48th Legislative District

Conservative Democrat Amy Walen is running for the state Senate after seeking and failing to earn the appointment from the King County Council. Walen has served in the state Legislature since 2018, when she first assumed the Position 2 seat in the House after serving on the Kirkland City Council.

In Olympia, Walen has focused on issues such as preventing animal cruelty and promoting commonsense gun safety. Unfortunately, she has been increasingly outspoken against key progressive priorities in recent years. Walen repeatedly voted against bills to limit rent increases, which will improve housing affordability for renters and seniors across the state. This year, Walen sided with Republicans against making large corporations and the wealthy pay what they owe our communities in taxes. In 2023, she was one of only two Democrats to vote against legislation that required warehouse workers for companies like Amazon to receive lunch and restroom breaks.

Walen's track record in office makes it clear that she does not share our values. Not surprisingly, she has received maximum campaign contributions from many corporate PACs and Republican donors this year. Sen. Vandana Slatter is the clear choice for the 48th Legislative District.

Two candidates are challenging incumbent Osman Salahuddin to represent the 48th Legislative District in the Washington House of Representatives: Dennis Ellis and Ranga Bondada.

Dennis Ellis is a former Boeing employee and small business owner. He previously ran for Redmond City Council in 2021 but was defeated by Melissa Stuart. He is currently the 48th District Chair of the King County Republican Party.

Ellis said he will bring a "fresh, conservative perspective" to this position. He heavily criticized the Sound Transit East Link light rail expansion and advocated instead to focus on existing roads and bridges. Ellis also opposes the Housing First model for addressing the homelessness crisis and vaccine mandates. Dennis Ellis is clearly out of touch with the people of the 48th District.

Ranga Bondada is also running for state Representative, Position 1 in the 48th Legislative District. In June 2025, he publicly signed a pledge in support of congressional term limits. In his voter pamphlet statement, Bondada's campaign is prioritizing public school funding, improving public transit, and increasing affordable housing. He is supportive of rent stabilization and wants to promote clean energy and sustainable infrastructure. Unfortunately, his campaign website does not further detail any policy proposals or solutions he would implement if elected.

John Wilson, the current King County Assessor, is running for King County Executive. During his campaign, Wilson stated that he would fight for "safe and thriving communities," citing his experience as King County Assessor.

In 2025, Wilson was accused of stalking and harassment by a former domestic partner. This was an alarming and serious allegation, which led to the current King County Council calling for Wilson's resignation. He continues to deny the allegations and has rejected calls for him to resign as Assessor. John Wilson is not fit to be King County Executive. Wilson withdrew from this race in mid-July but will still appear on the ballot.

Amiya Ingram is also running for King County Executive. Ingram has worn many hats professionally, from serving as a government military researcher to founding her own athleisure brand. While Ingram's campaign includes some progressive ideas, it also features other proposals that lean more moderate or conservative. She is a proponent of establishing more housing shelters that offer wrap-around services to address the housing crisis and help those struggling with addiction.

Rebecca Williamson is also running for King County Executive. Williamson's campaign website is linked to The Militant, which is a weekly socialist newsletter. As of early July, they do not have a detailed campaign website available, and their platform is unknown.

Bill Hirt is running for King County Executive. Hirt has run for various offices around Washington state, primarily to criticize light rail. Bill Hirt is not a serious candidate for King County Executive.

Don L. Rivers is the final candidate running for King County Executive. Rivers is prioritizing homelessness, safety, and small business support. He proposes some progressive solutions, such as housing-first programming and investments in affordable housing. His approach to public safety also includes public health measures and points to international models of community policing. Don L. Rivers is running a progressive campaign, however, there are other candidates in this race with more experience in public service.

Nicholas Ton is also running for Bellevue City Council, Position 1. Ton is a Microsoft risk and privacy manager who has led community initiatives for the company’s Asian employee resource group. In addition, he serves on Bellevue’s Diversity Advisory Network.

Ton is campaigning on a platform to restore community balance so that corporations and the wealthy pay what they truly owe. His vision for Bellevue is a city where everyone can afford the essentials, such as rent, gas, groceries, and medicine. On the issue of housing, he supports using city property in community land trusts to offer permanent affordable housing, banning corporate landlords of single-family homes, and wants to tax vacant luxury units to drive prices down.

Ton is a strong proponent of rebalancing our tax code and advocates for higher taxes on vacant lots, high-value properties such as mansions, and luxury items like yachts, sports cars, and private jets. He has many other community-minded ideas, including making developers subsidize community ORCA cards, eliminating a sales tax on items such as diapers, groceries, and medicine, and expanding public waterfront access. While Ton has a very progressive platform, his campaign has struggled to gain footing in this highly competitive four-way primary.

Small business owner Paul Clark is also vying for Position 1 on the Bellevue City Council. Clark has worked for the Civil Service Commission and the Parks and Recreation Board. His company works in software-defined radio training and consulting. Clark previously ran for the Bellevue City Council in 2023 and lost to former Councilmember John Stokes by a margin of more than 10 points.

Clark is running on a conservative platform, prioritizing business interests and opposing affordable housing development in large parts of the city. Much of his platform appears to be driven more by a reactionary, anti-Seattle stance than by a forward-looking vision for Bellevue residents. Not surprisingly, the King County Republican Party called Clark the "Best Choice" in this race.

Either Bhargava or Chang would be a much more thoughtful leader for Bellevue than Clark.

Alex Tsimerman is a perennial conservative candidate who has run for offices ranging from governor to state senator to Seattle city council member. Now, Tsimerman is running for Bellevue City Council, Position 6, with a familiar extremist agenda. In the past, he has made statements calling Seattle’s progressive leadership a “Nazi−Socialist−Democrats-Mafia” and advocating to run municipal government like a business rather than a public entity. His aggressive and inappropriate political behavior, which includes his repeated use of a “Heil Hitler” salute, has gotten him banned from Seattle’s City Hall. He is not fit to hold office at any level of government.

Nicole Myers is a nuclear engineer and the author of a local blog. She appears to mainly criticize specific details in Bellevue housing policy, such as the lack of porches on “cottage” developments. She appears to be a candidate who is passionate about improving the quality of life in Bellevue, including through ensuring high-quality new construction, expanding the tree canopy, investing in third spaces (outside of work and home) for residents, making the city's processes transparent, and increasing housing options for families. Unfortunately, her blog primarily features negative opinions about local efforts to increase housing supply, and it is unclear whether her platform ideas are equitable, sustainable, or realistic given the local issues facing Bellevue.

Allen Chongtai Huang is a tech professional with experience in software development, medical electronics, and electrical engineering. Huang has not released a detailed platform as of late June, but has shared conservative-leaning and contradictory priorities. He wants to cut public revenue but believes in expanding public services, such as transit, education, and law enforcement. We recognize that to build strong communities with thriving public resources, we should all pay what we owe in taxes, especially the ultra-wealthy.

Robinson's experience and track record in office make her the clear choice for Bellevue City Council, Position 6.

Three other candidates are running for this open seat on the Kirkland City Council: Catie Malik, Gina Madeya, and Clayton Barnes.

Catie Malik has a wide range of professional experiences, including working in financial and health care administration and management. She was also an active volunteer for the Kiran Anjali project, providing funding for educational opportunities, self-defense training, and mental health resources for at-risk girls in India.

Malik previously ran for Kirkland City Council in 2023 and received the endorsement of the King County Republican Party. At the time, our partners at The Urbanist said, "Malik’s main plank on her website is to raise fears about Permanent Supportive Housing at the former La Quinta Inn." Additionally, Malik said in 2023 that she would support ordinances to criminalize homelessness.

Malik takes a more conservative approach to solving the issues outlined in her campaign. For example, she heavily emphasizes the need to improve streets for car-dependent families and seniors, but only briefly mentions making improvements to biking and public transit. In the conversation around affordable housing, she is cautiously supportive of housing density options so long as those plans "preserve single-family neighborhoods." Malik's policy positions and public statements make it clear she is not a progressive choice for Kirkland.

Gina Madeya is also running for Kirkland City Council, Position 3. Madeya serves on the Kirkland Planning Commission and is the Federal Political Coordinator to Senator Maria Cantwell. Madeya, a current real estate agent, is also a member of the LGBTQ Real Estate Alliance.

Madeya's campaign has a range of priorities, including responsible urban planning and public safety. While her platform shows support for representation and inclusivity, it lacks detailed policy proposals, making it unclear what she would implement if elected to office.

Clayton Barnes is running for Kirkland City Council, Position 3. As of mid July, Barnes does not have a detailed campaign website available and their platform is unknown. Barnes is endorsed by the 48th District GOP, which indicates a more conservative platform.

Two other candidates are running for Kirkland City Council, Position 7: incumbent Jon Pascal and Susan Kuehl Pederson.

Jon Pascal is a former transportation commissioner and Kirkland planning commissioner who has worked on the city's Transportation Master Plan and other infrastructure improvements. In his current campaign, Pascal said he would continue advocating for "streamlining the approval process for affordable housing projects." However, Pascal undermined and eventually voted against the Kirkland Comprehensive Plan, which mapped out plans for potential housing development.

Susan "Sue" Kuehl Pederson previously ran as a Republican for Commissioner of Public Lands in 2020 and 2024, losing both times. She also ran unsuccessfully in 2016 as an "Independent GOP" candidate for the state Senate in Southwest Washington. In her last campaign, she received numerous nominations from county GOP groups across the state. In a debate in 2020 against Hilary Franz, Kuehl Pederson said she's "cautious about saying climate change is human-caused." Pederson does not have a campaign website published yet for this election. However, it is reasonable to assume that she would continue to champion Republican positions if elected.

We recommend Kurt Dresner for Kirkland City Council, Position 7, because of his proven track record as a progressive leader in the local community.

Lea Ellis is running for Redmond City Council, Position 2. Ellis is an Air Force and National Guard veteran and a small business owner. She is running a conservative campaign and openly opposes "low-barrier housing" while neglecting to offer any specific policy proposals. She is endorsed by the 48th District Republicans and is out of step with the values of Redmond residents.

Two other candidates are running for Redmond City Council, Position 4: Elinor Krits and Kay Asai.

Elinor Krits is an immigrant and earned her degree in Computer Science in 2022. She currently works as a software engineer at Microsoft. Her campaign priorities include affordable housing, managing the cost of living, improved transportation, and community development. Krits is supportive of some progressive solutions, such as developing affordable housing units for moderate- and low-income residents. She also wants to encourage residents to shop locally at farmers' markets to support small businesses and advocate for more transit stops in Redmond. While we appreciate many of her positions, she lacks the depth of experience and endorsements of Stuart.

Kay Asai is running a conservative campaign, as evidenced by her endorsement from the 48th District Republicans. Her campaign prioritizes parental and property rights, rejecting "nonessential projects that divert critical resources from public safety." She also shows full support for funding and empowering the police, fire, and EMS departments without offering any support for alternative policing solutions. Asai is not a progressive choice in this race.

Vijay Beniwal is also running for Redmond City Council, Position 6. Beniwal is the Chief Product Officer at CricCenter AI, a platform designed for fans and players of the sport cricket. Beniwal has been a Redmond resident for almost 25 years and started small businesses in the city.

Beniwal's campaign is centered around inclusive growth, supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs, affordability, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. He offers some progressive solutions, such as transit-oriented housing and tenant protections. He is also passionate about environmental protections, particularly in greener development and park expansions. On public safety, he is supportive of partnering mental health professionals with police officers and youth engagement programs.

Vijay Beniwal is an active community member who deeply cares about Redmon's future. However, we still recommend Menka Soni in this race due to her past experiences as well as her endorsements from some progressive organizations.

Aiya Kravi is also running for Lake Washington School Board Director. She held a career in consulting and served as a PTSA Board Member, with experience in real estate investment. Her priorities include promoting healthier food options, after-school programs, and career counseling to support post-graduate success. Kravi proposes expanding access to after-school programs and removing barriers like language, gender, cost, transportation, and special needs.

The third candidate in this race is Susan Hughes, a conservative running for Lake Washington School Board Director. Her campaign website remains vague and lacks concrete policy solutions she would implement if elected. In a survey administered by the King County GOP, Hughes echoed far-right talking points about transgender youth athletic participation. She also promised to look for school programs to cut to save money in the district, which would undermine educational opportunities for local students. Susan Hughes' priorities are out of touch with the needs of families in the Lake Washington School District.

Two other candidates are running for the Lake Washington School Board representing District 4.

Incumbent director Mark Stuart is seeking another term on the Lake Washington School Board in District 4. Stuart first joined the school board in 2014 and works in public relations and advertising outside of elected office.

Stuart was censured by his colleagues last year for violating Board Policy and the Code of Conduct after he lied about and tried to cover up that his wife threatened a district parent in retaliation for their advocacy at a school board meeting. As a result, he is prohibited from serving as the school board’s legislative chair or on any of the school district committees. Stuart is now running on a platform that emphasizes bettering communication between district residents, school families, and board members. He also aims to enhance anti-discrimination and equity throughout the school district. Unfortunately, Stuart's conduct makes it clear he's not the right person to pursue these goals or continue representing the community in school district decision-making.

Kim Martin is a hospitality professional, small business owner, and district parent. She has volunteered for her PTSA, and has children who have been part of public, private, co-op, and homeschooled education locally. More than policy recommendations, Martin’s platform is centered on relationship-building: between parents and educators, schools and their surrounding communities, and families and the district leadership. While Martin has some laudable campaign priorities, she lacks the endorsements and community support of Richter.