2024 General Election Part II: State & local offices

You can read my usual intro, as well as initiative and federal offices, at Part I: Initiatives and federal offices.

 

STATE PARTISAN OFFICES

Governor: vote FERGUSON

Those of us who were here when Christine Gregoire became governor by only 130 votes statewide know that it is very important to vote in state races. And in this one, the obvious choice is Ferguson. 

 

Ferguson was our previous Attorney General since 2012. The Progressive Voter's Guide sums up some of his work:

"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."

Ferguson is also endorsed by fifteen Tribes, a lonnng list of unions, and organizations such as Indivisible, Planned Parenthood, and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.

His opponent, Dave Reichert, is endorsed by cops. Literally his endorsement page is pretty much nothing but law enforcement and Republican elected officials. He also wants to quash pro-Palestinian student activism and prevent companies from boycotting under a faux concern for "anti-semitism".

 

 

Lieutenant Governor: vote HECK 

Did you know that one of the things out Lt Governor does is break ties in the Senate? This position can be the single vote between good laws and bad ones. 

 

Denny Heck is a former state representative with a long history of voting for Democratic initiatives like infrastructure and housing. 

His opponent is, as the Stranger put it, "former pilot-turned-Boeing-consultant Republican Dan Matthews, whose platform is littered with dog whistles such as 'school choice' and 'women’s rights to fairly compete in sports.' Yikes." You can read his gross platform here.

 

Secretary of State: vote HOBBS

Who do you want running our state elections: the guy who has done it since 2021, or the executive director of an organization that tells people how to vote "based on Biblical truths" and who wants to end mail-in voting?

I disagree with Hobbs on ranked choice voting (we should have it, but both parties oppose it) but have to salute the fact that "he also got Dungeons & Dragons unbanned from prisons, which counts as lawful good behavior if we’ve ever seen it" (per The Stranger).

Vote Hobbs.

Treasurer: vote PELLICCIOTTI.

Mike Pellicciotti has been the state treasurer since 2020 and he's doing a fine job. Honestly, if a treasurer is doing a good job we mostly shouldn't hear much about them. Pellicciotti has been quietly working to improve Washington's finances. Most importantly for this race, he believes in taking into account environmental, social, and governance ratings when deciding where to invest public funds. 

His challenger, Sharon Hanek, co-founded Let's Go Washington with wealthy Republican megadonor Brian Heywood (see Initiative section), doesn't care where we invest funds, and 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". You can read about her many other whackadoo beliefs in this religious voters guide.

Auditor: vote MCCARTHY

Pat McCarthy is the incumbent auditor (this would be her third term); she's been uncovering fraud and improving transparency for the past eight years.

Her opponent, Matt Hawkins, doesn't even know what the office does:  he's upset that Pat hasn't looked into his issues with voting in Spokane (according to the Seattle Times) but it's the Secretary of State who does that job, not the auditor.

 

Vote for the person who knows what the job is.

Attorney General: vote NICK BROWN

Everyone has endorsed Nick Brown in this race, partially because he has a solid record of good legal work as Gov. Inslee's legal counsel and the US District Attorney for Western WA. He's pro- gun control, pro-choice (he will uphold WA's shield law for people traveling to the state for reproductive care), and advised Inslee on the state's moratorium on the death penalty. 

I'll let The News Tribune describe his opponent, Pete Serrano.

Today he is director and general counsel at the Silent Majority Foundation. That group filed lawsuits against the state to block COVID mandates and to overturn bans on gun magazines that carry more than 10 rounds. It makes exaggerated claims about "government tyrants" and is defending the mayor of Spokane against a city council censure for appearing onstage with a Christian nationalist and anti-LGBTQ extremist last year. Although Serrano pledges to remove "partisan blinders" as attorney general, he appears inclined to do anything but that, to the point of referring to Jan. 6 rioters as "political prisoners."

Commissioner of Public Lands: vote UPTHEGROVE

I have disliked Jaime Huererra-Butler since she was my state rep in a gerrymandered district that existed to dilute Olympia's voting power. I don't trust her to make reasonable public policies. She's not the right choice for Commissioner of Public Lands unless you prefer someone who takes money from logging companies.

Both candidates want to continue to protect Washington forests against wildfires, but Upthegrove also wants to protect our "legacy forests". Which is important not just because trees are lovely and important part of ecosystems, but because they are carbon sinks which remove carbon from the atmosphere - as long as they are still alive. 

The Stranger, the Progressive Voter's Guide, the Sierra Club, and the WA State Council of Firefighters recommend Upthegrove.

 

STATE NONPARTISAN OFFICE

Superintendent of Public Instruction: vote REYKDAL

Your options in this race are the guy who, while imperfect, got our school system through the early pandemic, extended free lunches to 70% of public school students, and supports all students, or a pro-censorship, anti-LGBTQ, anti-higher ed right-winger. The Seattle Times said of Reykdal's opponent:

Olson bragged that he’d led “the first school board in the state to ban controversial social issues like critical race theory, DEI and all that horrible stuff.”

Shockingly, he went on to say 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.”

This is disqualifying. Washington cannot have a schools chief who advocates for the end of higher education.

 I agree with the Seattle Times on this one.

 

STATE PARTISAN OFFICE

Insurance Commissioner: vote KUDERER

Patty Kuderer is a former state senator and attorney with a background in employment law, which will hopefully set the office straight after multiple employees lodged complaints against the previous Insurance Commissioner's racist and sexist behavior. Pretty much every reasonable organization has endorsed Kuderer. 

Phil Fortunato, on the other hand, lists a total of three endorsements on his website one of which is a national anti-vaccination political group who opposes teens being able to get healthcare without their parents approval. He is "vehemently opposed to" universal health coverage options that currently cover many Washingtonians, according to the Progressive Voter's Guide.

STATE LEGISLATIVE PARTISAN OFFICES

Legislative District #22 Senator: vote BATEMAN

Bateman remains one of my favorite people to have served on the Olympia city council and I am thrilled that she is running for the senate. As a state rep, Bateman worked hard on housing affordability. She has a stellar voting record including sponsoring a slew of excellent bills including abortion rights, gun reform, and voting rights.

Bob Iyall is the CEO of Nisqually's Tribal Government Corporation (i.e. he oversees all of the Tribes' businesses) and has served as a Port Commissioner. His platform is pretty similar to Bateman except she has actually been doing this work (including supporting salmon recovery, one of Iyall's big issues). I find it hard to believe, though, that someone like Iyall who has been endorsed by The Rants Group is going to hold landlords accountable the way that Bateman has. Iyall described himself to the Olympian as: 

“I feel like I can be a catalyst for collaboration because I’m running as a Democrat but I have a lot of connections on both sides from Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives,” Iyall said. “I’m very much a moderate when I say I’m a Democrat so I feel like I can really collaborate between the two parties..."

In the same interview, he said he would remain a Port Commissioner even if he was elected to the Senate. 

Vote Bateman for the leadership we need in the Senate.

Legislative District #22 Representative Pos #1: vote DOGLIO

Doglio and Bateman have been legislative buddies in the best way. Olympia Indivisible, in their endorsement, described Doglio as "a leader in legislation for our environment, reproductive freedom and housing." You can see her stellar voting record here and her sponsored bills here.  

 

Her opponent, Steve Owens, wants to lower taxes and limit government. He says that "you don't need massive state run dictatorships" in order to lower housing costs, by which I assume he means all of the excellent housing legislation that Doglio has supported.

Legislative District #22 Representative Pos #2: Vote LOCKE. 

I'm stepping away from The Progressive Voter's Guide (which recommended both candidates) and Olympia Indivisible (which recommended Parshley) on this one and recommending Locke. 

 

It is extremely unlikely that Locke will win, as Parshley has a ton of endorsements and a lot more political backing. But Locke has a list of priorities that my lefty heart loves (including a Gaza ceasefire even though there is essentially nothing that a state rep will actually be able to do about it), so I'll be sending my vote his way. 

 

Either way, District #22 will have decent representation so feel free to vote for the underdog here.

COUNTY PARTISAN OFFICES

County Commissioner District #2: vote DREON

Dreon is a two-time Evergreen grad (shout out to fellow MPA grads!) with a short list of priorities that includes government transparency, ending homelessness, and getting appropriate help for people addicted to drugs. Her endorsements include Olympia Indivisible, labor organizations, and a variety of elected officials.

Her opponent, JW Foster, is the former mayor of Yelm who is running as an independent with issues such as "fiscal responsibility", supporting businesses, and "property rights". He also supports some issues I agree with, like housing density, but it gives me pause when his "compassionate care for the vulnerable" section states that "we have existing programs that can support all people."  Does the county really have those programs? If so, they are certainly not supporting all people.

County Commissioner District #4: vote FOURNIER, I guess

I recommend Fournier because he is better than the other guy and I guess that's as good as we're going to get this year. It's a low bar here, folks.

 

Fournier, who is nominally a democrat, hasn't played the best role in the recent county commissioner drama over Commissioner Clouse's suspension; his actions were cowardly at best and politically motivated at worst. And then there's the time he got so drunk and belligerent that he was charged with misdemeanor assault while he was Tenino mayor in 2019.

 

On the other hand, the Progressive Voters Guide says that his opponent, Rob Laymon, 

"...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."

 

Laymon also states that "Fiscal policy and individual rights and freedoms are near and dear to my heart" in his Balletpedia survey. The fact that Laymon's favorite book is "My Side of the Mountain", a children's book that I loved when I was nine, almost swayed my vote. But then I realized it suggests that he hasn't read much since he was in elementary school.

 

So Fournier it is!

STATE JUDICIAL NONPARTISAN OFFICES

Supreme Court Justin Pos # 2: vote MUNGIA

Sal Mungia is an attorney with 40 years of experience, including as the "former president of the Washington State Bar Association,  the former chair of the Equal Justice Coalition, and a cooperating attorney with the ACLU of Washington". The Stranger says, 

 

Mungia consistently landed on the right side of history as an attorney. He’s spent most of his career as a personal injury lawyer for Gordon Thomas Honeywell in Tacoma, and while he focused on medical malpractice lawsuits, he’s fought for all kinds of causes. Back in 2005, he was filing amicus briefs in support of same-sex marriage in Washington. Before that, he fought and won better conditions for people held at Pierce County Jail.

Sal also has an impressive list of endorsements.

Although judges are theoretically nonpartisan positions, his opponent, Dave Larson, is a conservative judge who has campaigned with Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Reichert. Larson said at a conservative campaign rally that, "it’s time that we take back the judiciary in Washington state, and I want to be part of it". He promises to be tough on crime in his Balletpedia answers, saying "Crime is out of hand and the Supreme Court has been silent, and, in some cases, has made matters worse". He also hinted that he would be an originalist by saying he will "will continue to follow our state and federal constitutions as written"(emphasis mine). 

Vote Mungia.

 

COUNTY NONPARTISAN OFFICE

Public Utility District Commissioner, District #1: vote OOSTERMAN

It sure would be nice if Linda Oosterman bothered to have a basic campaign website with literally any information about her. Her statement in the Thurston County Voter's Pamphlet (pg. 101) is the most detailed information available.

On the other hand, there's her opponent, Bruce D. Wilkerson, Jr., who posts way too much stuff about his foreign policy beliefs online, including at least one reference to a George Soros conspiracy. I'm pro-Palestine, but he's so anti-Israel that he goes all the way around to a weird half-support of Iran?  Don't vote for this dude.

 

Oosterman has been working with PUD since 2012 so I recommend voting for her even though I'm salty about her lack of a website.

 

 

2024 General Election Part I: Initiatives & Federal Offices

 

 

2024 General Election Part I: Initiatives & Federal Offices

I research a lot when voting. Starting in 2016, I began compiling my research and thoughts for friends.

If you're a left or liberal voter, you may agree with my recommendations. If you're conservative, you probably won't. Regardless, I include links so you can read sources.

This year, I am doing a two-part voter guide because there is so much on our ballot. Stay tuned for Part II! You can find the official Thurston County Voters' Pamphlet here.

I have included info on what polling says about voting your conscience over Gaza without putting Trump in office. But if you have friends in swing states, ask them to vote for Harris.

INITIATIVES

The shortest answer here is NO on all of these. Each of these initiatives are trying to repeal good laws that our legislature passed, so a no vote is a yes for good policy. Skeazy people purposefully word initiatives like this to trick people into voting in their favor. 

 

Furthermore, some of them don't just repeal a law - they prohibit the legislature from ever making a similar law. The Stranger and the Progressive Voters Guide recommend voting no on all four.

 

Did you know we have a new Tim Eyman? His name is Brian Heywood. He's a hedge-fund exec, a "Republican megadonor and self-described 'economic refugee' from California". Maybe he got lost on his way to Texas and rather than ask for directions, he's trying to make us TX.

 

Anyway, he funded these initiatives. Vote no on all of these to prevent him from Texifying WA.

 

Initiative # 2066: vote NO

Fact: the climate crisis is real and we have to do something about it. And Washington has! 

 

Back in 2008 and 2020, Washington passed laws about how we're going to reduce our emissions. A lot of these laws have to do with Puget Sound Energy - they basically require PSE to make a plan to lower emissions without screwing over poor people.

 

This initiative doesn't just overturn those specific rules, it "actually adds language that forbids the state from doing anything to 'in any way prohibit, penalize, or discourage the use of gas for any form of heating, or for uses related to any appliance or equipment, in any building.'” The Stranger's overview on this is a good one. 

The WA Progressive Voter's Guide not only recommends a no vote, but they point out that "a study from April found that passing I-2066 could raise the utility bills of gas customers by an average of $150 per year."

 

Vote no to maintain our decarbonization laws and allow the legislature to make pro-climate laws in the future.

Initiative # 2109: vote NO

This would repeal our tax on very wealthy people making a ton of money on stocks and other capital assets. Again, The Stranger's overview is good:

"The capital gains tax skims 7 percent in profits from stocks and bonds and other assets over $262,000. Unfortunately, the tax doesn’t apply to the sales of homes, small businesses, farm land, farm equipment, livestock, timberland, commercial fishing, and auto dealership sales, so it hits fewer than 4,000 people in a state of 8 million, a little less than half of whom file taxes. If you’re reading this, then there’s a 99.9% chance that you do not pay this tax."

We've been using this money to pay for important things like early childhood education.

Brian and his buddies would like to make our tax system even more regressive than it is and probably use the extra cash they'd save to fund more initiatives like this in the future. 

 

Vote no to continue taxing the super-rich!

 

Initiative #2117: vote NO

Fact: the climate crisis is real and we have to do something about it. And we did!

 

WA's Climate Commitment Act instituted a cap-and-trade emissions program that has added "billions of dollars in funding for transit programs, ferries, clean energy projects, air quality improvement", and other anti-climate-crisis, pro-environment plans. At least 10% of the funds must be used on Tribal-supported projects. It ramps up the carrots-and-sticks over time to get companies to pollute less.

Here's how it works: 

"The state sets an emissions cap and then regularly holds auctions where polluters can buy and sell permits that allow them to comply with the cap while continuing to pollute. As the cap lowers, the price of these allowances rises, which incentivizes polluters to find ways to lower their emissions. Voila, a market-based way to curb carbon emissions."

A side effect is that it's estimated to have raised gas prices by approximately 25 cents per gallon. We know that because historically, WA and OR have had similar gas prices and that's the difference in our gas prices post-passage of WA's cap-and-trade law. Here's the study on this. No one likes higher gas prices, but this is a very important law to uphold.

Also, this initiative wouldn't just repeal the Climate Commitment Act, it would prohibit the state from ever implementing a similar law. 

 

Vote no to keep our pro-climate law and allow the legislature to continue to address the climate crisis in the future.

 

Initiative #2124: Vote NO

 

Washington passed a small, state-run long-term care insurance program called WA Cares. This initiative would kill that program by making it opt-in. I know that opt-in sounds good and there are good-sounding arguments for the "soft-repeal" but here's why that's wrong: 

 

 1. Opt-in will kill this program. 

 

There will not be enough money to keep it solvent and it would end by 2027. That's the point of this initiative. People are terrible at planning for difficult, expensive, bad things, which is why less than 5% of people actually buy this coverage on the private market even though 70% of us will need it at some point.

 

2. This is a better benefit that we will get anywhere else for the cost. 

 

Long-term care is expensive, and you won't even be able to get it if you're too old or have a pre-existing condition. Like all health insurance, having everyone pay in a little bit is what makes it possible to provide the benefit to those that need it.

 

3. $36,500 will increase with inflation and YES, it is actually a useful amount of money. 

 

I, too, thought it was a laughable sum for long-term care in a skilled nursing facility but this benefit can be used for so much more than that. The money can be used for:

• In-home care
• Meal delivery
• Transportation to appointments
• Mobility and assistive devices
• Care supplies
• Part-time caregiver
  

 These things are a huge help when you have a family member or friend that requires serious care. Even if it only funds three months of full-time care, that's an important three months for the rest of the family to figure out how to help mom the help she needs after that.

4. Women will get screwed by getting rid of this benefit. 

 

Women still do majority of family care when old age or disability creates a need for a caregiver. This benefit will help take the unpaid load off of women. 

 

5. No, Medicare will not cover this. 

Medicare does not cover long-term care. MedicAID does but you have to spend down the person's entire life savings to less than $2,000 and you are very limited to some very sketchy places that take Medicaid.

 

Vote NO to keep our long-term care insurance program. It's a baby step, but it's a good one.

 

PRESIDENT

The short answer here is Harris. But if you have strong feelings on Gaza, you will probably be able to vote for anyone but Trump in WA without swinging the state.

If you have friends in swing states though, make sure they're voting for Harris because a second Trump presidency will be far, far more damaging than the first. Every vote in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona is extremely important. Margins are razor thin in the swing states.

Voting against Democrats: Recent polling shows Harris with a 10+ point lead in WA, so if you want to vote your conscience on Gaza (or whatever) you should probably be able to vote for anyone who's not Trump without contributing to our slide into true authoritarianism. On the other hand, polls have been wrong about Trump many times in the past and he has been gaining on Harris in recent polls nationwide. It's not without risk.

If you choose to vote against the Ds, though, please send a postcard to Harris and/or your other elected representatives to tell them why you voted for someone else. Without that feedback, they won't know how many people are serious about changing these policies. And we need them to know.

Voting for Harris/Walz: The Democrats took a big and unusual (for them) risk in getting Biden to step down. In addition to the fact that a Harris win gives us more time to save our democracy, it will let the Democrats know that they did the right thing in getting Biden out. And we need a Democratic party that is more responsive to younger people and, in general, our current reality, if we are going to avoid worse outcomes for ourselves, Gaza, Ukraine, etc. I'll be voting for Harris.

 

FEDERAL OFFICES

U.S. Senator: Vote for Maria Cantwell or no one/write in.

Maria Cantwell is a so-so democratic Senator. She's a reliable vote on most positive legislation in the Senate and we desperately need that if our federal government is going to do anything beyond simply staving off the worst of right-wing authoritarianism. The reality is that if we get a Senate majority we might get a few good bills across the finish line; if we don't, we need Senators to hold the line. Cantwell supports reproductive rights and she'll fight for social security. The Stranger, Planned Parenthood, and various unions have endorsed her.

That said, she should be doing more on Gaza and she is polling well ahead of her challenger so if you want to make a statement this vote is a good place to do so. Either don't vote, or write-in someone and then send a postcard to her office letting her know why. 

 Or do vote for her, and send a postcard to her office telling her to do more, which is what I will be doing. 

Whatever you do, don't vote for her challenger. Dr. Raul Garcia is a Republican running on the vaguest platform he could possibly devise as a way to court moderate voters. Here's a sample of his tepid nonsense. He's endorsed by a long list of individual Republicans and the Farm Bureau. That's it. Frankly, I don't believe his answers: for example, he says he's anti-abortion but says he will fight to uphold WA's pro-choice stance.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT #10: Vote Strickland

Marilyn Strickland is a former Tacoma mayor who has represented us in Congress for two terms. She does decent work on things like housing, infrastructure, support for service members and veterans, and reproductive rights. She's endorsed by a ton of people and groups including The Stranger, the Progressive Voter's Guide, Planned Parenthood, a long list of unions, the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective, Olympia Indivisible, the Korean-American Democratic Committee, the list goes on. 

Her opponent, Don Hewett, is running on a typical Republican platform of less government, more family values, more police/military, and "America First". His website includes such nuggets as: "I believes that the United States maintains a military to protect our homeland and impose America’s will on its enemies and to prevent a would be enemy from doing so to the United States" and "I believes that law and order is paramount for our society.  These are the guy who keep us safe and make sacrifices that we many never know to do this."

Now available: Part II: State and local offices

 

Past guides: Jayne's Voter Guide 2022!

 

Welcome to the 2022 General Election!

I research a lot when voting. Starting in 2016, I began compiling my research and thoughts for friends. 

If you're a left/liberal voter, you may agree with my recommendations. If you're conservative, you probably won't. Regardless, I include links so you can read sources for yourself.

As usual, I didn't bother with any uncontested elections.

 

You can find the official Thurston County Voters' Pamphlet here. 

Advisory Votes

There are two of them. And they are both pointless.

We’re only voting on these because Tim Eyman is an anti-tax corporate stooge. I tend to vote “maintained” on these both on principle and because they’re usually good decisions. 

But vote however you want on these or don't vote at all, because they have zero effect on actual governance!

Thurston County Proposition No. 1: Expanding the Board from Three to Five Commissioners

Vote YES

So here's the thing: when our county reaches 400,000 residents, we will be required by state law to have five commissioners. (Currently, we have three members.) Counties with 300,000-400,000 residents have the option to move to a 5-member commission. 

Thurston County has right around 300,000 residents and has created a plan to move to a larger board. We could put off moving to a 5-commissioner board (and save about $850k/year which is less than a quarter of one percent of the current budget), but having a larger board has benefits. 

Most importantly, the expansion will allow the commissioners to get more work done, which is essential for a county of our size. The Olympian sums it up:

"...As the county has grown, so has the number of councils, commissions, and organizations that need a county commissioner in attendance. The workload of these meetings — and the complexity of the issues they address — is now too much for three people."

I am concerned about the new districts that will be used to elect our officials. There are currently three options which, at a glance, seem like they might have very different effects in terms of progressive vs. conservative influence. However, my understanding is that currently these districts are only used for the first part of the election process (selecting candidates and advancing the top two via the primary). In the general election, the candidates are voted on countywide. 

The Olympian and The Progressive Voters Guide both support this proposition.

As a note, the County Commissioners and Port Commissioners (see next vote) have agreed to use the same districts for electing representatives if both options pass.

Port of Olympia Proposition No. 1: Expanding the Board from Three to Five Commissioners

Vote NO

The arguments for this expansion are: greater ability for the Port Commissioners to have committees and discussions; more candidates for voters to vote on (and, due to the district system, candidates from different areas in the county); it would be easier for individual commissioners to stand aside when they have a conflict of interest; and that the change won't cost very much (about $200,000/year).

However, I'm recommending a "no" vote for the following reasons:

• The Port is a mess and two additional part-time elected officials are unlikely to solve that.
• The Port continues to lose money and we don't need to increase funding for a non-solution.
• Unlike the County Commissioners expansion, there is no state law that will require this change in the future.
• The impression I got from some statements at the League of Women Voter's forum was that the Port wants to shore up its support in the more distant parts of the county by having them be more directly represented

The endorsements for this change are not inspiring. The Progressive Voter's Guide endorsement can be summed up as "Well, we don't really know about this but the people in charge seem to agree on it", while The Olympian's endorsement is so wishy-washy that it's barely an endorsement at all:

"The Port of Olympia Commission expansion from three to five is a harder call. Some voters are so fed up with the Port — over its decisions, priorities and management, and the festering discontent — they’d rather vote to disband it than expand it. But expanding it still might be a good idea: It would give voters a chance to add voices who are willing to think differently about the Port and push for the housecleaning and updating the Port needs."

 

Federal Partisan Offices

U.S. Senator

Vote PATTY MURRAY 

Is she my favorite politician? No. But she's a solid vote for important things like women's healthcare and abortion access, voting rights, and other legislative means of preventing the country from sliding back into the 1800s. 

Tiffany Smiley, on the other hand, is a Trump-supporting Republican who thinks we've defunded the police (we haven't!), wants to remove "Critical Race Theory" from K-12 schools (it isn't being taught), wants to ban the federal government from forgiving student loan debt, and wants to expand gas extraction and oil refineries. You can read all of her terrible ideas here.

Congressional District No. 10 U.S. Representative

Vote MARILYN STRICKLAND

Marilyn Strickland is a Democrat from Tacoma. The Progressive Voters' Guide says: 

In her years serving the public, Strickland has been a champion for working people in Washington and beyond. She has worked to lower the cost of prescription medicine, recover social security and veterans' benefits, and make corporations pay their share. Strickland also advocated for strong investments in public infrastructure like clean water, broadband, roadways, and parks.

Keith Swank is a Republican who works for the Seattle Police Department. Ballotpedia has a good overview of his campaign's top themes, which include: that children are being "taught to be racist" via CRT in schools, that schools are providing pornography to children, that the "roaring 20s" are a good model to follow in terms of economic policy, and that the 2nd amendment prohibits any gun control. 

State Partisan Office

Secretary of State

Vote JULIE ANDERSON

The good thing about this race is that both candidates are competent, reasonable civil servants so our elections should do well regardless of who wins.

Anderson is the better choice. Here's why:

• 12 years of real-world experience managing elections in Pierce County, which includes urban, suburban and rural voters, as well as diverse voters who speak multiple languages
• Supports ranked-choice voting
• Supports felons' right to vote after their time is served - but without waiting until every penny of their fines and fees are repaid (a process that is functionally impossible for some low earners)
• She's supported by the Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective. And the director of Washington Community Alliance, a network of groups representing people of color, said that "Anderson's policy platform is more progressive than Hobbs' in several areas"

The Chair of the Washington State Democrats (the embarassing Tina Podlodowski) claimed that Anderson's "true color is red". But Axios' fact-checking found that to be untrue and, furthermore, "since 2007, Anderson has given Democratic candidates at least $2,900, while contributing about $100 to Republican candidates and causes." 

Anderson has the endorsements of election officials across the state. But many progressive voter guides have endorsed Hobbs instead of her because of her support for making the Secretary of State a nonpartisan position. I agree with their analysis that running races as "nonpartisan" tends to increase the odds that a minority-party candidate will win (in this case, a very real concern given the current minority party's anti-democratic push to overturn elections.)

But this isn't a decision that the Secretary of State can make -  it's a state law that the Legislature would have to change. And since it is unlikely to happen, it seems foolish to vote against Anderson based on this one issue (even though that's exactly what The Stranger and PubliCola suggest.)

Anderson's opponent, Steve Hobbs, doesn't have much election experience. He's a former state senator who relies on his background with the Army National Guard to prove his organizational chops. He's focused his campaign on both election security (particularly cybersecurity) and increasing access to voting in underserved communities. 

Hobbs refers to himself as a "radical moderate". The Progressive Voters' Guide describes his voting record in the WA State Senate as "...consistently progressive on social issues and leaned more conservative on taxes and workers' rights." He's also against ranked-choice voting. 

Legislative District No. 22 Representative, Position No. 1

Vote BETH DOGLIO

Beth Doglio has been doing great work in the legislature! You can see her voting record here. She's endorsed by practically every union and liberal/left organization that offers endorsements. 

 

Loretta Byrnes, on the other hand, is a Republican who claims to be pro-children but is against public preschool, social-emotional learning, and age-appropriate sex education - all of which have significant bodies of evidence proving their positive long-term effects. Her other policy takes are similarly unfounded in reality.

Legislative District No. 22 Representative, Position No. 2

Vote JESSICA BATEMAN

Jessica Bateman was a smart, progressive voice on the Olympia City Council and has continued this work at the state level. Her voting record includes restoring voting rights to felons who completed their prison sentences, policing reform, and a lot of really good housing policy.

Her opponent, Katie Plager, is described by the Progressive Voters Guide as "running on a vague agenda, one that is both conservative and lacking any deeper knowledge of the district or policy details." In short, the opposite of everything admirable about Bateman. 

County Partisan Offices

Assessor

Vote STEVEN J. DREW

Steven Drew (D) has been our assessor since 2011 and he's doing fine. There's no reason to change it up.

His opponent, Dave Kolar, is an "independent" who favors cutting services and who has been endorsed by the Thurston County Republicans. Additionally, his website claims that "Since the 2018 year-end, Thurston County has raised your taxes by $102,448,917.39." Given that the county's 2018 budget includes $124,373,225 in total tax revenue and the 2022 budget includes $171,424,754 in total tax revenue, I question Mr. Kolar's math skills. 

Auditor

Vote MARY HALL

This is another case in which we have a Democratic incumbent who has been competently managing her office for nearly a decade, including overseeing the difficult, early-pandemic election of 2020. 

On the other hand, Salvatore Millitello is a Republican whose website is mostly copy-and-pasted from his LinkedIn page.

Clerk

Vote TONYA MOORE

Both Tonya Moore and her opponent, Linda Enlow, are Democrats. But Tonya Moore has an impressive lead in endorsements of every kind. 

In addition to endorsements from the Progressive Voters Guide, Olympia Indivisible, and The Olympian, Moore has endorsements from our fantastic state reps (Doglio and Bateman) and every City Council member except Mayor Shelby. 

Of Moore, The Olympian says,

Tonya Moore is the superior court’s operations manager, and has 25 years of court experience here and in Pierce County. Her primary goal in running is to make court processes more open and the office more hospitable to all people, including those who have experienced trauma or don’t speak English as their first language. She also wants to increase leadership development and advancement opportunities for staff, and create a feedback system for stakeholders. We endorse Moore for her passion and vision for improvements in customer service."

Linda Enlow, on the other hand, has zero organizational endorsements and only a handful of mostly former judges on her endorsement list. I'm not sure why this is the case, but as an incumbent who has served for seven years, that's a very bad sign. 

County Commissioner District No. 3

Vote TYE MENSER

Tye Menser joined the County Commissioners just in time to chair the county Board of Health during the COVID pandemic. During his time in office, he's also worked diligently on housing/addressing homelessness, environmental issues, and policing/corrections. As a former public defender and criminal defense lawyer, Menser is aware of the problems with our current systems and has worked on programs to divert low-level offenders. He is endorsed by a long list of local officials and organizations, including the Sierra Club, The Olympian, The Progressive Voters Guide, Olympia Indivisible, and various unions. 

Vivian Eason, his opponent, is a "fiscal conservative" who worked in corrections for 14 years. She wants to cut funding for social services while "supporting public safety". She is endorsed by "Stand for Health Freedom", a national anti-vaccine, anti-mask organization.

Sheriff

Vote DEREK SANDERS

Derek Sanders is a Thurston County deputy and former Lacey Community Service officer who wants to improve equity and community trust in the sheriff's office. He is endorsed by most progressive politicians and organizations, including 6 out of 7 Olympia City Council members, Olympia Indivisible, the Progressive Voter's Guide, and The Olympian.

Snaza is really bad news. There is compelling evidence that he rear-ended a car at full speed and covered it up. He opened an investigation into Derek Sanders right after Sanders filed to run against him. 

On the "War on Drugs", Snaza opined.

“I do not not believe that we ever had a war on drugs, because if we did, we are not losing,” Snaza said. “We are winning. And I do believe that if we were fighting the war on drugs, we would have won.”

Snaza also joined 36 other Washington sheriffs in signing a letter that referred to our constitution as "divinely inspired" and specifically stated that sheriffs would do everything within their power to support the 2nd amendment. Snaza was also criticized for allowing officers to display thin blue line flags on their patrol cars. 

The Olympian sums it up nicely:

"It’s time for a change in our Sheriff’s office. John Snaza, in office since 2010, has been resistant to state gun control and police reform legislation... We also need a sheriff willing to adapt and lead the department in accordance with all current laws, not just those he likes."

 

Treasurer

Vote JEFF GADMAN

Jeff Gadman has been our treasurer since 2017. As The Olympian said, "Gadman loves math and finance, and clearly loves his job. He’s worked for the county for 36 years; we are glad he’s willing to keep at it." He is endorsed by The Progressive Voters Guide and many elected officials.

Jeff "Cowboy" Curry has been a bus driver for 22 years, has no election website, and may have lied about his educational background.

Past Guides: Jayne's (Quick & Dirty) 2021 Primary Voter's Guide

This Primary Voting Guide is going to be a quick and dirty one, because I'm on my way out of town to go camping! 

Proposition No. 1: Levy Lift Lid (Thurston County Medic One)

Vote APPROVED

The short and sweet: it costs money to provide services, and Medic One needs more funding. It's not a lot of money, and this service is well-managed. The highest number that the opposition could put on the possible increase is that six years from now it might cost homeowners an additional $7.50/month. 

Low-income homeowners over age 61 will be exempt from this tax, as would low-income homeowners with disabilities. 

City Council Position No. 2

Vote YEN HUYNH

Huynh and Kessler are clearly the two primary contenders for this position, and I'd be happiest if they both make it through the primary so that we can hear more from each of them. 

In the meantime, the Progressive Voters' Guide makes a compelling argument against Kessler:

"Kesler does not have a plan for homelessness or housing affordability on her website, but her answers in local interviews did not point to an effective strategy. She states that she wants to consider "plan[s] to remove trespassers from private property," but does not expand on critical affordable housing needs, instead of saying that the city should focus on rapid rehousing. She also wants to increase law enforcement funding, which she states may or may not go to more police, instead of mental health funding."

Meanwhile, Huynh has an impressive list of endorsements, not to mention recent city council experience. 

City Council Position No. 5

Vote TALAUNA REED

This is a really hard choice, and it's another situation in which I hope two people make it through the primary: Lisa Parshley and Talauna Reed. 

I have reservations about Reed which I think might be addressed if she can get through the primary. I am unsure how much she wants to be involved in government versus protesting it; although both of those skillsets are needed, sometimes what makes a person excellent in one venue doesn't translate to another. I also have a personal dislike of populist rhetoric, which I sometimes see in her communications.

That being said, it's clear that she is committed to the Olympia community, and particularly to people of color. And we could use a person who's further to the left on the City Council. 

At this point, I think a vote for Reed is a good strategic choice: Lisa Parshley will have a lot of support and will likely make it through the primary, so a vote for Talauna Reed will hopefully be a vote to have her and Parshley face off in the general election. 

(The third candidate, Wendy Carlson, is a former corrections officer who thinks we've been too lax with homeless people and that the future of our city is at risk.)

City Council Position No. 6

Vote SARAH DESTASIO or DONTAE PAYNE

This section has been edited to include either Payne or Destasio. This is because when I went to fill in the bubble on my ballot, I realized that who you chose in this race really comes down to who you think the majority of other people voting in the primary will vote for. 

My goal is to get Payne and Destasio on the general ballot. My analysis is that there will be a lot of liberal primary voters who will vote for Payne because he's a solidly middle-left candidate and because they didn't vote for Reed, so a vote for Payne will help assuage their conscience. That means that a vote for Destasio - the DSA candidate in this race - might be more likely to get both of our candidates onto the final ballot. 

The more conservative primary voters will all vote for Gauny, but there will be enough liberal primary voters to ensure that at least one of the two other candidates is on the ballot, so there's no risk to splitting the vote here. 

In short, my suggestion is to vote for whichever of these two candidates you think other primary voters in Olympia won't be voting for. Given Payne's endorsements and background, I think that's Destasio. But I have been overly-optimistic on the effects of racism before in my life, so take that analysis with a grain of salt. 

Dontae Payne is a very solid candidate with great endorsements. His background (military, gay dad) and more middle-of-the-road-left ideas on policy around homelessness and policing might make him a helpful voice on a more diverse city council that's dealing with difficult community conflicts.

Sarah DeStasio is a strong DSA candidate with real background in business and organizing a workers' co-op for home healthcare. 

Just please don't vote for Corey Gauny. First of all, never vote for someone who puts their Six Sigma credentials as a main bullet point on their mailers. His main endorsements are the Master Builders and the Realtors Association, his website is skimpy on any policy details, and his long post on his ride-along with OPD is revealing. 

Olympia City Council Position No. 7

Vote JIM COOPER

Jim Cooper has been a great city council member. He's running against one guy whose election catchphrase is "Common Sense and Compassion with Accountability" but who has zero actual policy info on his webpage, and another who doesn't even have an election webpage

School Board Director District No. 3

Vote DARCY HUFFMAN

Darcy Huffman seems like a reasonable person. As for the people she's running against, I'm just going to quote the Progressive Voter's Guide here:

"Wealth advisor Mark Boyer is also in this race. He is running on a vague platform that highlights no priorities or policy and states his campaign’s purpose as bringing a new perspective and leadership to the school board. Boyer has been involved in a number of community organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters and Olympia Rotary Club.

Gary Landis is an Army veteran running a conservative, conspiracy-based campaign against critical race theory, communism, and mandatory masking in public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. He has stated that he wants to 'bring God…back into our schools.'”

School Board Director District No. 5

Vote SCOTT CLIFTHORNE

Honestly, I'm just going with the Progressive Voter's Guide on this one, too. 

"Incumbent Director Scott Clifthorne is running to retain his seat serving District 5 on the Olympia School Board, which he was first elected to in 2017, and where he now serves as president. Clifthorne works as a negotiator for Teamster 117 and was formerly the president of the Lincoln Community Council. Previously, he was a member of the City of Olympia Community Workgroup on Homelessness.

During Clifthorne’s time on the board, Olympia was able to secure PE, art, and music teachers in all elementary schools beginning in Fall 2021. In this race, Clifthorne wants to continue expanding student opportunities, deepen lines of communication for families and schools, and address system inequities particularly relating to race, disability, and socio-economic status. With three kids enrolled in Olympia public schools and ample support from community leaders, Clifthorne will continue to bring progressive values to the board.

PTA member Rebecca Cornelius is also in this race. Cornelius works for an insurance broker agency and has no campaign website as of mid-July. Her voters’ guide statement emphasizes her focus on dismantling educational inequities and providing life skills learning, though she doesn’t offer detailed policy suggestions to accomplish these goals.

Don Mitchell is a nurse and assistant professor of nursing, who is running to utilize his expertise in child health to better his local school district, where his children are also enrolled. Mitchell is running to expand parental sway, defend standardized testing to identify and address opportunity gaps, and promote student health that includes attention to both physical and mental health.

We recommend Scott Clifthorne in this race because of his school board experience and inclusive plan for the school district."

Past Guides: Jayne's Voter Guide 2019!

Jayne's Voter Guide is back for 2019!

Read on to find all of the links and commentary that are sure to help you choose the Olympia candidate that best represents your interests - either because you agree with me, or you don't.

As usual, I didn't bother with any uncontested elections.

Referendum Measure No. 88: Vote YES!

Opponents would have you believe that this is a radical measure that will legalize discrimination against white people! That is complete bunk. This is a straightforward and pretty simple change to our laws which will align us with 42 other states that have similar laws on the books.

As the Yakima Herald notes (in their endorsement of the measure),

"Initiative 1000 would allow the state and local governments to consider factors such as race and gender in state hiring, contracting and education, but it would not allow quotas or preferential treatment. It does not apply to private businesses and universities. The measure also would create a new governor’s commission on diversity, gender and inclusion, which supporters say would be advisory-only."

Dan Evans, former state governor and Republican, said of this measure,

"the door of opportunity is still just ajar and not fully open. We can do better than that, and I believe that Initiative 1000 is a responsible measure that will help us throw the doors of opportunity wide open.”

Other endorsements include the Olympian, the Seattle Times, the Tacoma News Tribune, the Stranger, former governor Gary Locke and a whole lot of other people.

On the other hand, the Proud Boys oppose it.

One final thing: we had similar affirmative action laws prior to 1998...when a Tim Eyman initiative overturned it.

Initiative Measure No. 976: Vote NO

Tim Eyman, convicted campaign fraudster and chair thief.

Please vote no.

Tim Eyman aka "Chairman Eyman" of OfficeMax shoplifting fame, is behind this deceptively positive-sounding initiative. Saving on licensing fees sounds good...right?

WRONG. This initiative is going to hit our transit system like an asteroid. And between our increasingly awful traffic and increasingly awful climate change, we really, really need our transit system. As The Stranger put it:

"It would create apocalyptic impacts for transportation in the state, resulting in ever more apocalyptic traffic, and a bevy of other road-repair and transportation crises. It would cost the state $2.3 billion, local governments $1.9 billion, and Sound Transit $20 billion...

The impact of these cuts would be felt in every corner of the state, from pothole repairs in Spokane to light rail in Bellevue to bus service in Seattle... I-976 also cuts $1.3 billion from our ferry system, repeals funding for Amtrak trains, cuts funding for major highway projects on I-405 and I-90, and would entirely eliminate transit agencies in rural places like Garfield County."

This is a redux of an Eyman iniative that passed right after I moved to WA in '98, and which caused Olympia's bus system to radically cut service until the State Supreme Court struck the law down for not meeting initiative requirements.

Advisory Votes

There are 12 of them. And they are all pointless.

We’re only voting on these because Tim Eyman is an anti-tax corporate stooge. I tend to vote “maintained” on these both on principle and because they’re usually good decisions. Have you ever looked at what it takes to pass something in our legislature that raises fees or taxes of any kind? It’s extremely difficult, and thus what does pass is usually completely common-sense and unoffensive.

But vote however you want on these or don't vote at all, because they have zero effect on actual governance. 

Proposed Constitutional Amendment - Senate Joint Resolution No. 8200: Vote YES

This is the easiest vote on this entire ballot. It passed the Senate 37 to 11 and the House 91 to 7. Or in other words, there was massive bipartisan support which is practically unheard of these days.

Balletopedia has the best overview:

"This amendment would authorize the Washington State Legislature, during periods of catastrophic incidents that are considered emergencies, to pass bills that address the succession of powers and duties of public offices when the offices' incumbents and legal successors are unavailable for carrying out the office. In other words, the amendment would allow the legislature to pass laws temporarily filling certain vacant public offices in the event of a catastrophic incident.[1]"

Thurston County Emergency Communication Systems and Facilities Proposition No. 1 Sales and Use Tax: Vote YES

The Olympian's endorsement provides the simplest overview of what this is and why we need it: 

"Voters in Thurston County should approve Proposition 1, a sales tax increase of one-cent-per $10 purchase to pay for a major upgrade to our 911 emergency radio communications system. The current communication system dates from 1978, and is so old it is analog rather than digital. 

When a train derailed and landed on I-5 in 2017, Thurston County first responders were unable to communicate with JBLM or Pierce County’s digital systems. Our current system also doesn’t work very well in some areas of Thurston County."

911 is one of those public services that we can all agree is important. So let's give a penny to keep it working.

Port Commissioner District No. 1: Vote Helen Wheatley

If I imagined my perfect Port Commissioner, it would be a pragmatic environmentalist with a head for business and the passion to know when to push for the public good over profits. Neither of the port commissioner candidates is that person, sadly. But of the two possibilities, Helen Wheatley is my choice.

Helen Wheatley is the progressive option in this race, and her endorsements are in line with that. Joe Downing's support tends toward more middle-road Democrats and Republicans. His answers to Oly Indivisible's questionnaire are terse, vague on anything controversial, and give the impression that he begrudges the time he's had to spend barely answering them. Her answers include phrases like "furred, finned and feathered [relations]" and lean on values-based arguments even when issues may call for more nuance and substance. But overall, she's the better candidate if you are interested in the port as a public resource and in the balance between the business of the port and protection of our environment.

City of Olympia Mayor: Vote JONES

Cheryl Selby is the clear front-runner in this race, and it'll be fine if she's elected. But I lean toward Nathan Jones, as the more progressive of the two candidates.

Selby has the endorsements of the vast majority of local Democratic leadership as well as some Republican support. Jones' support is more progressive - but also a much shorter list.

The Progressive Voters Guide has a decent, short overview of both candidates (and also endorses Jones.)

City Council Position No. 2: Vote BATEMAN

At the city council meetings that I attended, I was really impressed by Jessica Bateman. Her questions were succinct, on point, and sharp. She knew when to say something that could change the focus of the conversation or bring clarity. The Progressive Voter's Guide says that,

"Bateman has been a tireless progressive advocate on the council, working toward equitable housing solutions, protecting our green space, and ensuring no one is left behind. Accomplishments from her first term include co-chairing the Home Fund, a campaign to provide safe housing and essential services for vulnerable homeless community members, and sponsoring a resolution to make Olympia a sanctuary city."

Meanwhile, Phyllis Booth's campaign seems to exist almost solely to try and hobble the city's Missing Middle changes, based on the fact that the main page of her website is filled with bold font, red flag bullet points inveighing against this topic.

Missing Middle side-note: I strongly support the Missing Middle. It would increase mother-in-law apartments, duplexes and tri-plexes, tiny homes, cottages, and other mid-level housing options that are difficult to build under current city codes. Current codes make it comparatively easier for a developer to put in condos than it is for a homeowner to add an apartment over their garage. Anti-MM arguments also tend toward a strong anti-renter bias, with comments about how allowing triplexes will bring gangs, drugs, and crimes to middle-class neighborhoods, etc.

City Council Position No. 3: Vote MADRONE

It's not that I disagree with what Goldenberg is saying, but Dani Madrone is going to be far more effective as your council member. Dani is smart, thoughtful, and has been involved in local politics for years, doing everything from leading the pro-Missing Middle campaign to organizing environmental fundraisers to hosting a local politics podcast. By comparison, Matt Goldenberg's platform and his experience are limited. That's why Dani has far more endorsements, including some of my favorite current city council members.

I know Dani from her work at the Co-op and on the Missing Middle and while I can't say that I 100% agree with everything she says*, the dedication and political leadership she will bring to our community is huge and well worth anyone's vote. In addition to her clear progressive values, she has significant real-world experience working with local non-profits, government, environmental groups, and tribes.

She's got what it takes, and I look forward to seeing what she does as a member of the city council.

*Actually, I can't say this about anyone at all.

Olympia School DistrictSchool Board Director District No. 1: Vote FLORES

Maria Flores has a platform that focuses on equity, student support, educator support, family involvement, and community partnerships, with actual ideas about each of those things. This has earned her a long list of endorsements.

Heath Howerton doesn't even have a campaign website. He just has a Facebook page that doesn't even list any endorsements. But he does list his favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quote on his campaign statement so...there's that.