SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Endorsements

Incumbent Dave Somers is running for re-election for Snohomish County Executive. A former member of the Snohomish County Council, Somers has served as executive since 2016, where he manages twelve county offices, including Human Services, Medical Examiner, and Emergency Management.

As county executive, Somers has supported measures to create parks and open spaces, invest in alternative fuels, aid salmon recovery, and develop the Snohomish County Housing Task Force to help meet the affordable housing needs of the community. More recently, Somers announced the Snohomish County Outreach Team (SCOUT) to pair social workers with law enforcement on behavioral health calls. Somers has also awarded $500,000 in federal recovery dollars for two new youth and family resource centers: the South County Korean Community Service Center and The Clearwater School. These two centers will help provide culturally-appropriate health services, community workshops, food access, and support for LGTBQ youth and families.

Challenging Somers is Republican Bob Hagglund, who has served as the Snohomish County Republican Legislative District committee chairman and election integrity chairman since 2020. He also ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state in 2022. In an interview with The Everett Herald, Hagglund said that he voted for Trump in 2020 and hopes more Republicans will run on new ideas. Despite that, he touts tired old policies that have failed to address the root causes of homelessness and often end in cycling people through jail who may simply need more affordable housing or small amounts of support.

Somers is by far the best choice for Snohomish County Executive. 
 

Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu is running for re-election this year. He is a small business owner, the former dean of Bellingham Technical College, and he served on the Whatcom County Council for four years prior to running for county executive in 2019. 

Sidhu led Whatcom County through a particularly tumultuous period. Most of his first term was focused on supporting the community through the pandemic - which began just two months after he took office - and responding to the historic Nooksack River flood. During his first term, the Whatcom County Council also unanimously banned any expansion of fossil fuel facilities at Cherry Point after many years of debate and public protest. He was also supportive of the county's Climate Action Plan and reducing the use of natural gas in local buildings. Sidhu's track record on climate and conservation issues earned him the sole endorsement of Washington Climate Action in this race. 

The other defining issue of Sidhu's term has been the ongoing fight about a new Whatcom County Jail. He has sometimes been at odds with progressive activists over how to handle this facility. Sidhu supported the previous ballot measure that voters rejected. In June, Sidhu proposed a 0.2 percent sales tax increase to build a new jail with 440 cells that would cost at least $137 million. While it's an improvement over previous proposals, some local progressives were disappointed that he continued to push for building a bigger jail. If he's re-elected, we hope Sidhu will adopt a more progressive stance on the jail facility and other issues involving the criminal legal system. 

Sidhu also generated some criticism for his handling of The Healthy Children's Fund, which voters narrowly approved last November. Shortly after the election, he recommended reducing the tax rate written in the ballot measure because he expected it would raise more money than originally estimated. In March, he recommended redirecting $4.5 million from the levy to other purposes. The Whatcom County Council disagreed, voting 6-1 to maintain the funding for building and renovating child care facilities.

He is running for a second term on a platform of housing affordability, salmon recovery, and flood resiliency. As he has throughout his term, Sidhu stresses the importance of finding common ground during a time of divisiveness in our local and national politics. He wants to work together with the county council to update zoning laws to allow more housing density in certain places while maintaining rural and agricultural land. He also touts his ongoing efforts to secure state and federal funding to build a "Skill Center" at Meridian High School to expand family-wage job opportunities in skilled trades. 

Sidhu faces Republican business executive Dan Purdy in the general election. Purdy previously worked for the oil company BP and the mining company Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold. He has already earned the endorsements of local MAGA Republicans like former Sen. Simon Sefzik. Purdy is not a progressive choice in this race.

Sidhu has earned many endorsements from local and state progressive leaders. If re-elected, he would be one of the few people of color in county leadership positions in Washington state. We recommend Satpal Sidhu for Whatcom County Executive.  

Democratic Party activist and human rights advocate Jon Scanlon is running for At-Large, Position B on the Whatcom County Council. This seat is open following the retirement of Carol Frazey. Previously, Scanlon worked at the U.S. State Department and with OxFam America doing humanitarian work. In addition, he has been a consistent volunteer and elected leader within the Whatcom County Democrats. 

Scanlon is running for office with a focus on affordability and environmental conservation. In particular, he would work to strengthen protections against flooding, ensure access to clean air and water, and preserve the county's farmlands and forests. His two decades of public policy and advocacy experience would also be a welcome addition to the council.

Scanlon faces Hannah Ordos on the ballot this November. Ordos is a customer support manager at Vitamin Porfolio LLC and is a member of the North Sound Behavioral Health Advisory Board. Her website focuses on bringing people together and offers few specific policy details. In 2021, she endorsed Republican Tyler Byrd for Whatcom County Council and this February she was part of a group of "vaccine skeptics" nominated for the Whatcom County Health Board. 

Scanlon has earned an impressive slate of progressive endorsements and is the best choice for Whatcom County Council, At-Large Position B. 

Megan Dunn, the program director for the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, is running for re-election to the Snohomish County Council in District 2. Prior to being elected to the council in 2019, Dunn led the successful effort to improve representation on the Everett City Council by creating local districts and served on the Everett Community Streets Initiative Task Force, which helps address homelessness in downtown Everett.

Dunn ran for Snohomish County Council in 2019 to continue her work on community-building and environmental sustainability. She's met her campaign promises by using pandemic recovery funding for district organizations that are committed to helping neighbors, including the Interfaith Family Shelter, Everett Recovery Café, and Madres de Casino Road's meal program.

She's focused on voting for policies that would best uplift people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Dunn was one of three council members who voted to convert two hotels into low-barrier shelters for people experiencing homelessness. She correctly noted that putting up barriers like drug testing would have put 20 million federal dollars at risk of being lost and likely prevented the shelter from being built. 

Dunn faces a challenge from Georgia Fisher. a precinct committee officer for the Snohomish County Republican Party and district chair for the 21st Legislative District Republicans. In addressing the opioid and drug epidemic, she wants to see more people arrested for addiction, sending more people in crisis to jail. Much of her campaign platform follows a familiar path for conservatives this year, with promises to support business and pour even more funds into militarized police. For reference, the county already spends over 75 percent of its $288.5 million general budget on police and the criminal legal system. 

If elected, Dunn will continue to advocate for those who need it most in the country. She is by far the best choice for the Snohomish County Council in District 2. 
 

State House Rep. Strom Peterson was appointed to the Snohomish County Council last year. He is now running unopposed to retain his county council seat. In less than a year on the council, Peterson has joined his colleagues to bolster rental assistance funding and secure funds for Civic Park. As a member of the council's Housing Affordability Regional Task Force (HART), he has also worked to make low-barrier shelters available to help people struggling with homelessness.

Peterson enters election season with a large slate of endorsements from progressive and Democratic leaders from state, local, and county governments. Peterson has earned your vote for Snohomish County Council representing District 3. 
 

Attorney Kristin Ang is running for re-election for Port of Tacoma Commissioner, Position 5 to continue building a sustainable vision for industry at the port. She seeks to protect community health and the environment by reducing noise and air pollution, improving water quality, and increasing shore power technology. Ang opposes the port's property tax and supports pressing businesses to clean up their share of pollution, developing a comprehensive public engagement plan, and working with tribes, businesses, and local government to create shared agendas for the port.

Ang is running against Dave Bryant, a Navy veteran. Voters may find this matchup familiar - Bryant and Ang also ran against each other in 2019, with Ang winning by about 3 percent. This year, Bryant's campaign is similar to his last run. He wants to optimize the loading and offloading of goods with surface transportation, update the port's infrastructure, and use his knowledge of operating deep draft ships to make the port more competitive. However, he still lacks Ang's knowledge and experience when it comes to environmental conservation and creating clean energy jobs.

Ang has worked hard as a member of the port’s tribal liaison committee, diversity, equity, and inclusion committee, and as a board member of the Central Puget Sound Economic Development District and the Washington Council on International Trade. She has earned your vote for Port of Tacoma Commission, Position 5.
 

Deputy Mayor James Jeyaraj is running for another term in Position 3 on the Auburn City Council. Jeyaraj made history as Auburn’s first Indian-American immigrant to serve on the city council when he joined in 2020. In his professional life, Jeyaraj has worked in the aerospace industry, and he serves in the community as a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Board as well as for the nonprofit Lighthouse for the Blind.

On the council, one of Jeyaraj's progressive accomplishments was bringing forward a resolution to affirm abortion access in Auburn after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Jeyaraj’s campaign priorities this year include creating more living-wage jobs, more affordable housing options, and progress on community safety. He has earned overwhelming support in this race from key progressive leaders, unions, and political organizations.

Former KIRO news reporter Tracy Taylor Turner is challenging Jeyaraj in this race. Taylor Turner currently serves as the vice president of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation and works in communications for Kent’s municipal government. Her platform is not very detailed as of mid- October, focusing primarily on more policing in our neighborhoods and more governmental support for businesses and development. Her individual endorsements listed on her Facebook come largely from conservative elected officials, including House Republican Leader Rep. Drew Stokesbary.

Jeyaraj is the best choice for Auburn City Council, Position 3.
 

Hanan Amer is running for Auburn City Council, Position 7. The seat is currently held by Bob Baggett who is not seeking a third term on the council. Amer has a background in chemistry and works at a local aerospace company. She dedicates much of her free time to public service and has served on the city’s diversity council and on the planning commission. Amer also volunteers with the Girl Scouts.

Amer is running an optimistic, inclusive campaign to make Auburn a safe place to live and work for all. If elected, she wants to focus on social equity, environmental stewardship, community safety, and quality municipal leadership. In this race, Amer has earned endorsements from local unions, Democratic groups, and community leaders across multiple levels of government.

The other candidate in this race is Brian Lott, an administrative executive for a local food technology company. Though he says he disagrees with partisan politics, Lott is running on a conservative platform. He offers an uncompassionate and ineffective approach to the housing crisis and wants to use public funds to further militarize our police instead of investing in alternatives.

Auburn residents deserve a council member focused on community solutions instead of divisive policies. Hanan Amer is the clear choice in this race for Auburn City Council, Position 7.
 

Mo Malakoutian is running for Bellevue City Council, Position 3, to replace Jeremy Barksdale, who chose not to run for re-election. Malakoutian received his undergraduate degree and MBA from the University of Washington. He now works at Amazon coaching and training employees, particularly those in warehouse and delivery roles, for higher-level positions. He also works part-time as an assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UW. 

Malakoutian has been active in the local community for many years. He is currently the chair of the Bellevue Planning Commission, where he has both worked on the city's plans for sustainable growth and helped develop guidelines for housing and facilities to support people experiencing homelessness. 

Malakoutian's top campaign priority is affordable housing. He wants to use his experience in civil engineering and on the planning commission to build more homes, reduce the cost of housing, and prevent seniors from being priced out of their homes. He would also work with partners in nearby jurisdictions to ensure we continue to address homelessness through a regional response. Malakoutian is also committed to acting on climate change and supports improving transportation and transit options throughout Bellevue. 

His opponent is Alex Tsimerman, who is best known for verbally abusing city council members at public hearings. He is an outspoken Trump supporter who regularly compares Democrats to Nazis and uses racial slurs during public meetings. Tsimerman has no place in elected office.

Malakoutian is a strong first-time candidate for office with extensive professional and community experience that will serve him well on the council. We recommend Mo Malakoutian for Bellevue City Council, Position 3.
 

Dave Hamilton is running for Bellevue City Council, Position 7, to replace conservative Jennifer Robertson, who is not seeking re-election. 

Until late 2022, Hamilton was the CEO of Delivery Express, which specialized in health care and retail shipping and logistics. Hamilton is a longtime Eastside resident who is active in the community. He is currently serving his second term on the Bellevue Parks & Community Services Board and previously served on the board of The Sophia Way, which provides support for women experiencing homelessness. 

Hamilton is running for Bellevue City Council to improve housing affordability, keep our communities safe, and protect our parks and green spaces. He fully supports building more homes and increasing density in neighborhoods like Wilburton and Bel-Red. He wants his six kids to have the same opportunity he did to afford a home in Bellevue. Hamilton would work closely with King County and neighboring cities to ensure Bellevue is contributing toward a regional solution to homelessness. 

Hamilton has received some criticism from the left for his occasional support for conservative candidates like Reagan Dunn and Jared Nieuwenhuis. However, he has largely supported Democrats and progressives in the past and said he "will represent a change" on the city council from the conservative incumbent.

His opponent is Bill Hirt, a perennial, single-issue candidate who is fixated on blocking light rail, which is scheduled to begin service in Bellevue next spring. Hirt is not a credible candidate for office. 

Hamilton has earned a bipartisan slate of endorsements from organizations and elected officials, including all six Democrats that represent Bellevue in the state Legislature. Dave Hamilton is the clear choice in the race for Bellevue City Council, Position 7.  

Mayor and incumbent council member Mason Thompson is running for another term for Bothell City Council, Position 2. Prior to joining the council in 2020, Thompson worked in account management for a number of companies and he has served on the city’s parks and recreation board.

In office, Thompson has worked to implement a progressive vision of efficiency in both public services and city planning. He believes this approach can create a more livable, accessible, and climate-friendly Bothell. Some of his accomplishments on the council include leading RADAR (a bridge between law enforcement and mental health services), pedestrianizing Main Street, tripling human services funding, and securing Bothell’s first federal grant for the Bothell-Everett Highway. Now, Thompson is running to make strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, to build diverse housing options to meet a variety of needs, and to invest in public spaces like Main Street and parks. 

Fellow city council member James McNeal, who currently serves in Position 4, is challenging Thompson in this race. McNeal spent nearly three decades in the construction industry and served as the former president of an organization dedicated to preserving the Wayne Golf Course. He joined the council in 2016 and is running in this race without a detailed platform, updated social media, or a campaign website as of mid-October.

Thompson has been an exceptional leader for Bothell and has helped make the city a hub of innovation for the entire region. Mason Thompson has earned your vote for Bothell City Council, Position 2. 
 

Community organizer Bryan Yambe is running to retain his seat on the Fife City Council, Position 1. Yambe is a lifelong volunteer and movement-builder. He has worked with the Pierce County Young Democrats, 25th Legislative District Democrats, and the Washington State Labor Council, as well as multiple other boards and progressive organizations. When he was elected in 2013, he became only the second Japanese-American person and one of the youngest people to ever serve on the Fife City Council.

Yambe is running to improve public safety and accountability measures, increase funding for transportation, reduce homelessness, and make living in Fife more affordable for youth, seniors, and working people. During his time on council, he has helped connect residents experiencing homelessness to housing and services, secured more than $100 million for transportation projects, and provided utility payment relief and living wage career options to young people in the city.

Yambe faces a challenge from Barry D. Johnson, who previously served on the Fife Planning Commission and Parks Board. He is running to improve transparency and collaboration on the council, but his campaign platform is otherwise thin on details. 

Yambe is endorsed by many progressive groups like Planned Parenthood, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, and many local unions. Because of his dedication to inclusion and creating opportunities for the young people in our community, Yambe is the best choice for Fife City Council, Position 1. 

 

Incumbent Zach Hall is running for another term in Position 2 on the Issaquah City Council. Hall made history as one of the youngest people to ever serve on Issaquah's city council when he was elected at the age of 25. Despite his relative youth, Hall has an extensive resume as a campaign manager and legislative assistant for our state representatives. 

His state level work has not distracted him from his dedication to his hometown, however. Hall has knocked on more than 10,000 doors in Issaquah while canvassing, keeping a notebook of community members' stories to guide his work. He represents Issaquah on the Cascade Water Alliance, a group of municipalities focused on preserving clean water supply on the eastside.

Hall has supported building 150 units of affordable rental homes near transit, introducing a community court program to connect people to resources instead of punishing them, and developing plans to protect the climate and improve transit options. Hall is running for re-election to continue his work to make Issaquah a place where everyone can get where they need to go, live in a home they can afford, and have clean water to drink.

Landon Halverson, a conservative Catholic school teacher, is challenging Hall for Position 2. Halverson is the vice-chair of the King County Republican Party. Predictably, his posts on social media echo Republican fear-mongering about crime. In contrast to the incumbent Hall, who helped provide relief to small businesses and set up vaccine clinics during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Halverson loudly opposed the science-based public health guidelines 

Zach Hall is the clear choice for Issaquah City Council, Position 2.
 

Victoria Hunt is running for re-election to Issaquah City Council, Position 6. She is a data scientist at Breakthrough Energy, where she leads research efforts on renewable energy and does climate analyses to help cities meet their climate plans. She was elected to the council in 2019 and holds a Ph.D. in ecology.

In office, Hunt has been a champion for environmental protection. During her two years as council president, she helped pass the city's climate action plan. She also advocated for the acquisition and preservation of the 46-acre Bergsma property, which was one of the few remaining unprotected areas in the Issaquah Alps. Hunt has been involved in advocating for ambitious climate action at the state level as well, supporting a bill to make the largest energy supplier in Washington transition to clean energy.

Hunt also has a good track record when it comes to affordable housing. She was the only council member to support all the recommendations from the Regional Coalition on Housing (ARCH) that would combat landlords' continued raising of rents in Issaquah. If re-elected, Hunt states that she would like to study and expand housing options so that people with lower or moderate incomes can find and keep their homes.

Her opponent is Sam Sheehan, a conservative welder and business owner. Sheehan does not have a campaign website nor has he raised any funds as of mid-October, but his voter's guide statement bemoans "individual liberties" being sidelined for the "greater good." His proposals would result in cuts to funding for roads, parks, and other services that benefit working people. 

Hunt clearly stands out in this race with her knowledge of environmental stewardship and sustainable development in Issaquah. Vote for Victoria Hunt for Issaquah City Council, Position 6.
 

Incumbent council member Amy Falcone is running for another term on the Kirkland City Council in Position 6. Falcone previously served as a founding member and co-chair of the Kirkland Human Services Commission before being elected to this seat in 2019. She was called to public service when she started advocating for safer sidewalks in her neighborhood. Now, she also serves as the PTO co-president at her daughter's middle school and on the City of Kirkland/Lake Washington School District Coordinating Committee.

Falcone focuses on both inclusivity and sustainability lenses in order to build a future for Kirkland that provides opportunities for everyone. She has been an advocate for community funding to support everyone’s needs preventatively before people face housing or food insecurity. If re-elected, she hopes to continue fostering collaboration and engaging resident voices, particularly those that have been historically silenced or ignored by city leadership. Falcone has earned a diverse set of endorsements in this race, including from the local Democrats, the state’s leading community organizations, and progressive elected officials.

Also in this race is "Ryan James" Turok who owns and operates a small art gallery. Turok is running without party affiliation or endorsements. He serves on the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and the board of the Bellevue Arts Museum. In this race, he has emphasized economic development, workforce housing, and neighborhood upgrades.

We recommend Amy Falcone in this race because of her clear vision for improving Kirkland and the impressive support her campaign has earned.
 

Dontae Derrell Payne is a U.S. Army veteran and Olympia City Council member running for Mayor of Olympia. He has national experience as a staffer in the U.S. House and currently works as a policy advisor for civil rights and racial justice in the office of the governor. He became the first Black man to serve on the Olympia City Council when he was elected in 2016.

Payne was first motivated to run for office because of the lack of representation for Black and brown people in city government. He says his experience as a gay, Black, former military member will bring the voice of marginalized people to the table. In his bid for mayor, his main goals are to increase affordable housing, provide community safety outside of law enforcement, and create financial wellbeing for all Olympia families.

During his time on city council, Payne has supported renters' rights legislation that capped move-in fees and required landlords to give more advanced notice of rent increases. He also voted to create a tiny home village and build more than 100 units of affordable housing. Unlike his opponent, Payne knows sweeps and criminalizing encampments just shuffles people around. As mayor, he would focus on meeting peoples' basic needs, funding case workers, and creating more types of housing that working people can afford.

Payne has a nuanced opinion on public safety. Although he has a personal negative experience with a patrol officer and wants to get systemic racism out of policing, he sees the discussion of the budget as "a convenient distraction from white supremacy" when there is still a need for officers. He supported implementing police accountability measures like body and car cameras, and wants to increase non-law enforcement resources for people experiencing mental health crises or substance abuse issues.

Payne's challenger is David Ross, a conservative-leaning candidate whose platform focuses on increasing policing and labeling everyone without a home a criminal by making homelessness itself a crime. Despite having a background doing social work and outreach to homeless residents, Ross calls approaches to homelessness that prioritize housing first "wrong-headed." He believes in enforcing penalties for living in public spaces, even though sweeping people from place to place and criminalizing homelessness would only add to peoples' struggles. While Ross has some progressive suggestions to tackle the issue, such as increasing density downtown and sending social workers alongside police, his single-minded focus on eliminating visible homelessness should be a red flag for voters. Unlike his opponent, Ross’ platform does not address any of the other issues that Olympia faces.

Because of his extensive experience, proven track record, and dedication to racial justice, Payne is the best choice in this race.
 

Yến Huỳnh is running unopposed for re-election to the Olympia City Council, Position 2. She was first appointed to the council in early 2021 and won her election in November of that year to serve the final two years of her term. She is an equity and social justice consultant at the Washington State Department of Corrections, where she aims to reduce recidivism, and is a former Olympia planning commissioner. She is one of two people of color currently serving on the council and is the youngest member representing Olympia.

Over the last two years, Huỳnh has prioritized public health, economic resiliency, and climate justice. The council member wants to see public safety reimagined through the input of the community and wants to see first responders and diverse community members included as part of the city's public safety decision-making process. Huỳnh joined her colleagues voting in favor of increased protections for renters that will help keep costs down. The legislation capped move-in fees and pet fees, and required landlords to provide more advanced notice for rent increases. In addition, she voted for $4 per hour hazard pay for frontline grocery store workers early in the pandemic. 

Huynh's solid track record on the council and support from the progressive community make her the best choice for Olympia City Council, Position 2. 
 

Dani Madrone is running unopposed for re-election to the Olympia City Council, Position 3. She has lived in Olympia for nearly two decades, attending Evergreen State College and now working for the American Farmland Trust. She has also been active in the community, serving on the boards of The Olympian and the Olympia Food Co-op. 

Madrone is running to tackle the big issues of affordable housing, homelessness, and climate change with a science-based and community-forward approach. In her second term, she wants to expand community partnerships with groups like Habitat for Humanity to build more homes. Madrone will also prioritize making Olympia a friendly and welcoming city by creating more shared spaces for people to come together, including new community gardens. 

Madrone has earned your vote for re-election to the Olympia City Council, Position 3. 
 

Shellie Willis is running for Puyallup City Council in the At-Large Position which is currently held by Mayor Dean Johnson. Willis is the Senior Director of Collective Impact at a local nonprofit that supports Pierce County workforce development. She is an army veteran and serves as the CEO of her own organization that provides services and support to servicewomen, women veterans, and military spouses as they transition out of service. Additionally, Willis is a Women Veterans Advisory Committee member for the state’s Department of Veteran Affairs and serves on the Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce as the chair-elect.

If elected, Willis wants to bring Puyallup to its full potential as a city where people want to settle down, work, raise families, start businesses, and visit. She is motivated to bring resident voices to the table, collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and deliver efficient leadership. Willis is running on an inclusive platform that places people above party and emphasizes connection and ensuring everyone feels safe in the community. She has impressive endorsements in this race including from local unions, progressive organizations, and The News Tribune.

Renne Gilliam, a career and technical education teacher for the Puyallup School District, is the other candidate in this race. Gilliam has emphasized her family’s longstanding ties to Puyallup throughout this campaign, however she has yet to share a detailed campaign platform and has no campaign website as of early October.

We recommend Shellie Willis for the Puyallup City Council, At-Large Position because of her vision, proven leadership, and strong community support in this race.
 

Osman Salahuddin is running for Position 1 on the Redmond City Council after Councilmember Varisha Khan declined to run for re-election. Salahuddin works as the communications and community engagement manager for King County Councilmember Sarah Perry. He is currently on the board of directors for the Muslim Association of Puget Sound and previously served as student body president at the University of Washington. 

Salahuddin is running to reduce the cost of housing in Redmond and ensure everyone feels safe in their community. If elected, he would improve neighborhood walkability and invest more in affordable housing solutions like the Together Center. In addition, he would work to modernize Redmond's building codes to encourage green construction and promote energy efficiency. 

Salahuddin is facing Nate Niederhausern in the general election. Niederhausern works in digital streaming and online learning for corporations. He is active with the Redmond LDS Boy Scout troops, particularly on environmental conservation. Niederhausern appears to be newer to politics. While he made it through the primary election himself, he had not voted in a primary in 15 years. In addition, he supported Republican Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign against President Obama. 

Salahuddin is the clear choice for Redmond City Council, Position 1.
 

U.S. Navy veteran and insurance agent Angie Nuevacamina is running for Redmond City Council, Position 7. She serves on the Redmond Planning Commission and has been a committee member with the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County for the last 5 years. 

Nuevacamina is running to make housing more affordable, keep our communities safe, and improve transparency in local government. As a proponent of the "Nothing About Us Without Us" principle, she would ensure decisions in Redmond are made more equitably and every voice is heard. As Redmond continues to grow, she also wants to make the city more welcoming for all residents. 

Nuevacamina is facing incumbent David Carson. Carson, a software test lead, is a business-oriented candidate running to push for the completion of infrastructure projects in Redmond. Carson has an antagonistic approach to homelessness, stating that he wants to prosecute people found with shopping carts off-premises. He has been cited in the Washington Post and elsewhere stating that those suffering from addiction must hit "rock bottom" before seeking treatment.

Nuevacamina's lived experience and deep experience in the community makes her the clear choice for Redmond City Council, Position 7.
 

Kim-Khanh Van is running for re-election to Renton City Council, Position 7, where she has served since 2020. After her family escaped Vietnam as refugees and settled in King County, she went on to earn her law degree and become an attorney. Van is now an active member of the community, volunteering with groups that serve veterans, protect the local environment, and provide legal aid to immigrants. She also is a board member of the PTA at Kennydale, where her child attends school, and is the co-founder of AAPI Against Hate.

Van has been a relatively progressive voice during her time on the city council. She supported allocating pandemic funding to homeownership programs, human services, and small businesses. She also advocated testing for toxic "forever chemicals" in our water systems and denounced the construction of an asphalt plant on the Cedar River. She was also one of only two members of the Renton City Council who voted to maintain the Red Lion Hotel as a source of housing for residents experiencing homelessness.

Van has been an outspoken advocate for immigrants and communities of color and has earned impressive support from our partners in this race. 

Former Renton City Council member and Boeing engineer Randy Corman is challenging Kim-Khanh Van for Position 7. Corman retired from the council in 2021 after 24 years in office. Corman's platform has a few progressive goals, like building more affordable housing for people with middle incomes, supporting sustainable development, and expanding public transportation.

However, he also has concerning stances on some of the top issues affecting Renton today. Corman blames crime on the commonsense police accountability laws, despite evidence they make our community safer. He supports criminalizing homelessness and addiction in Renton rather than supporting proven solutions to our community's challenges. 

Kim-Khanh Van's strong endorsements and more progressive platform make her the clear choice for Renton City Council, Position 7. 

Progressive Elizabeth Greninger is running for SeaTac City Council, Position 3. With more than 15 years of social work experience, Greninger has helped people who have faced domestic violence, sexual assault, and housing instability. 

Greninger has a comprehensive plan to deliver safe, affordable, and accessible housing to all SeaTac residents. For example, she would make it easier for homeowners to convert or build accessory dwelling units on their properties. Along with advocating for higher minimum wages, Greninger also wants to ensure SeaTac uses union contracts whenever possible. If elected, she would expand local initiatives helping women, queer people, and people of color start their own businesses.

Greninger also has the most complete vision for protecting the environment and residents’ well-being. She advocates protecting the North SeaTac Park and preventing it from being developed by the Port of Seattle. Moreover, she would expand farmer’s markets and leverage the recently passed Crisis Care Levy to build behavioral health resources in the city. Finally, Greninger is focused on reducing air traffic noise pollution and aviation emissions. Overall, her policies would lead to a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for SeaTac.

Greninger is challenging incumbent Peter Kwon, who has been a council member since 2016. Kwon was the deputy mayor of SeaTac from 2020 to 2022. Professionally, he is a systems engineer, president of the Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials, and founder of the Neighborhood Locking Mailbox Program. 

Kwon focuses his campaign on his non-partisanship. His main priority during his tenure has been reducing SeaTac’s debt position while trying to not cut services. SeaTac has been successful in this aim as it now has a budget surplus without a reduction in city services. Another priority for Kwon was the adoption of a lockable mailbox program in SeaTac to address rising mail theft. Recently, Kwon has also initiated talks with the Port of Seattle to acquire the 220-acre North SeaTac park.

Unfortunately, Kwon has also been quoted as stating that SeaTac already has "enough" affordable housing, which disregards the pressing need for accessible and affordable housing options in our community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kwon voted to ban the effective strategy by King County to convert unused hotels into housing with on-site services within SeaTac, leaving people without shelter in a time of crisis.

Elizabeth Greninger's progressive values and impressive record of community service make her the choice for SeaTac City Council, Position 3.
 

Damiana Merryweather is running for SeaTac City Council, Position 7, which is currently held by retiring council member Erin Sitterly. Merryweather works for the Greater Burien Area Urban Farmers Group in administration and is the operations lead and CFO of a local restaurant group. She also serves as a commissioner on the SeaTac Planning Commission.

Merryweather is running to bring her operations leadership, business savvy, and community vision to the school board. If elected, she wants to improve public safety by working with different stakeholders like community organizations, law enforcement, and residents. Merryweather also wants to work on housing affordability, especially for SeaTac’s working families, traffic and speed safety on the roads, and community/airport relations. In this race, Merryweather has earned an impressive list of endorsements including local elected officials, progressive organizations, and some unions.

The other candidate in this race is Joe Vinson, who works as a maintenance manager. Vinson’s top priorities for office include public safety, housing affordability, and climate protection. He wants to bring a combined data-driven and community-focused approach to the council in order to make SeaTac a safe city full of opportunity and unity.

We recommend Damiana Merryweather for Seatac City Council, Position 7 because of her strong endorsements from our partners and other progressive organizations.
 

Ron Davis is running for Seattle City Council, District 4 as an outspoken progressive for affordable housing, community safety, and more. Davis has served in the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association and has been a board member at Futurewise, which advocates for sustainability and livable communities. In our interview with Davis, he emphasized that he's running to be the opposite of retiring incumbent council member Alex Pedersen, who stood in the way of many progressive policies, including efforts to build more housing that's affordable to middle-income Seattlites. 

If elected, Davis would focus on housing supply, subsidizing housing so that everyone has more affordable access, and increasing stability for renters. Many policies are on the table for Davis to achieve this, including prohibiting rent price gouging, funding social housing, expanding midrise housing, ensuring the "right to return" for people displaced by developers, and offering square footage and height bonuses. Davis is also rigorously pro-science when it comes to treating homelessness as a housing problem. He points out that many challenging and displacing life events like domestic abuse, addiction, and job loss are less catastrophic when people can afford rent and stay off the streets. Aside from the many housing policies above, Davis wants to see 3,500 permanent supportive housing units built. 

In the primary election, Davis was one of the few candidates, not just in the district but citywide, to acknowledge that even Seattle's own police don't think they can hire 400 more officers during a nationwide shortage. Rather than lowering standards on hires and pouring more money into bonuses, he wants to see aggressive expansion into alternatives to policing for people in crisis. Other top priorities for Davis are worker's rights, including subsidized childcare, closing minimum wage loopholes, and more.

Davis' opponent, Maritza Rivera, works in Mayor Bruce Harrell's office as Deputy Director of the Department of Arts & Culture. Her number one campaign priority is public safety, specifically in the form of getting 5-minute response times to 911 calls, taking "home and car break-ins seriously," and aggressively targeting drug users. The lack of details on how she would achieve this or any of the city's many other needs does not instill confidence. Rivera doesn't support rent control and wants the city to continue its expensive and inhumane sweeps of encampments. She has no firm stance on increasing revenue for all the 400 additional officers she wants to hire, despite a projected city budget shortfall in the years to come.

Rivera was also highlighted in a Stranger article around the contents of a letter that the majority of the staff at the Seattle Arts and Culture Department (ARTS) signed, citing "defensive, hostile, and condescending interactions with Rivera." She has taken a large number of donations from corporations and conservatives, including those who often donate to Trump and other Republican campaigns. 

Vote for Ron Davis for progressive change on the Seattle City Council from District 4.  

Former King County Superior Court Judge Cathy Moore is running for the District 5 seat on the Seattle City Council.

Moore has worked in public service for decades, including in public defense, as chair of the Seattle Human Rights Commission, and as governor of the Washington State Bar Association. If elected, Moore supports social and workforce housing, improvements to bus services and other transit, and investments in public services such as on-demand substance use treatment and before-and-after school programs. She wants to see more tiny homes villages built to prevent people from needing to live on the street, and believes that rental subsidies should be expanded as well to prevent homelessness. Moore wants to see the city also create a department for climate resiliency that would focus on providing resources like air conditioning at libraries, community centers, and more as climate change drives hotter summers.

While Moore has many years of public service and shares many progressive values, ObeySumner would be a stronger advocate on the most important issues facing Seattle. Moore supports a slightly more cautious approach when it comes to building desperately needed housing than ObeySumner. The two candidates diverge more when it comes to how best to keep our community safe. Moore supports Mayor Harrell's goal of hiring more than 400 officers, despite a nationwide hiring challenge and anticipated budget shortfalls. Moore states that when the new police guild contract is written, she will ensure that accountability measures are in place, though the city has struggled in the recent past to hold the police department accountable to reforms like investigating complaints against officers.

During her interview, we were somewhat disappointed with the lack of depth in Moore’s answers given her longtime public service. In contrast, ObeySumner’s advocacy experience came through in their detailed, thoughtful responses to our questions. 
 

Lisa Brown is a former state representative, senate majority leader, and chancellor of Washington State University Spokane. She has also served as the Washington State Director of Commerce. Brown has spent many years advocating for and volunteering in Spokane, including organizing the first Take Back the Night rally to bring awareness to victims of domestic violence.

She wants to use her experience to see the city invest in improving the quality of life for all residents. According to Brown, one of the most pressing issues is balancing the city's budget crisis while making sure that residents have the opportunity to safely live, work, and play in Spokane.

A keystone of her campaign is increasing affordable housing to help the many residents who are struggling to find shelter or stay in their homes with housing cost increases. Some of the strategies she wants to implement include making sure that the city has fully applied for available affordable housing funds from the federal and state government, and expanding "missing middle housing," or the mid-cost housing that many professionals like teachers or firefighters need to stay in the community. Brown wants to improve community safety by investing in proven strategies like expanding mental health services, offering job apprenticeships, and building more affordable housing.

Brown is running against incumbent and former news anchor Nadine Woodward, whose conservative platform includes prioritizing her big-dollar donors and trying to make us fear those turning to cars and tents for shelter while she makes it impossible for many of us to afford any place to live.

Like many conservative incumbents running this year, Woodward has taken the stance that public safety has declined under her watch. But in this year’s budget, police have again received the most funding, with 32 percent going to police, compared to 4 percent for libraries or just 2 percent going to housing and human services. At the same time, Woodward has refused to authorize an investigation into Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl's relationship with wealthy downtown business owners with whom he shared non-public information to attack his political opponents, potentially a violation of state and local law. 

On top of this, Woodard faced calls for her resignation and widespread condemnation for her decision this August to join far-right former state representative Matt Shea at an event. A state House investigation deemed Shea a domestic terrorist for provoking a civil war, intimidating political opponents, and writing violent religious manifestos. Despite this clear record, Woodard accepted his blessing and endorsement as she stood with him onstage at the event.

Spokane has had conservative mayors for the last twelve years and Brown offers the chance to transform city and local government in Spokane. Vote for Lisa Brown for a more compassionate and affordable Spokane. 

Spokane City Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson is running for council president to unite the city in a vision of collaboration and equity. She was appointed to the city council to replace Breean Beggs when he became council president in 2020. Only the second Black woman to ever serve on the council, if Wilkerson is elected this year she would become the first-ever Black president of the Spokane City Council. 

Wilkerson is no stranger to serving the community. She is the former president of the Women Helping Women Fund and the Junior League of Spokane. Currently, Wilkerson is the board president for the Carl Maxey Center and runs Moore's Boarding Home Assisted Living.

In our local questionnaire and interview with Wilkerson, the councilmember said she was most excited to make it easier and more affordable to build homes. That means fast-tracking permits, encouraging remodels instead of tear-downs to lower pollution, and making zoning reforms. She spoke about how homeownership builds wealth, and amid the housing crisis wants to encourage homeownership for families of color with more accessible down payment assistance and educational programs to address racial disparities.

Her positions in support of keeping everyone in our community safe, boosting resources for alleviating homelessness, and providing a safety net demonstrate she is a candidate who will ensure that we all thrive. Wilkerson's many progressive endorsements demonstrate her solid record in the community and on the council as a capable and collaborative leader. 

Her opponent is Republican Kim Plese, who ran for Spokane County Commissioner in 2022 and lost to Democrat Chris Jordan. This year, the former printing company owner is running for this nonpartisan position on a familiar platform. Plese was motivated to run in part because she's disappointed that the current council has supported statewide police accountability measures. Plese also states that she will work with regional partners to build more housing - an effort already underway through the regional homelessness coalition.

In contrast to her opponent, Wilkerson defends the importance of having independent police oversight. She agrees with community members who have asked for this authority because the Spokane Police Department is allegedly the third deadliest police force in the country per population. Wilkerson wants to pair mental health responders with law enforcement in applicable calls and make sure that all in the city are treated fairly when dealing with police.

Betsy Wilkerson is the clear choice for Spokane City Council President.
 

Lindsey Shaw is running for Spokane City Council in District 1 to advocate for the residents of Northeast Spokane. Shaw served as chair of the Logan Neighborhood Council for five years and sees a chance in her candidacy to bring light to issues in District 1, like the North-South Freeway and the Children of the Sun Trail development, as well as making Spokane a better place to live for all across the city.

Shaw wants to usher in a citywide affordable childcare program to help families in the years of early childhood and boost the local economy. She states that low-barrier youth programs, young adult skill development, and other interventions are crucial for communities to thrive. On public safety, Shaw wants to see the city clean up neighborhoods, invest in substance abuse treatment and behavioral health programs, provide more affordable housing options so that no one is forced to live on the street, and make upstream investments before anyone is put into the criminal legal system.

Shaw is running against incumbent Michael Cathcart, who has served on the Spokane City Council since 2020. Previously, he was an aide for the far-right state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, who voters may remember for his anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion stances. As former executive director of the pro-business Better Spokane, Cathcart's campaign coffers and agenda are flooded with big developer money. He takes a conservative and hypocritical stance on issues like the possibility of a new jail, stating that "jail is going to make you a better criminal," but also advocating for building an expensive new one.

In the years since he lost his run for Spokane County Council, Cathcart has voted against a local Pride crosswalk and opposed a resolution that would prevent any Spokane city employee, including law enforcement, from aiding prosecution and investigations against abortion care providers or patients. Cathcart will continue to be an obstacle to progress on the council if re-elected.

Shaw's much stronger agenda and care for all residents of Spokane shows her commitment to the city, and she is the best choice for Spokane City Council, District 1. 

Paul Dillon is running for Spokane City Council, District 2 as an experienced and fearless advocate of opportunity for all in the city. 

There's no doubt about the breadth and depth of Dillon's experience working and volunteering for the residents of Spokane. He currently works as the vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho. Dillon is also the former Eastern Washington director for the YMCA Youth and Government Program and has served as a board member for the Center For Justice, Washington Bikes, and Pedals2People.

If elected, Dillon wants to raise the minimum wage to boost the local economy and support struggling families. As someone who once ran an environmental advocacy news site published by The Spokesman-Review, Dillon wants to revisit local laws on oil and train derailments to protect the environment. Also high on his priorities is to build new affordable housing units to alleviate rising housing costs for everyone in the community and fund transitional shelters and behavioral health rather than criminalizing homelessness. 

Dillon's community safety stance is more detailed and more progressive than his opponent's. He notes that due to racist incarceration policies, we have a system where African Americans, who are two percent of the population in Spokane, make up 14 percent of the jail population. He would invest in alternatives to incarceration, and use public health and behavioral health interventions instead of police where applicable, like sending unarmed officers or mental health responders. By fully funding the Office of Civil Rights and Equity, working to uplift working families, and promoting community safety, Dillon demonstrates his desire to lead from progressive values. 

His opponent is Katey Randall Treloar, who previously ran for Spokane School District Director in 2019. She is the founder of the program Bite To Go, which supplemented meals for hungry students. This year, she states that she will work on affordable housing, mental health, and addiction resources, but has yet to offer any details on her website about how she would tackle those issues if elected to city hall. 

In her previous run for school board, Treloar wanted to see armed officers put in schools and protested against COVID-19 safety protocols. She also opposed a supplemental school levy that aimed to provide resources for the district's children if the legislature didn't provide enough funding for schools. Treloar's previous campaign positions and lack of detail in her current campaign don't point to a progressive candidacy. 

Dillon's broad endorsements from labor, environmental organizations, and Democratic elected officials speak to the power of his campaign to make the city a better place to live for all. Vote Paul Dillon for Spokane City Council from District 2.
 

Former U.S. Army reserve medic Kitty Klitzke is running to bring her transportation expertise to the Spokane City Council. As the former chair of Spokane's Community Assembly Pedestrian, Transportation, and Traffic Committee and president of the Spokane Regional Food Policy Council, Klitzke has been deeply involved in the community. She also led Complete Streets Spokane, which successfully advocated for bike and pedestrian infrastructure requirements when planning and building streets.

In our local interview, Klitzke had thoughtful progressive answers to many of the issues facing Spokane. She agreed that the police ombudsman should be granted the power to independently investigate community complaints, which voters overwhelmingly approved. She also believes that Spokane needs to stop incentivizing housing that is unaffordable and start incentivizing the development of vacant lots, buildings, and parking lots. On homelessness, she supports a housing-first approach that helps people find shelter and secure homes as well as needed services.

Running against Klitzke is former respiratory therapist Earl Moore, who states that she's running a nonpartisan campaign though she was awarded the 2022 Republican Hero award by the county Republican party. Moore joined a rally this May to defend Spokane Police Chief Meidl from an investigation about potentially inappropriate relationships with wealthy downtown business owners, including sharing non-public information and using the police budget to attack his political opponents. Moore was also one of a number of candidates who joined far-right former state representative Matt Shea at an event this August to receive his endorsement and blessing.  As of mid-October, Moore's campaign remains thin on details about what she would prioritize if elected. Aside from her dedication to always supporting police, Moore promises a regional approach to the housing crisis but includes nothing about how she would implement policies in the city to achieve more stable or affordable housing. 

Klitzke is an accomplished transportation advocate who is excited to take on the city's needs for long-term planning and vision. Kitty Klitzke is the clear choice for Spokane City Council in District 3.  

Olgy Diaz is running to retain the At-Large position on the Tacoma City Council. Appointed to the position in the summer of 2022, Diaz is the first Latina to serve on the council. Diaz has deep roots in advocating for the community, including with groups like OneAmerica and Planned Parenthood, in the state legislature, and alongside local candidates. Reflecting her commitment to protecting our clean air and water, she serves as the deputy legislative director for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and serves as the vice chair of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.

Diaz has hit the ground running as a council member. In her first year, she has passed ordinances to protect gender-affirming healthcare and the right to abortion. She is excited to continue work on the city's climate action plan, which has so far funded wildfire smoke filter fans for low-income households and a city litter crew, among other priorities. When it comes to community safety, Diaz supports the city's overhaul of police use-of-force policies, the body camera program, and a community trauma response team. She also supported investments directly in the community through more affordable and accessible homes and shelter, increasing the tree canopy, and more. Diaz's work has earned her a huge slate of endorsements, including from Tacoma City Council members, state representatives, and many progressive organizations. 

Diaz is being challenged from the right by Kristen Wynne, an event venue owner and former King County deputy prosecutor. She is running to represent the business community, in her words, and wants to make Tacoma more business-friendly. But her method of doing so has failed time and time again - by pouring more money into law enforcement to tackle the issues of public safety. 

Relying on police, penalties, and prisons to tackle the addiction crisis, lack of affordable housing, and dealing with people having mental health crises has yet to work here or elsewhere in the country. Wynne takes issue with the 30 vacant officer positions in the Tacoma Police Department, but this isn't just a local issue - cities across the state and nation have seen a deficit of qualified individuals seeking to become police officers. This is yet another reason that relying on traditional law enforcement is unlikely to solve issues of addiction, mental health, or homelessness.

Wynne is closely aligned with the downtown business community and would likely pull the council to the right if elected. Diaz has been a principled and proactive member of the Tacoma City Council, and she has earned her vote to continue her work on the council. 
 

Deputy Mayor Kristina Walker is running for re-election for At-Large Position 8 on the Tacoma City Council. Prior to serving on the city council, Walker spent nine years as the executive director of Downtown on the Go, a Tacoma-based transportation advocacy organization that aims to encourage the use of biking, walking, and transit. 

During her first term in office, Walker has prioritized addressing racial disparities, expanding shelter options, and investing more in affordable housing. She supported the Home in Tacoma initiative to promote a greater range of housing options in more neighborhoods and reduce the cost of housing. She has also used her experience in transportation advocacy to improve access and keep our streets safe, including supporting legislation to lower the speed limit to 20 mph in residential areas. Unfortunately, Walker was part of a 6-3 majority on the city council that banned people without a home from sleeping outside near services. 

If re-elected, Walker would prioritize creating jobs, improving transportation access, and preserving local green spaces for all Tacoma residents. In addition, she is committed to reducing gun violence and improving public safety.

Walker faces a challenge this year from Todd Briske. Briske is a web developer who ran for state legislature last year against Speaker Laurie Jinkins as part of the Forward Party. He does not appear to have much community or political leadership experience. He states that he would focus on paving potholes, hiring more police officers, and building more shelter beds, though he doesn't say how he would accomplish this. 

Walker's track record on the council and strong support from our Progressive Voters Guide partners makes her the clear choice in this race.
 

Jamika Scott is running for Tacoma City Council in District 3 to replace Councilmember Keith Blocker, who is retiring. She was born and raised in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood and has dedicated her career to organizing her community.

Scott has worked as a domestic violence advocate at YWCA Pierce County and mentored students with AmeriCorps at Peace Community Center. She is also a co-founder and organizer with the Tacoma Action Collective and a board member of the Tacoma Public Library Foundation and the Tacoma Arts Commission.

Scott is a community activist who is running to bring her lifetime of experience to the Tacoma City Council. If elected, she would prioritize improving community safety through alternatives to law enforcement. She wants to expand access to mental health advocates to respond to emergency calls instead of police. In addition, she supports utilizing a restorative justice model that attempts to repair the harm done instead of only punishing offenders. Scott has also endorsed the Tacoma For All campaign that would establish a tenant bill of rights for local renters.

We recommend Scott for Tacoma City Council in District 3 because of her broader support, very progressive campaign platform, and deep roots in the community.
 

Kate Kruller, a current Tukwila City Council member, is running to be the city’s next mayor. Kruller was first elected to the city council in 2011 and also serves on a number of community boards, including chairing the Transportation and Infrastructure Services Federal Advocacy Committee. Outside of public service, she has spent more than three decades in IT and communications (primarily for municipal government offices), and she currently works for the county as a senior IT project manager. 

Kruller is running on a community-focused platform focused on affordable housing, safety services, public transportation, and responsible budgeting. She recognizes that Tukwila has seen major changes in the past few years and she wants to continue working on solutions to the rising cost of living, gentrification and rapid development, and the displacement of local, small businesses. In this race, Kruller has been endorsed by an impressive list of progressive elected officials, labor groups, and nonprofit organizations.

Fellow city council member Thomas McLeod is running against Kruller for Mayor of Tukwila. McLeod is a tax accountant who first joined Tukwila’s city council in January 2016. He previously served on the city’s planning commission for five years. If elected mayor, he wants to build on some police accountability measures and secure upgrades for roadways and sidewalks. He also wants to create more affordable housing and steer Tukwila’s growth in a responsible way.

We recommend Kate Kruller for Tukwila mayor due to her strong track record of city leadership and numerous key endorsements in this race.
 

Dulce Gutierrez is running to represent District 1 on the Yakima City Council. A child of immigrant agricultural workers, she became one of the first Latinas ever elected in Yakima. She held her seat from 2015 to 2019, where she served as assistant mayor for two years. Gutierrez is also a long-time organizer with the Washington State Labor Council, where she works with union members and assists with immigration services.

As a council member, Gutierrez has lived up to her dedication to safe communities, affordable housing, and improved infrastructure. She voted to fund gang prevention and intervention support in public schools and helped create a community diversion program to assist people struggling with drug abuse. She also voted to fund new housing for lower-income residents and homeless veterans and supported the creation of Camp Hope to provide a safe place for people living on the street. Gutierrez has supported funding improvements to the city's transportation network, pool, playgrounds, and community center, integrating solar energy into these new projects.

Gutierrez's opponent is Republican-endorsed Leo Roy, a businessman who says he wants to focus on homelessness and crime while being a voice for small business owners. Roy does not name any proposals for how he will address the lack of affordable housing, instead endorsing policies that have only further criminalized people in poverty while solving nothing. Although he claims to support some infrastructure improvements like adding street lighting, his platform is heavily focused on removing the paid parking downtown that funds lighting, trees, and accessible sidewalk repairs. Roy's statements indicate that he would prioritize the interests of downtown businesses over the wellbeing of the community as a whole.

Gutierrez has been a powerful voice for the immigrant community and working people. She has earned your vote to represent Yakima City Council from District 1.
 

There are no progressive candidates running in this race. Holly Cousens is running for re-election to the Yakima City Council in District 7. Cousens has served on the council since 2016, and was named assistant mayor in 2020. She currently works full-time as a business technology professor at Yakima Valley College.

Cousens is running on a moderate conservative platform that focuses on increasing police presence, reducing spending, and benefitting downtown businesses. Her voting record trends conservative as well - she voted against a sales tax that would have funded much-needed affordable housing, and she voted in favor of allowing ICE to continue deportation flights into Yakima.

Reedy Berg is a Trump Republican who is challenging incumbent Cousens. Berg readily acknowledges that he lacks political experience or business expertise, and his platform only contains vague suggestions for how to address homelessness, crime, and economic issues.

On social media, Berg has re-shared videos of Donald Trump's speeches where he criticizes "wokeness" in schools, and he claims that the city is cutting policing to fund Pride Month.

Although we disagree with Cousens on many important issues, her political experience and more moderate stances than Berg make her the better choice for Yakima City Council, District 7.
 

T'wina Nobles is an educator and community leader running to retain her seat on the University Place School Board. Nobles is a current board member of the University Place School Board, and was previously a teacher at Stadium and Lincoln High Schools. Nobles is also the CEO of the Tacoma Urban League and the Black Future Co-op Fund, organizations that build cooperative power in the Black community. Nobles made history in 2020 when she was elected to as a senator for the 28th district, becoming the first Black state senator to serve in over a decade.

As someone who has worked in education for more than 15 years and has experienced foster care and homelessness firsthand, Nobles became an extremely effective champion for our students in the state senate. She passed bills to mandate 45 minutes of recess per day, expand our state financial aid for college, and require school supports for students experiencing foster care. She also introduced a bill that would have required schools to make school lunches free.

During her time with the University Place School Board, she has lead efforts to make sure every student can thrive, regardless of their zip code, family's income, or the color of their skin. She supporting funding school planners, homecoming events, and college tours to historically Black colleges and universities. 

Nobles' opponent is Linda Wojciechowski, a conservative Christian who is running for a seat on the University Place School Board. In her role as a volunteer jail chaplain, Wojciechowski made inappropriate and harmful comments about LGBTQ+ members of the community. She used similarly incendiary language in her multiple testimonies before the school board where she used fearmongering to divide us, rather than presenting real solutions for all students and families. 

Nobles would continue to ensure that every student has access to an honest, inclusive, quality education, and she deserves your vote for the University Place School Board.
 

Anthony Berkley is running for King County Public Hospital District 1, Commissioner District 1. Berkley is a nurse, small business owner, nursing home operator, and proud union member. He has also been active in the community as a youth football coach.

Berkley is running on a progressive platform to care for the entire community. If elected, he wants to ensure healthcare for women, support at-risk populations, strengthen working conditions for frontline health care workers, and increase information about available services. He believes that as a health care worker, he would bring a practical and important perspective to the board of commissioners. His campaign is endorsed by some of the region’s most progressive leaders, unions, and organizations.

Incumbent commissioner and former surgical care nurse Erin Smith Aboudara is running for another term on the hospital board. While Adoubara has been a voice for South King County’s diverse health needs, she does not share the progressive vision or the widespread support that Berkley has earned in this race.

We recommend Anthony Berkley for King County Public Hospital District, Commissioner District 1.

We believe Amber Wise is the best choice in this race based on her impressive endorsements from our progressive partners and trusted community leaders. Wise previously worked at Harborview Medical Center as a preschool teacher for patients' families. She is running to support frontline workers and to build stronger connections between staff, patients, and hospital leadership. She is committed to improving staffing levels to ensure patients continue to receive top-quality care. 

Wise is challenging longtime board member Jeff Cashman, who previously ran a retirement plan administration and recordkeeping firm. 

While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more. Based on her sweeping endorsements in this race, we recommend Amber Wise for Public Hospital District 2, Position 6.