19th 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.

Democratic incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is running for a second term serving Washington’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. Perez defeated Republican incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler and MAGA challenger Joe Kent in 2022. She runs a family auto repair shop with her husband.

In office, Perez has been a voice for rural and working-class Washington communities. She has championed the "right to repair" to save money for her constituents and reduce waste. Her voting record has been independent, reflecting her district on border policy, the environment, education, and public safety. Her campaign platform in this race remains focused on the issues affecting regular Washingtonians like affordable childcare, substance abuse treatment, energy independence, abortion and reproductive health care access, keeping large corporations accountable and out of politics, and raising wages to match the rising cost of living.

Perez has remained laser-focused on improving lives for the people of the 3rd Congressional District. For example, she has focused on improving job-supporting infrastructure, including securing $600 million for a new I-5 Bridge across the Columbia.

Perez is once again facing MAGA extremist Joe Kent who is running again after narrowly losing his 2022 bid. He distinguished himself with an exceptionally far-right platform and the endorsement of Donald Trump. Kent is a Special Forces veteran and former CIA employee. He is running a negative campaign that relies on stoking fears and scapegoating members of our community. Kent has campaigned on adopting a national abortion ban, the promise to impeach President Biden and Vice President Harris, and the dangerous lie that Trump won the 2020 election.

The district needs leaders who will stand up for them, not MAGA conspiracy theorists. Perez has earned your vote for a second term in Congress.

State 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.

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.

Democrat Andi Day is challenging incumbent Sen. Jeff Wilson for the 19th Legislative District Senate seat. Day was the elected chair of the board of directors of the Washington Tourism Alliance in 2021, and currently works in independent tourism consulting.

Day wants to invest in critical infrastructure in the district, protect abortion care access, reduce gun violence, and invest in education. She believes rural voices deserve a seat at the table and will work on a bipartisan effort to make gains for the district. Day has earned a strong roster of endorsements from local Democrats, unions, and elected officials.

In contrast, incumbent Jeff Wilson made national headlines after being arrested last year in Hong Kong for carrying an unregistered gun in his carry-on bag. In the Legislature, Wilson has voted against nearly all gun safety legislation, including prohibiting firearms in places like libraries and schools and prohibiting the sale of ghost guns. He also voted against creating a state Department of Housing, opposed helping youth leaving foster care with a financial transition plan, and voted against controlling bee-killing pesticides.

Andi Day is by far the best choice for state Senate representing Legislative District 19.

Democrat Mike Coverdale is challenging incumbent and MAGA GOP state party chair Jim Walsh in the 19th Legislative District. Coverdale is a U.S. Army veteran who has served in many community roles, including on the Westport Planning Committee, as president of the Westport Grayland Chamber of Commerce, and as chair of the Grays Harbor Board of Adjustments. Coverdale is running against Walsh because he believes Walsh cares more about personal promotion than fighting for the district's residents.

Coverdale highlights that Walsh has voted against a slew of legislation that would've helped the district. In particular, he criticizes Walsh for opposing capping the cost of insulin at $30 and voting against making the ultra-wealthy pay what they owe in Washington taxes. By contrast, Coverdale intends to expand rural health care, support affordable housing, and promote new innovations like cross-laminated timber that would boost the local economy.

Jim Walsh often represents the worst of Washington's right wing. This year, he has partnered with out-of-state multimillionaire Brian Heywood to put three initiatives on the ballot that would repeal progress made in the Legislature. If passed, these bills would overturn the Climate Commitment Act, cut billions from schools and childcare by repealing the capital gains tax on the state's wealthiest, and repeal the Long Term Care Act, which over 70 percent of Washingtonians will need as they age and/or if they become disabled. Walsh has infamously worn a yellow Star of David, the same symbol forced on Jewish people in Nazi Germany, to protest the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. This summer Walsh has also been featured in the Seattle Times for suing to hide the harmful impacts of his ballot initiatives from voters.

Vote for Mike Coverdale for Position 1 representing the 19th Legislative District.

Democrat Terry Carlson is challenging Republican Rep. Joel McEntire for House Position 2 representing the 19th Legislative District. Carlson is a member, organizer, and recording secretary for the International Association of Machinists/Woodworkers Union W536 as well as vice president of the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Council.

Carlson is running with a labor and community-focused platform that has been widely endorsed. If elected, he wants to strengthen corporate accountability, fortify workers’ rights, and pave the way for working-class jobs in energy, natural resources, and small business sectors. Carlson also believes in reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ civil rights, high-quality public education, and a healthy working democracy. Despite being a gun owner himself, he staunchly advocates for strengthening commonsense gun safety laws in our state. 

Conservative incumbent Joel McEntire is running for a third term. McEntire is a Marine reservist and program mentor for Western Governors University who has made a political platform out of obstructionism and divisive, far-right rhetoric. In his current term, McEntire voted against protecting abortion providers from retaliation and codifying our reproductive rights into law. He has also voted against bills to make our communities safer from gun violence, increase affordable and accessible "middle" housing, and reduce our state’s carbon emissions to create a cleaner climate for future generations.

Terry Carlson is the best choice for Legislative District 19, Position 2.

There are two Republicans running for Cowlitz County Commission, District 1 to replace the incumbent Arne Mortensen. One is far more moderate and experienced than the other.

Republican Mike Reuter has served as the mayor of Kalama for the past seven years. In office, he has valued collaboration and experience in his leadership and staff. In his community service roles, he has also earned a positive reputation for his support of environmental issues. In this race, Reuter’s top priority is development. Reuter’s vision is community-centric, focusing on sustainability and job growth. He places a premium on his institutional knowledge and long public service record in his campaign for the commissioner seat.

Reuter's opponent is far-right conservative Steve Rader. Rader runs his local businesses focused on financial planning and youth adventures. He is also involved in youth coaching and leadership at his church. Rader offers a vague platform in this race that emphasizes accountability and transparency, while supporting conservative ideas about cutting public funding.

While there are no progressive choices in this race, based on conversations with our local partners we believe Mike Reuter is the better option to bring effective, community-minded leadership to Cowlitz County Commission, District 1.
 

Accomplished environmental business leader Amy Norquist is running for Cowlitz County Commission representing District 2. Norquist is an entrepreneur who served as the president and CEO of an urban architecture group specializing in green roofs. She currently serves as the director of development for a local gardening organization that works on youth and family learning programming. Norquist also has community leadership experience, including in her position on the Longview Planning Commission.

Norquist wants to build Cowlitz County into a thriving place to live, work, start businesses, and raise families. She envisions creating jobs and a strong local economy by drawing tourism, small businesses, recreation, and industry to the area. Norquist also wants to improve public infrastructure and public safety through investments in roadways, clean air and water, and addiction support services. To tackle the housing crisis, she wants to use a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach that can lead to long-term security and affordability across all income levels.

Republican Steve Ferrell is a retired electrician and former Public Utility District commissioner. Ferrell, who was an active member of his union, was elected chairman of the bargaining board where he advocated for the interests of hourly employees. Ferrell’s platform centers on property rights and public infrastructure maintenance. However, he does not offer policy solutions to the most pressing issues facing Cowlitz residents and has no plans for helping residents afford the basics like rent, prescription medicine, and childcare.

Amy Norquist is the best candidate for Cowlitz County Commission, District 2 to bring her innovative and collaborative leadership style to the county level.

Democratic incumbent Wayne Fournier is seeking re-election to the Thurston County Commission representing District 4. Fournier was first elected to the county commission in 2022 and, outside of it, he works as a firefighter. Previously, he served on the Tenino City Council and was elected mayor of Tenino by his colleagues.

On the Thurston County Commission, Fournier has been focused on equitable improvements to the county's quality of life. He worked on establishing rural broadband access and improving the Emergency Medical System. Now, he is running to continue building sustainable, equitable growth in Thurston while protecting local ecosystems, advocating for the district’s most marginalized, and leading with practical change.

Rob Laymon is challenging Fournier without listing a party preference. Laymon has worked across multiple professions, including as an electrician, plumber, and well driller. He has never held elected office and lacks other community service experience. If elected, he wants to reduce taxes for the wealthiest, making our upside-down tax code even more regressive. Laymon references crises that affect the county such as housing, mental health, and addiction but he fails to identify compassionate and effective solutions while seemingly taking a more conservative approach to blame individuals while defunding public services.

We recommend Wayne Fournier for another term on the Thurston County Commission.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Judge Bernard Veljacic is running unopposed to keep his seat on the Court of Appeals where he serves as the Acting Chief Judge of Division 2. Veljacic joined the appellate court in 2021. Before that, he served six years on the Clark County Superior Court and a combined 16 years in private sector law and as a deputy prosecutor. He has also served with the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools board and as a high school visiting teacher in legal and civics education.

Veljacic has strong experience in a number of court matters, including family law, therapeutic courts, and criminal proceedings. His qualifications and commitment to fairness have earned him another term in Division 2, District 3, Judge Position 1 on the Court of Appeals.

Incumbent Judge Rebecca Glasgow has served on the Court of Appeals in Division 2, District 2, Judge Position 2 since 2019 and is now running unopposed for re-election. Glasgow is a former high school teacher who held important roles in the state’s attorney general’s office and previously served as a law clerk for the state’s Supreme Court. She also co-chairs the Gender and Justice Commission and previously served as the former president of Washington Women Lawyers.

On the appellate court, Judge Glasgow has dedicated herself to protecting civil rights and our democratic judicial processes. She believes that equity and justice go hand in hand, and has sought to be an unbiased public servant for all who come before her in the courtroom.

Her widely respected leadership on the Court of Appeals has earned her another term in Division 2, District 2, Judge Position 2.