Teamsters Local 117 Endorsements

Sen. Emily Randall is running on a progressive and community-forward platform for retiring Rep. Derek Kilmer’s seat representing the 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Since joining the Legislature in 2019, Randall has been one of the most outspoken advocates of reproductive freedom and accessible health care for all. Before serving in elected office, she worked for a number of social justice-focused nonprofits, including Planned Parenthood.

In her first term in Olympia, Randall worked to expand health care access, reform the tax code, and raise the minimum wage for working people with disabilities. This term, she helped achieve major progressive victories through her leadership on bills to expand eligibility for financial aid programs, increase access to HIV treatment, and protect the privacy of patients receiving ultrasounds. Now, Randall is running to be a champion for accessible health care, working people, and a healthy environment. She wants to take measures to address climate change including investing in clean energy and green infrastructure. Randall wants to bring down the cost of American health care by expanding Medicaid, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and making prescription drugs more affordable. She also has plans to strengthen our democracy, improve the quality of public education, and safeguard reproductive freedom.

Republican state Senator Drew MacEwen is also in this race. First elected to the state legislature in 2012, MacEwen has been a staunch conservative voice in Olympia, including opposing clean energy initiatives, resources for Washington students, protections for local wildlife, and commonsense gun safety bills. In addition, MacEwen 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. MacEwen's long voting record in Olympia makes it clear that he is far out of step with local voters.

We recommend Emily Randall due to her strong track record of community advocacy and broad support from progressive leaders across the district.

Derek Stanford is running unopposed for re-election for the 1st Legislative District Senate seat. He served nearly 10 years as a state representative before earning an appointment to the state Senate to replace Guy Palumbo in 2019. Stanford runs an analytics and statistical consulting business outside of the Senate.

During his time in the Senate, Stanford has focused on education, mental health funding, and improvements in the district. This year, he was the prime sponsor of two successful bills to fund more paraeducators in Washington schools and crack down on predatory loans from out-of-state banks. Locally, Stanford has helped secure funding for important projects like supportive housing in Kenmore and infrastructure at UW Bothell, on top of $28 million for youth behavioral health and $140 million for emergency housing and rental assistance statewide.

Stanford has earned another term in the Senate representing the 1st District.

Davina Duerr is running for re-election to House Position 1 representing the 1st Legislative District. Duerr replaced Derek Stanford in the state House in 2019 when he moved to the district’s Senate seat. Before that, she worked as the deputy mayor and city council member in Bothell. Duerr also previously founded the M.I.L.K. Money campaign to support Northshore students experiencing homelessness.

In office this past session, Rep. Duerr was the primary sponsor of several bills to promote environmental justice and climate protections. One of the bills, which came through a collaboration with local environmental leaders, established that climate concerns must be considered in building plans. Her priorities include supporting public schools, reducing gun violence, and expanding affordable housing options for all income levels.

Mark Davies, a typical party-line Republican, is challenging Duerr on a platform that would take the district backward. He spent more than 30 years at Boeing and has also been an active community member with his local Boy Scouts, church, and Habitat for Humanity. Davies was motivated to run because he and his wife, who has a disability, are struggling with the rising cost of living. Unfortunately, he does not have progressive solutions to the question of affordability. Instead, he wants to reduce public revenue, maintain our regressive tax system where working people pay more than their share, and oppose efforts to reduce health care costs.

Rep. Duerr has been a reliable progressive advocate in the House and deserves another term in Legislative District 1, Position 1.

Democrat Rep. Shelley Kloba is running unopposed for another term representing Legislative District 1, Position 2, which she has held since her first election in 2016. Kloba previously served on the Kirkland City Council and the Kirkland Parks Board. She has been a long-standing community advocate and worked with the King County Domestic Violence Initiative and the King County Cities Climate Collaboration.

In Olympia, some of Kloba’s top priorities have included data privacy, economic opportunity, and equitable education. This past session, she helped pass a slate of progressive bills as a secondary sponsor, including legislation to streamline voting address changes, tightening loopholes for licensed firearm dealers to prevent gun violence, and expanding wage discrimination protections in the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. Her track record makes it clear Rep. Kloba will continue to be a reliable Democratic voice in Olympia.

Vote Shelley Kloba for another term in Legislative District 1, House Position 2.

Rep. Timm Ormsby is running unopposed for re-election to Legislative District 3, Position 2. Ormsby was first elected to the state House in 2003 and also serves as the president of the Spokane Regional Labor Council. He is a strong labor advocate with an impressive track record on community issues during his tenure in office.

This past session, Rep. Ormsby was the primary sponsor of bills aimed at fortifying workers’ rights and economic security across income levels. He helped pass several progressive bills as a secondary sponsor, including legislation to strengthen commonsense regulations on firearm dealers, to enable professional licensing regardless of immigration status, and to expand wage discrimination protections in the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. Despite lacking a detailed campaign platform as of late August, Ormsby is a reliable Democratic vote.

Vote Ormsby for House Position 2 representing the 3rd Legislative District.

Rep. Bill Ramos, who currently represents the 5th Legislative District in the state House, is running for the district’s state Senate seat. The seat opened up with Sen. Mark Mullet’s decision to run for governor. Ramos joined the Legislature in 2019 and served on the Issaquah City Council before that. Outside of elected office, he has worked in transportation consultation.

In the House, Rep. Ramos has been a strong advocate for community safety through police accountability, environmental protections, and public infrastructure upgrades. This year, he sponsored a bill to establish a commission to fight domestic violence. In this campaign, he is running on a progressive platform focused on ensuring all communities have accessible health care, strong public transit, clean air and water, fully funded local schools, and affordable housing.

Ramos is running against former Republican representative and teacher Chad Magendanz. He served in the state House representing the 5th Legislative District from 2013 to 2017, before he narrowly lost a Senate race to Mullet. Magendanz also challenged Lisa Callan for state House in 2022 and similarly lost the race. Now, Magendanz teaches computer science classes in Bellevue.

Magendanz originally planned to run for Superintendent of Public Instruction in this election where, in a campaign interview, he referenced “trans ideology” and “critical race theory,” echoing far-right conspiracy theories about our schools. He has yet to release a detailed platform in this race as of mid-July, but he has a demonstrated conservative track record in his past public service roles. He is not a progressive choice and has been repeatedly rejected by the voters of Legislative District 5.

Ramos is the clear choice for state House in this race.

Victoria Hunt is a third-term Issaquah City Council member who is running for Legislative District 5, Position 1 to protect the environment, secure reproductive rights, and modernize our state housing laws.

In our interview, Hunt highlighted her background in urban planning and her Ph.D in ecology as two strengths of her candidacy. She wants to build more infrastructure for electric vehicles, have developers pay impact fees for increased resource use from development, and center more construction around transit. Hunt also saw that when Issaquah residents had access to beds at a Motel 6 for short-term stays, people were better able to bounce back from hard times and homelessness. She supports statewide policies to provide full-time caseworkers, permanent housing, and other resources to help keep people in their homes.

Hunt believes the state must do a better job of working with cities in order to build homes more quickly and reduce the cost of housing. She wants to leverage her experience as a city council member to help the Legislature strengthen relationships and improve communication with local officials to achieve our housing goals.

Former state representative and Republican Mark Hargrove is also running for the 5th Legislative District seat. Hargrove served four terms since 2011, but unfortunately, he used his position to curtail Washingtonians' rights and resources, including opposing marriage equality and the Washington Voting Rights Act, voting against raising the minimum wage and paid sick leave for all workers, and sponsoring bills to restrict funding for abortions.

Hunt has earned the most support from our progressive partner organizations and is the best choice in this race.

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 another conservative challenger in this race. Kennedy is a self-described “Navy wife” who previously ran for the state Legislature and U.S. Congress. Her campaign website contains no platform details in this race as of early June, but her 2022 campaign included disavowals of both racial justice and COVID safety policy. 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 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 of the usual 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 Bob Hasegawa is running unopposed for re-election to the state Senate. Hasegawa was first elected to the House in 2005. He is a labor advocate and founding member of several labor boards, including the Asian-Pacific American Labor Alliance AFL-CIO and the Washington State Labor Council. 

Hasegawa has been a consistent advocate for establishing a state bank. This past session, he supported progressive bills to include LGBTQ+ history in our schools, to purchase electric school buses across the state, and to legally protect Washingtonians from certain forms of sexual assault such as removing a condom nonconsensually. Now, Hasegawa is running on a platform to reduce the gap between Washington’s most and least economically prosperous, address homelessness while working towards affordable housing for all income levels, secure health care as a human right, and invest in public transit and the small business community.

Vote Bob Hasegawa for another term in the 11th Legislative District’s Senate seat.

Rep. David Hackney is running unopposed for re-election to House Position 1 in the 11th Legislative District.

Before joining the Legislature, Hackney spent 25 years as a practicing attorney, including at the U.N., and worked at a handful of progressive organizations that focused on environmental protections and workers' rights. In 2019, he was appointed to the Washington State Human Rights Commission by Gov. Inslee.

Hackney has sponsored and supported several bills to protect the sensitive information of currently or formerly incarcerated Washingtonians, created a tax exemption for organizations maintaining affordable housing, and increased access to electricity as a transportation fuel for all Washingtonians. Hackney is running for re-election to continue investing in a clean energy future, tackling the housing crisis, and building safe and economically secure communities.

However, we were disappointed in some of Hackney's votes and positions this term, including siding with Republicans to allow felony charges against some protestors. We hope Hackney revisits some of these stances during his next term in office.

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

As an educator, one of Bergquist's biggest legislative priorities has been improving outcomes for Washington's students. In past legislative sessions, he has introduced bills to help with shortages in school staffing and provide career advancement opportunities for public school paraeducators. More recently, he introduced a House bill to make big investments for our youth, including nearly $100 million for school supplies, school meals, special education, and more. With these funds, meals in places like Tukwila and Renton will be fully funded for every school. Bergquist was also the prime sponsor this year of a bill aimed at expanding the College Bound Scholarship program, ensuring that students have a strong footing for higher education and a great career. He has also worked hard to make Washington more affordable for everyone by sponsoring bills that will help finance affordable housing developments and support economic recovery for small businesses.

Bergquist is facing a challenge from Libertarian Justin Greywolf, a software professional with no prior elected or community leadership experience. His platform lacks vision and clarity, espousing broad ideals without specific policy ideas. District residents deserve a representative who will work towards tangible goals in Olympia that will raise the local quality of life.

Bergquist is by far the best candidate in this race for House Position 2 in Legislative District 11.

Democratic Rep. Strom Peterson is running for re-election to represent the 21st Legislative District in House Position 1. Prior to joining the Legislature, Peterson served on the Edmonds City Council for six years and now serves on the Snohomish County Council.

In Olympia, Peterson has had a hand in passing several important progressive bills, including sponsoring legislation to limit the sale of ghost guns and to provide meals for hungry students through the Breakfast Before the Bell program. He was also the primary sponsor of the Secure Drug Take-Back Act. This year, Peterson sponsored important bills to strengthen the Voting Rights Act and to create a basic income pilot program. He is proud to have been the primary sponsor of the successful Economic Security for All program, which allocates grants to families and individuals below 200 percent of the federal poverty level to uplift individuals and families to self-sufficiency, especially people of color and rural residents.

Peterson's platform includes bold action on housing to establish permanent supportive shelters, fund workforce housing, and invest in affordable options for all income levels. He also wants to protect reproductive freedom, increase behavioral health support, strengthen gun violence prevention laws, and expand addiction treatment options. 

Peterson faces a challenge from former Democrat Riaz Khan. He crossed party lines and registered as a Republican this year, stating in an interview with the Everett Herald that "his values no longer align with the Democratic Party." Khan is a former Mukilteo City Council member and resigned from his seat as vice-chair of the 21st District Democrats right before filing as a Republican this year. Though his campaign website is not functioning as of late August, in the same article, Khan promoted single-family housing instead of solutions that would improve affordability for all residents. He also expressed his opposition to a 2021 law banning single-use plastic bags and said he disagrees with progressive proposals to balance our tax code so that the wealthy and corporations pay their share.

Strom Peterson's progressive track record and support from our partner organization have earned him another term in Legislative District 21, Position 1.

Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self is running for re-election to the 21st Legislative District, House Position 2. She has served families and children throughout her career as the regional coordinator for the Illinois State Board of Education and former director and founder of the Comunidad Unida Project, a center for Latino families and youth. Ortiz-Self also serves as chair of the Washington State Latino Democratic Caucus and secretary of the executive committee of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.

Since joining the House in 2015, Ortiz-Self has put her expertise to work improving the lives of students and workers in her district and beyond. This year she was the primary sponsor for successful bills to help workers who've filed wage complaints and to provide dual and tribal language education. Ortiz-Self also sponsored bills to enhance the College Bound Scholarship program, provide free school meals for all students, remove barriers to hiring paraeducators, and more. 

Kristina Mitchell, who has aligned herself with the “Conservative Party,” is challenging Ortiz-Self in this race. Mitchell is a Republican Precinct Committee officer who works in youth education and engagement. Her campaign parrots exclusionary and divisive rhetoric about multicultural curriculums in our schools and our neighbors struggling to afford housing. Mitchell does not seem versed in what it takes to make change at the state level and offers criticism instead of concrete policy solutions.

Over the years Ortiz-Self has spearheaded many efforts to secure more resources for students, prevent gun violence, and lead in the House. She is the best choice in the race for Position 2.

Beth Doglio is running for re-election to House Position 1 representing the 22nd Legislative District. She was first elected to this seat in 2016 and was re-elected in 2022 after she stepped down in 2020 to run for Congress. Prior to seeking elected office, Doglio worked as the Climate Solutions campaign director and was the founding executive director of Washington Conservation Voters.

Doglio sponsored a large number of bills this year, including legislation to begin decarbonizing Puget Sound Energy’s gas system. She furthered her climate-saving agenda with several other bills she sponsored, including funding zero-emission school buses and changing rules around unlawful solid waste dumping. She also helped expand paid sick leave and ensure the safe disposal of guns seized by law enforcement.

Doglio is facing Independent candidate and Navy veteran Steve Owens. He states that he's running to diverge from politics as usual. He is not looking for endorsements or support from groups outside the district. Some of his policies include removing the need for college from government jobs, ending the "renter class" in favor of home ownership, and de-centralizing housing away from major transit lines.

Doglio has been a force for progress in the Legislature. She has earned your vote for re-election in the 22nd District.

First appointed to the Senate last fall after the retirement of Sen. Christine Rolfes, lawyer Drew Hansen is now running to be retained by voters in the Legislative District 23. Hansen previously served as the representative for the 23rd since 2011, where he prioritized improving education and workforce policies as chair of the House College and Workforce Development Committee.

As a representative, Hansen sponsored Washington’s free college tuition law as well as the state net neutrality law. He also made national news in 2019 as the lead sponsor of the New Hope Act, which streamlines the process for formerly incarcerated community members to rebuild their lives after serving their time. He also supported bills like the Public Broadband Act. In the Senate, Hansen wants to continue advocating for criminal legal reform, education, and more.

Challenging Hansen from the right this year is Lance Byrd, who works as a program manager in IT. Byrd challenged Karen Bolton for Bremerton School Board Director in 2023 with the blessing of the far-right group Moms for Liberty, ultimately losing by more than 40 points in the election. He does not have elected or community leadership experience, but promotes misinformation about the severity and causes of climate change, conservative infringements on public education curriculums, and the elimination of some police accountability laws.

Hansen is the best choice for state Senate from the 23rd Legislative District.

Rep. Greg Nance is running to retain Position 2 representing the 23rd Legislative District, to which he was appointed late last year. Nance is the CEO of the nonprofit Run Far Foundation and founded two organizations that have helped fund students' university educations.

In his brief time in the Legislature, Nance has prioritized improving service and increasing funding for local ferries. In particular, he is proud of securing an additional $80 million for ferry construction, maintenance, and workforce expansion. In addition, Nance supported bills to stabilize rent prices, reduce gun violence, and provide more mental health support for young people. In our interview, Nance enthusiastically supported more permanent and transitional housing to solve the state's homelessness crisis as well as more housing at every price point in the continuum. As someone who struggled with addiction in his youth, he wants to center these resources to meet people where they are and make every dollar more effective. Nance’s campaign priorities this year are improving the ferry system, funding childcare, and expanding the health care workforce.

Republican Jamie Miles is also running for the seat to protect "God, Family and Country." She has worked in the medical field as a surgeon, though she lists no elected or community leadership positions on her website. Notably, Miles has an identical platform to a fellow 23rd District Republican candidate. Predictably, the conservative bullet points she lists are focused on tearing down climate protections, prioritizing business interests above all, and offering uncritical support of law enforcement despite community demands for alternatives and accountability.

Greg Nance deserves your vote for Legislative District 23, Position 2 to continue supporting working families and transit infrastructure with energy and dedication.

Adam Bernbaum is running for House Position 1 in the 24th Legislative District which is currently held by Mike Chapman who is running for the district’s open Senate seat in this race. Bernbaum stepped down from his position as a legislative assistant for Democrat Sen. Kevin Van De Wege to run for the seat. Before that, he worked as a field organizer for Congressman Derek Kilmer, and as a policy analyst for the Council for Court Excellence, a behavioral health and criminal justice nonprofit. Bernbaum also serves on the boards of the Olympic View Community Foundation, the Nor’wester Rotary, and the Clallam County Conservation Futures Program Advisory Board.

In our interview with Bernbaum earlier this year, he pointed to three issues as the most pressing for his campaign: affordable housing, more accessible and affordable childcare, and a stabilized rural health care system. He wants to significantly increase resources in behavioral health to lower inpatient and substance abuse treatment wait times. Bernbaum supports much-needed efforts to increase the housing supply and wants to see denser housing built, including homes near transit, duplexes, fourplexes, and bigger multifamily buildings to address rising home and rent costs. He also supported short-term relief for those living in manufactured homes. The rest of Bernbaum’s progressive-endorsed platform also prioritizes climate change solutions, rural broadband, and reproductive health care. 

Also in this race is deputy prosecutor Matt Roberson, who is running on a familiar Republican platform that puts corporations before working families. He suggests siphoning money from our public schools to send students to private institutions. Roberson also wants to repeal the state's landmark law that holds polluters responsible for the emissions and protects the climate.

We recommend Adam Berbaum for Legislative District 24, House Position 1 because of his background in pragmatic leadership.

Rep. Steve Tharinger is running for re-election to the 24th Legislative District in House Position 2. The district representative since 2010, Tharinger is also chair of the House Capital Budget Committee, where he plays a lead role in setting the state's investments in schools, parks, and other state facilities. Before joining the Legislature, Tharinger served on the Clallam County Commission and worked as a small business owner.

This year, Tharinger sponsored successful bills to improve access to mental health counselors, bolster climate-related service opportunities for young adults and veterans, and expand housing options by easing accessory dwelling unit (ADU) restrictions. In previous sessions, he supported expanding the popular paid family and medical leave program and increasing youth access to health care. Now, he is running on an optimistic, bipartisan platform to continue funding the cornerstone services in our communities like strong public education, efficient transit, affordable health care, and clean public spaces.

Finance professional and radio talk show host Terry Roberts is challenging Tharinger in this race. Roberts boasts a reactionary Republican platform that fails to provide solutions that will help us all afford the basics like rent, medicine, groceries, and gas. One of his top priorities is offering unequivocal support for law enforcement, but we know our communities are safest when we honor hard-fought, commonsense accountability policies to ensure our police treat everyone with dignity.

Tharinger's experience and ability to pass solid health and environmental protections make him the best choice in this race.

Housing attorney Adison Richards is running for state House from the 26th Legislative District. With his background in legal assistance for the disenfranchised, Richards' campaign emphasizes a better approach to public safety and addresses the rising cost of housing. Richards previously worked at the Northwest Justice Project assisting survivors of crime, including domestic violence and human trafficking, and now works at Kitsap Legal Services in housing law. He also volunteers in the community with groups like the Rotary Club, Harbor History Museum, and the Bremerton NAACP.

Unlike his opponent, Richards promotes policies that help the middle class, including supporting tax reform that makes the wealthy pay their share, building more housing, and supporting clean energy jobs. With his experience in helping people struggling with housing instability, he knows the country's mental and behavioral health challenges require a comprehensive response. He is committed to improving public safety through community investments that raise wages, increase education options, and expand stable housing. Richards narrowly lost to Republican Spencer Hutchins in 2022 by a few hundred votes but has come back this year with a stronger platform and campaign.

Challenging Richards is former representative Jesse Young, one of the most conservative members of the state House, Young sponsored several bills aimed at curtailing people's constitutional right to an abortion long before the Supreme Court's ruling in 2022, including a bill to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. Young was also infamously restricted from having legislative staff after allegations of mistreatment in 2017. He has led some of the more controversial conservative policies, like efforts to stop a ban on high-capacity magazines. If elected, Young can be expected to rejoin the Legislature with the same far-right fervor that he held while in office.

Richards is the best choice in this race as a thoughtful progressive who has worked to improve the lives of all in the district.

Sen. Yasmin Trudeau is seeking another term representing the 27th Legislative District in the state Senate. She first joined the Senate when the Pierce County Council unanimously selected her to fill Sen. Jeannie Darneille’s seat in 2021. She was elected to the seat since and has distinguished herself as a progressive voice. Outside of the Senate, she works as the Race Equity Unit manager for the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.

In Olympia, Trudeau has made ambitious strides toward progress. Recently, she was the primary sponsor of a bill to reduce police violence by prohibiting the practice of hog-tying in the wake of the killing of Manuel Ellis by three Tacoma police officers. Trudeau was also a primary sponsor of bills to cover lactation consulting under Medicaid and offer voluntary professional licensing for providers, to increase middle housing options, to establish both Eid al-Fitr and Hannukah as state holidays, and to strengthen jury diversity so our criminal legal system functions more fairly. Her priorities have long centered on building safe and sustainable communities, including through investments in environmental protections, behavioral health services, accessible housing, food security, and more.

Republican Carole Sue Braaten is challenging Trudeau this year. In 2012, she ran for a state House seat representing Legislative District 25 but did not make it past the primary. In this race, she has yet to release a campaign platform or website as of late August.

Yasmin Trudeau is the best choice in this race for the Legislative District 27 senate seat.

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins is running for re-election to the 27th Legislative District, Position 1. She has been a passionate and effective champion for progressive values, particularly in her fight for racial and gender equity and closing tax loopholes. Since 2020, she has served as the first woman and LBGTQ+ speaker of the House in Washington.

As speaker, Jinkins leads the House's legislative process. She consistently advocates for the wealthy to pay their share and provide the resources our communities need to thrive. Recently, she has pledged to protect the right to abortion in Washington state. In previous sessions, Jinkins sponsored bills to improve education funding and secure resources for a new health clinic in Hilltop that serves low-income patients.

Challenging Jinkins this year is Republican Ken Paulson, who has run for office twice before with campaigns in 2008 and 2010 for Pierce County Council and state Senate. He raised no funds in his previous campaigns and has no campaign information or website available this year as of late August. Paulson has been featured in local newspapers advocating for anti-stalking laws after the death of his daughter at the hands of a stalker in 2010.

Speaker Jinkins has been a keystone of progressive advocacy in Washington and has earned another term in the House.

Sen. T'wina Nobles is running for re-election for the 28th Legislative District Senate seat to continue her outstanding work in Olympia. Nobles is the president and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, an organization that helps underserved communities navigate difficult economic times. She has worked in education for 15 years as an instructor, University Place School Board director, and PTA leader.

As chair of the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee, she has dedicated herself to improving the lives of students across the state. Nobles sponsored a bill signed into law this year that will help youth in foster care thrive by providing them access to financial literacy education and banking. She also sponsored bills this session to increase access to free meals for students in need, establish collective bargaining rights for employed students, and make financial aid more accessible for postsecondary school students. As the only Black member of the Senate, Nobles has worked hard to improve equity for all in the state.

If elected, Nobles wants to increase pay for teachers, reduce class sizes, and work to make schools more inclusive and equitable. She knows more needs to be done to ensure families in the 28th LD are healthy and safe, which she believes includes gun violence prevention, addiction recovery and mental health resources, and better health care access.

Nobles faces a challenge from Republican Maia Espinoza who has served on the Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs and is the executive director and founder of the Center for Latino Leadership, a civic engagement organization. This is Espinoza's fourth run for public office, with failed runs for Lakewood City Council, state representative, and Superintendent of Public Education. Espinoza's previous campaigns have been newsworthy for a lawsuit against her for false claims about her opponent's stance on comprehensive sexual health education, which Espinoza has stood against despite research showing healthier outcomes for students who learn about consent and their own health. She was also dinged in her 2020 race against Reykdal for falsely listing her organization as a nonprofit when it didn't meet the criteria. Her brief list of policy priorities this year includes right-wing dog whistles involving parental rights, which conservatives have used this year to try and siphon off public funding for private schools and enact book bans.

Nobles has been a standout progressive leader and has earned your vote for re-election to the state Senate.

Rep. Mari Leavitt is running for re-election for the 28th Legislative District's House Position 1. Leavitt previously worked as the deputy director of Pierce County Human Services and has also served as a PTSA board member in University Place, chair of the Pierce County Ethics Commission, and on the Mel Korum YMCA board of directors.

Since joining the Legislature in 2019, Leavitt has focused on improving education, safeguarding democracy, and advocating for veterans and military families. She sponsored successful bills this year to protect election workers from harassment and death threats, assign the Washington Military Department to help residents in extreme weather events, and provide education to schools to prevent youth drug overdoses and addiction. She also sponsored a bill to help veterans and military families access workforce training after their assignments.

Her Republican opponent is Marine Corps veteran Gabe Sachwitz. Like many conservatives, he says that laws should be examined through the lens of the Constitution, but he offers little detail about how that would affect policies he would support in the Legislature. Sachwitz also states that policies should be "widely acceptable" to the public and that legislators shouldn't support "random changes," though again he gives no specific examples of actual policies or laws with which he has concerns. As of late August, he has no concrete examples of what he would seek to accomplish as a lawmaker.

Leavitt has worked hard to expand benefits for military families, fund local projects like toxic "forever chemicals" cleanup in Lakewood, and more. She is the best and most experienced choice in this race.

Incumbent Representative Dan Bronoske is running for another term in Legislative District 28, House Position 2. In addition to his Legislative work, Bronoske has served as a Pierce County and Lakewood firefighter for two decades and is an active union member. He is also a delegate on the Pierce County Central Labor Council Delegate and a member of the Pierce College EMS Advisory Board.

In office, Bronoske has been a champion of working people and community safety. Last session, he supported bills to strengthen gun safety in our communities, add legal protections against certain forms of sexual assault, and ensure oil pipelines do not harm our ecosystems. Bronoske’s top campaign priorities include continuing to improve community safety, reducing the cost of living, and supporting local small businesses.

Republican Mark Herr is challenging Bronoske for his seat from the right. He emphasizes police and law enforcement as the main tools to address homelessness, which represents only a band-aid approach to a complex challenge. Unfortunately, Herr provides voters with few details about his campaign priorities or how he would achieve results in office.

Rep. Dan Bronoske is a strong advocate for community progress and he deserves your vote for another term in the 38th Legislative District’s House Position 2

Rep. Melanie Morgan is running for re-election for the 29th Legislative District, House Position 1. Morgan is an Army veteran who was elected to the Franklin-Pierce School Board in 2015 and worked with Young Life to create a mentorship group for young Black men, focusing on participation in STEM fields. Since taking office in 2019, she has been an advocate for representation and equity in Olympia where she has served as the deputy majority floor leader.

As someone who has experienced homelessness, Morgan has focused her efforts in the Legislature on ensuring Washingtonians stay healthy and housed. She was the primary sponsor of the successful effort to establish a state department of housing that aims to tackle the enormous need for homelessness prevention and increased housing options. She has also worked to secure funding for a new Parkland/Spanaway homeless shelter, rental assistance, and charity care for those who need medical services but are struggling to afford them. In addition, Morgan has focused on supporting bills that provide food assistance to needy families, cap the cost of insulin, and increase public transportation options in Pierce County. She boasts strong endorsements in this race from progressive leaders and community organizations.

We are concerned about recent reports that Morgan "engaged in abusive and bullying conduct" while in office. Leaders of the House Democrats are waiting for the completion of her appeal before taking any action. Pending the outcome of the investigation, at the current time of writing, Morgan is more qualified than her opponent in terms of a real strategy and experience about how to make and pass policies that affect the people of the district.

Democratic challenger Richard Miller is a realtor who is running to expand resources in schools, improve housing affordability, and make communities feel safe. However, he has no website or campaign materials available as of early June. In our interview with Miller, he confirmed that he wanted to run to support everyone in the district, reduce partisanship, and help build a sense of community. Though we agreed with him broadly on some issues, he unfortunately had no concrete policy proposals or solutions to support these positions.

Melanie Morgan is still the best option for Position 1 in the 29th Legislative District.

Rep. Sharlett Mena is running unopposed for re-election on her strong record from her first term representing the 29th Legislative District. Mena has a deep background in both public service and community organizing. She currently works at the Washington State Department of Ecology advancing environmental justice, protecting clean air and water, and implementing climate action. She co-created Voter Turnup in 2021, an organization led by people of color to spur voter turnout and civic engagement. Notably, she also served on the boards of Progreso, Planned Parenthood, and Fuse Washington, which produces this guide.

In the Legislature, Mena has worked hard to secure rights for all Washingtonians. She was the prime sponsor of the bills to improve the Voting Rights Act, ban hog-tying by law enforcement, and expand existing pay equity protections under Washington’s anti-discrimination laws.

Mena has had an impressive first term and has earned your vote to continue representing the 29th Legislative District.

Rep. Jamila Taylor is running for re-election to the 30th Legislative District, House Position 1. First elected in 2020, Taylor is an attorney who advocates for crime victims and has an extensive record of volunteer service. She previously served as the statewide advocacy counsel for the Northwest Justice Project, where she managed a network of legal aid attorneys, and she has additionally worked on youth intervention programs and other violence reduction efforts. Taylor is a former elected chair of the state Black Members Caucus, where she advocated for racial equity for all Washingtonians. She chairs the Developmental Advocacy Caucus and is the First Vice Chair of the Members of Color Caucus.

In Taylor's second term, she sponsored several important bills, including creating an investigation unit for missing Indigenous women, developing opportunities for climate-ready workforce programs, and providing free school meals for hungry students. She's also secured millions of dollars locally for youth violence prevention programs, funding therapeutic court interventions for drug-related crimes, supporting small business development, adding transit-oriented housing near the Redondo Heights light rail station, and much more.

Republican Melissa Hamilton is challenging Taylor from the right. Hamilton has worked in several positions in law enforcement, including as a records specialist and administrative assistant. Hamilton's agenda, including references to "classroom agendas outside of academics," echoes the state's larger conservative movement to ban books and prevent historically accurate discussions about race in schools. Hamilton's far-right values are clearly out of step with the voters of the 30th District.

Taylor has been a stalwart advocate for progress for all. We recommend re-electing Jamila Taylor for the 30th Legislative District, Position 1.

Rep. Kristine Reeves is running for re-election to Position 2 in the 30th Legislative District. As a working mom of two who went through the foster care system as a child, Reeves' focus in the Legislature has been improving lives for families and advocating for affordable housing. Reeves also served recently as the interim chair of the Legislative Black Caucus.

This year, Reeves sponsored successful bills to protect consumers in the solar power market and open opportunities for urban agriculture. She has also been a champion for paid family and medical leave, gun safety, linking students with apprenticeships, and making childcare more affordable. If she's re-elected, Reeves wants to continue building on her accomplishments in reducing the cost of education, medical care, and childcare.

While Reeves has been a progressive leader on many issues, she's taken a more cautious approach to others, including voting against taxing polluters and opposing eviction protections in 2019. Thankfully, she voted in favor of several important housing bills since then, including this year's rent stabilization bill.

Republican Quentin Morris is challenging Reeves from the right. He serves as the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association representative for Federal Way Public Schools, where he ran a campaign decrying "critical race theory." As of late June, his website is fairly empty. He has no listed policy proposals, stating only that he will foster a district where residents can achieve "health, safety, security, and economic freedom."

Reeves' experience improving the lives of children, families, and working people makes her the best choice for state House from the 30th Legislative District, Position 2.

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 serves 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 protections against gun violence, 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.

Democrat Rep. Tina Orwall is seeking re-election to House Position 1 representing the 33rd Legislative District. Orwall first joined the state House in 2009 and she has served as the pro tem speaker in office for multiple terms. Before that, she spent 20 years as a professional in the public mental health systems and held a position in Seattle’s Office for Housing, working to connect people to direct services and resources.

During her tenure in Olympia, Orwall has been a strong advocate for survivors of sexual assault. In particular, she has worked to end Washington’s backlog of rape kits and pass legislation to support sex-trafficking victims. This year, she helped pass three progressive bills as a secondary sponsor: one providing for apprenticeship programs for Native American residents, one to strengthen the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to prevent wage discrimination, and one to pass the Nothing About Us Without Us Act, which bolsters representative democracy in Washington at all levels of government.

Insurance professional George Richter is mounting a Republican challenge to Orwall in this race. He is running on a vague platform that criticizes Democratic leadership while seeking to promote business interests and espouse conservative values.

We recommend Tina Orwall for another term in Legislative District 33, Position 1.

Democrat Rep. Mia Su-Ling Gregerson is running for re-election to Legislative District 33, Position 2, to which she was first appointed in 2013. Previously, Gregerson served on the SeaTac City Council, including a stint as mayor from 2008 to 2015, and helped to bring the $15 minimum wage initiative to Seattle in 2014. She currently serves on the Washington State Investment Board.

Gregerson is a reliable progressive with an impressive track record advocating for accessible transit, fair wages, and voting rights. This past session, she was the primary sponsor of an unsuccessful bill to codify abortion rights into the state Constitution. As a secondary sponsor, Gregerson helped pass a slate of community-oriented bills to require and fund zero-emission school buses, establish an Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance to help refugee settlements, and expand the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to strengthen protections against wage discrimination.

Casey Esmond, who is challenging Gregerson without a party affiliation, does not have a working campaign website as of late August. His sparse platform is both vague and conservative-leaning.

We recommend Mia Su-Ling Gregerson for another term in Legislative District 33, Position 2.

Incumbent Rep. Emily Alvarado is running for a second term representing the 34th Legislative District. Alvarado is an attorney who works for Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit focused on equity. She has also been a leader at a number of progressive organizations, including as the director of Seattle’s Office of Housing, an organizer with Planned Parenthood, and a board member of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.

Alvarado had an impressive first term in Olympia. As a primary sponsor, she helped pass legislation to increase access to food assistance programs across the state. Alvarado was also a secondary sponsor of a successful bill to make it easier for low-income students to receive the Washington College Grant. Alvarado's top priority if re-elected is housing, and she sponsored a bill that was recently passed to provide rent stability so Washingtonians can stay housed. She'll also focus on universal health care, expanded childcare assistance for working families, and stronger investments in education.

Republican Radio Host/Podcaster and veteran Kimberly Cloud is challenging Alvarado. Despite having no platform in this race, Cloud states that she would implement “serious changes” if elected. Her voter pamphlet states “All Lives Matter” and stokes fears about public safety without mentioning a single policy solution. We need leaders who can bring people together to implement real solutions to raise our quality of life. Cloud is not a progressive choice.

Alvarado has earned your vote for a second term in Olympia.

Incumbent Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon is running for another term in Legislative District 34, House Position 2. He was first elected to the position in 2010 and has also worked as a legislative staffer and Burien planning commissioner.

In his tenure in the House, Fitzgibbon has been an exceptionally strong environmental advocate, helping Washington fight greenhouse gas emissions, keep air and water clean, reduce pollution, and protect salmon populations. In his most recent term, he was a secondary sponsor on the zero-emission school bus bill to provide sustainable and reliable transportation for Washington students. In addition, Fitzgibbon was a primary sponsor on legislation to help the state meet its climate goals to create a green future for generations to come.

Fitzgibbon is facing a challenge from conservative Jolie Landsdowne, the chair of the 34th Legislative District Republicans. Landsdowne parrots conservative talking points to reduce tax rates for the wealthy and companies, which would make Washington’s tax code even more imbalanced. In this campaign, she has also echoed right-wing desires to teach inaccurate science and history to Washington students.

We recommend Rep. Fitzgibbon for another term in Position 2 representing the 34th Legislative District.

Rep. Julia Reed is running unopposed for re-election to Legislative District 36, House Position 1 where she has served for the past two years. Reed currently works in policy consulting and has served in a number of different government roles, including with the State Department’s Special Envoy for Middle East Peace during the Obama administration. She has also served the community as a YMCA Social Impact Center board member, the former chair of the 36th Legislative District Democrats, and previously had served on the board of Fuse Washington, the organization that produces this guide.

Reed is a true progressive with bold ideas for bringing resources, opportunity, and prosperity to Washington communities. This year, she was the primary sponsor of a progressive bill to increase housing availability near transit hubs. She helped to pass a slate of community-oriented bills as a secondary sponsor, including legislation to require zero-emission school buses, to prevent gun violence through better regulation of firearm dealers, and to strengthen protection for abortion care providers who face harassment.

Julia Reed has been an important vote in the state House to move our state forward on key community issues. She deserves your vote for another term in Position 1 representing the 36th Legislative District.

Democratic Rep. Liz Berry is running for another term in Legislative District 36, Position 2. Before joining the Legislature in 2021, Berry served as the director of the Washington State Association of Justice, the president of the National Women’s Political Caucus, and a board member of the organization formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.

Berry has had two successful terms as a strong advocate representing her community. This year, she was the primary sponsor of a series of bills aimed at closing loopholes and reducing gun violence in Washington communities. She also helped to pass progressive victories as a secondary sponsor on bills to bring zero-emission school buses to Washington students and to expand wage protections under the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act.

Berry is facing a challenge from conservative Victoria Palmer, a personal organizer and chair of the 36th District Republicans. Palmer claims to have become politically engaged during the coronavirus pandemic when she organized a “March for Freedom” to oppose Gov. Inslee’s science-backed public health guidelines. Her conservative, anti-science views are far out of step with local voters.

We recommend Liz Berry for another term in House Position 2 representing the 36th Legislative District.

Moderate Democrat and incumbent Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos is seeking another term in Legislative District 37, House Position 1. Tomiko Santos is a former banker with 25 years of experience in the state Legislature. In her long tenure in public office, she has prioritized quality education, civil rights, economic opportunity, and community identity preservation.

In Olympia this past session, Rep. Tomiko Santos was a secondary sponsor on a number of important progressive bills that passed in both houses. Her legislation included bills to bring 100% clean energy school buses to our state, to enable working people to earn professional licenses regardless of immigration documentation status, and to establish an Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance in order to support refugee resettlement. She has yet to release a detailed campaign platform in this race as of early June, but her decades-long record makes her priorities clear.

We recommend Tomiko Santos for another term in Legislative District 37, Position 1.