022 where she has brought a vision of equitable justice so that every person who comes before the court has access to a fair legal process, regardless of their access to resources. She has been recognized and awarded for her commitment to reducing legal barriers for the most marginalized.

We recommend Janet Chung for another term on the judicial bench of the Court of Appeals to bring the community leadership we need in our courtrooms.

Judge Paul Crisalli is running to be retained on the King County Superior Court. Crisalli was first appointed last year by Governor Jay Inslee. Before that, he spent more than ten years as the state’s assistant attorney general, beginning his tenure arguing for worker compensation and safety in Washington courts. The long view of his career is marked by impressive judicial experience and public service, including a clerkship for Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst and a stint as chair of the King County Bar Association’s appellate section.

Crisalli has already proven himself to be a fair, thoughtful, and competent judge in his first year on the King County Superior Court. He has earned the respect of many judicial leaders for his record. Crisalli was rated Exceptionally Well Qualified by the Latino/a Bar Association of Washington and Well Qualified by a handful of other local bar associations. He is endorsed by the King County Democrats, a number of local legislative district Democratic groups, the current attorney general Bob Ferguson, progressive state lawmakers, and each sitting Washington State Supreme Court justice.

Crisalli is running against Judge Andrew Schach who serves as an administrative law judge and pro bono immigration attorney. Shach has earned accolades in his legal career including the 2024 Washington Rising Stars list. However, he lacks the comparative experience and qualifications of Judge Crisalli.

Judge Paul Crisalli has earned your vote to be retained on the King County Superior Court in Judge Position 41 to continue his impartial and qualified judicial leadership.

Incumbent Judge Whitney Rivera is running to be retained on the Snohomish County Superior Court in Judge Position 12. She was selected for the judicial vacancy earlier this year, leaving behind her prior position as the elected, ​​presiding judge of the Edmonds Municipal Court. Before that, Rivera worked in private practice and as part of the county’s public defenders. Her diverse legal background exemplifies her longstanding commitment to public service, community justice, and fair courts.

On the court, Rivera has been a success in bringing impartial, balanced, and thoughtful leadership to the county. Her impressive judicial record is widely respected, and she has earned the highest rating from five independent bar associations as well as the endorsement of every Snohomish County sitting judge in this race.

Mary Anderson, who ran for the judge seat in a previous election, is challenging Judge Rivera in this race after being passed over for the appointment earlier this year. Anderson is an experienced trial attorney. She attempted to transition to judicial work in a pro tem position with the Snohomish County District Courts but did not achieve success in the role. Since her previous campaign, Anderson has lost progressive endorsements and is now aligned more strongly with the local GOP.

We believe Judge Whitney Rivera is the strongest choice in this race to be retained in Judge Position 12 on the Snohomish County Superior Court.

Lynnwood City Councilmember Julieta Altamirano Crosby is running for the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD), Commissioner District 2 seat. Crosby owns her own diversity consulting firm and has been highly involved in community leadership, including serving as a Gov. Inslee-appointed board trustee for the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs and Humanities Washington. Her other community involvement centers on making basic needs like food and shelter available for all residents.

Crosby is running on a staunchly progressive platform that centers community empowerment.  She states that clean power and water are rights and that all residents need reliable access to them. In order to achieve that, Crosby wants to modernize the PUD’s utility infrastructure, keep rates affordable for working people, and ensure the utility district is centering environmental sustainability so that we can continue to meet our utility needs in a healthy ecosystem for generations to come. She has impressive endorsements in this race including progressive state lawmakers, Democratic county council members, and several local mayors and city council members.

Also running for the commissioner seat is Amber King, who has a background in mortgage closing, construction contracts, and hospitality. King’s platform is similar to Crosby’s: she advocates for infrastructure upgrades, sustainable decision-making, and affordability.

Julieta Altamirano Crosby is the best choice for Snohomish PUD in the District 2 seat to bring proven leadership to the commission.

Alexis Mercedes Rinck would bring a strong mix of professional and lived experience to the Seattle City Council in Position 8. She currently works for the University of Washington as the assistant director for policy, planning, and state operations. She also previously served on the board of Fuse Washington, which produces this guide. Rinck worked her way through college, becoming a community organizer against the Trump Administration and raising money for Planned Parenthood door-to-door.

Rinck is running for city council with a bold, optimistic vision for uplifting our diverse community. Her family members experienced incarceration, substance use disorder, and homelessness during her childhood, profoundly shaping her outlook and advocacy for our social safety net. Some of Rinck's top priorities include addressing the housing crisis, mitigating the effects of climate change on our city, investing in pathways to higher education, and increasing community safety, including through policing alternatives and gun violence prevention. Rinck is a strong advocate of clean energy, electrification infrastructure, and transit investments, among other green improvements to the city. In this race, she has outshined her opponent with broad community endorsements from unions, local Democrats, and progressive elected leaders in Seattle.

Incumbent council member Tanya Woo is running for a full term. Woo was first appointed to the council this January to fill Teresa Mosqueda’s vacant seat after losing her race against Tammy Morales last year. In her first year on the council, Woo has been a vocal advocate for rolling back numerous hard-fought progressive victories. She opposed a plan to build more affordable housing in Rainier Valley and joined an effort to withhold funding for equitable development. Like last year, her campaign is funded by large corporate donors that want to reduce the minimum wage and avoid paying what they owe in taxes. She has previously faced criticism for failing to vote, including in the critical 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Woo's conservative-leaning positions and perspectives are not a good fit to solve Seattle's current challenges and are currently overrepresented on the city council. Rinck would add progressive balance to a council that is relatively conservative and oriented towards business interests.

We recommend Alexis Mercedes Rinck for Seattle City Council, Position 8 because of her strong support from our partner organizations and her progressive vision for the city.