State offices
Governor
Loren Culp, R
https://www.culpforgovernor.com/
from his website:
Personal history: US Army, drill sergeant school, non-com school, 101st Airborne, 2nd Infantry. Currently police chief in Republic, former narcotics detective.
Against gun restrictions of I-639.
Solutions: taxation
stop spending – freeze spending and expansion of any programs
make it permanent – amend constitution to permanently ban a state income tax
reevaluation – review and simplify the tax code
Solutions: homelessness, drug addiction, & crime
zero tolerance
empowerment – empower law enforcement to “take dealers & addicts off the streets”
partnership – community funded rehab
Solutions: protection of citizen rights
principle based leadership – require all bills to:
~ be constitutional
~ demonstrably benefit citizens of WA
~ not require any new tax
public accountability – promote citizen involvement and awareness
courage – encourage legislators, local leaders, & law enforcement to challenge every initiative or bill which infringes on federal or state constitutional rights. (this from the cop who refuses to enforce the law the people passed by initiative to curb gun violence)
Solutions: transportation & infrastructure
accountability – set benchmarks & monitor progress
partnerships – public/private, streamline permitting (one has to ask, why would a private party invest in public transportation infrastructure? How to they recoup their investment?)
cost reduction – those “artificial” costs caused by “government corruption, ridiculous and unnecessary regulations, and time delays.” Right.
Solutions: education
He insists that Washington schools are NOT underfunded (never mind that the Supreme Court said there were)
job skills – re-introduce CTE (trades & ag) training in high schools
parental choice – let them enroll their children in what school they like, public or private
back to basics – reading, writing, ‘rithmetic, and vocational tech. He proposes separate tracks for college prep and trades.
Solutions: fish wildlife, environment, & natural resources
pro-actively manage state lands by logging and thinning and cleaning up the forest floor; increase road access.
increase output of state hatcheries to 100%. Build more hatcheries. Reinstitute hunting of sea lions & seals. Deal with silt buildup on salmon spawning grounds.
Solutions: reducing government over-regulation
elimination of 2 regulations for every new one adopted
accountability. remove “strong-arm enforcement tactics” and start working with affected businesses
purpose. require clear evidence-based explanation of the problem the regulation solves.
Solutions: state budget and budget process
stop spending. freeze all current spending at current levels for at least 3 years
expertise – department heads will have better budgetary experience. “activist” department heads will be replaced.
start from scratch. Implement a “zero based budget”
https://www.courierherald.com/news/gop-gubernatorial-hopefuls-aim-to-oust-inslee-amid-covid-19/
Loren Culp, the police chief of Republic who rose to fame after refusing to enforce I-1639 gun
laws;
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/jul/05/washington-governor-candidate-loren-culp-faces-law/?utm_source=Crosscut%20Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Crosscut+Daily+20200706+-+READY
New news to the effect that Mr Culp and two other law enforcement officers intimidated the victim in a long-running case of child sexual abuse, threatening to charge her with ‘false claims’ and that they failed to report her allegations to child welfare authorities as required by law. He participated in initial interviews with the victim and concluded that she was lying, so did not arrest the accused. The victim was then directed to spend the night with one of the investigating officers – who had sex with her. Obviously that was not reported either. Culp denies it all, says he was peripheral to the case, and none of it has anything to do with his run for governor.
This man is downright dangerous. I don’t even want to begin challenging his many misapprehensions and miscalculations above. Suffice it to say he is full of __it and should not even be police chief (note that he is the only policeman in Republic) if he is not willing to uphold the law.
Some choice tidbits:
→ He compared himself to Rosa Parks because he took on the "civil rights" of 2nd Amendment activists by refusing to enforce a law passed by a majority of voters.
→ He compared officers who did enforce that law to Nazi military officers.
→ He called the state-mandated mask requirement "unconstitutional and ridiculous."
"Culp urges students to return to school, with or without masks" - The Spokesman-Review
An August 13 story in Crosscut reports that the Ferry County sheriff is asking the taxpayers for $138k to cover the costs of filling in for Loren Culp who is spending his time campaigning instead of being on the beat. The sheriff is actually concerned that covering for Mr Culp amounts to supporting a candidate. He’s right. Culp, of course, claims the county would have to cover for him whether he went fishing or campaigning. “Its all the same.” Which tells me that the man has serious trouble with the finer points. But then, that is demonstrated by his claims above.
Jay Inslee, D incumbent
www.jayinslee.com
His new motto: “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and organize.”
From the 2016 blog: Jay Inslee is the Democratic incumbent governor and for the most part he has done a reasonably good job. He is touted in the press as the country’s “most environmental governor” – which mainly shows how bad things are elsewhere. On the other hand, he appointed one of my favorite environmental attorneys to the State Court of Appeals.
So, what has changed in 4 years? Well, now we’re all sitting at home sheltering from COVID. Checking Inslee’s campaign website, the first thing I find is: COVID update. You think maybe this is on everybody’s mind right now? Inslee’s focus has been on stopping the spread of the virus, getting PPEs to those who need them, and providing economic relief to those who need that. There’s an official Washington State Coronavirus Response website https://covid19.wa.gov/
I went to that old fallback, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Inslee , which tells us that “as governor, Inslee has emphasized climate change, education, and drug policy reform. He joined AG Ferguson in suing Trump over the anti-Muslim travel ban – and won.
Our experience with Inslee was that he was somewhat intransigent in his support of salmon net pens – until the Cooke Aquaculture disaster, after which he ordered a ban on the net pens. Now we want to see how he responds to Cooke’s application to modify those same deteriorating pens to raise native steelhead.
We were altogether delighted with Inslee’s Quixotic run for the Democratic presidential nomination. He did in fact achieve his goal of raising environmental issues in the debates and making all the candidates address them. Thanks for that.
In 2019 Inslee came to Whidbey to learn about and celebrate our whales, and to help with orca recovery. He stated a priority to remove hundreds of fish blocking culverts statewide and to publicize his environmental action plan.
He lists his progressive accomplishments for Washington:
~ first carbon cap in the country
~ investment in education
~ best paid family leave in the country
~ increased minimum wage
~ investment in infrastructure
~ ensuring net neutrality
~ expanded voting rights
~ legalizing marijuana
~ expanding gun background checks and banning bump stocks
And in spite of Tim Eyman’s lawsuit over the order to wear masks, Jay Inslee has done a really good job with the virus. Yes, the shutdown could have been more nuanced. Absolutely. On the other hand, when the train is roaring at you at a zillion mph, that’s not the time to stand on ceremony. You shove your friends out of the way and deal with the fact that some of them fell down later. We’re now in that ‘later’ phase, and it looks like he’s doing his best to help those people who fell down. Of course he is having to fight the evil in the White House which evidently takes great pleasure in causing and then watching the pain of others. So Inslee, along with other governors, had to use subterfuge to get PPEs. He continues to be the target of vituperation from the tweeter in chief.
It is instructive to look at where the various states are in their COVID responses. Inslee shut down Washington very early on, and was slow and careful in reopening in stages. Those states with Republican governors failed to respond and the result is millions of infections and, at last count, upward of 200,000 deaths, and up to 1000 people dying every day. Numbers in Washington are at the low end of the scale. Recently Inslee told Trump that his threats were ‘hogwash’ and that Washington would do what it needed to do to protect its citizens. It would not open its schools to satisfy Trump but only when the state was sure that would be safe.
I am glad we have someone with a level head and a genuine wish to do what is best for all the people and the environment of Washington as our governor. I will be voting for Jay Inslee.
Lieutenant Governor
Denny Heck, D
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
congressman, ex-state rep, businessman, ex gubernatorial aide
https://dennyheck.com/
Retiring from US House of Reps
“These times urgently call out for public service. As Lieutenant Governor I will provide stability and work to ensure fairness and civility”
Why Denny?
civility, decency, experience – the Lieutenant governor “sets the tone” for debate and decorum in the legislature.
He came from working class people and has been a union business agent for many years. He believes passionately in public schools and has rejected any and all donations from pro-charter school groups.
He will fight for a fair budget that protects the vulnerable and strengthens public schools. He will fight for progressive policies.
He will fight to protect Puget Sound, and has done so in congress. He signed I-1631 & will work on climate change. He has a 96% rating from League of Conservation Voters.
He will fight for tax reform, leading to ‘a more progressive tax system.”
He will fight to increase access to reproductive health care.
He has written 3 books, one on Washington schools, one a mystery, and one a personal memoir. He wrote and performed a 1 man play.
I get the impression of a good hearted mainstream Dem with enviro leanings.
tps://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article242927086.html
Heck has picked up endorsements from more than 230 current and former elected officials, including former governors Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke. He is clearly the favorite of the ‘mainstream’ Dems.
Read more here: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article242927086.html#storylink=cpy
All in all, not a bad fit. At least he acknowledges some of the issues that matter to me and is not allergic to the term ‘progressive.’
Marko Liias, D
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
state senator, ex state rep, ex Mukilteo city councilman, 2016 state treasurer candidate
http://markoforwa.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marko_Liias
He is Finnish, speaks the language, and is openly gay.
He has worked his way up from Mukilteo city council to state legislature, state senate, and is now running for Lieutenant governor.
In his emails he expresses concern re COVID and how both federal and state governments are responding.
He calls himself a Bold Progressive.
He has stopped fundraising and instead asks people to support Black and Brown voices fighting for change, and includes a list.
“As white people of privilege it is essential we be useful in this struggle to ensure Black lives always matter.”
Today, the work we did on passing I-940 has placed Washington state at the forefront of rigorous standards for community-focused law enforcement. These standards include annual training for officers on implicit bias, de-escalation tactics, mental health, and alternatives to the use of lethal tactics.
While I’m proud of the role I played to help bring about these overdue changes, it has been abundantly clear over the last week there is still much more to do.
And this week, I returned a contribution we received from the State Troopers Association.
I want to be clear, I respect collective bargaining. But at this critical moment in our history, police unions too often stand in the way of progress and meaningful reforms.
Additionally, I am deeply concerned to learn about the political pressure being placed on members of Congress by the Fraternal Order of Police to water down or even withdraw the racial justice bills being introduced by House and Senate Democrats.
Among a wide range of reforms, these bills hold the police accountable for their actions, but the Fraternal Order of Police is opposed.
Only through real reform in law enforcement and addressing economic, housing, and education inequities can we achieve overdue change.
And, as for me, whether it’s gun safety laws, policing reform, or working to end discrimination in housing, education, the workplace, or wherever it may be found, I’m going to keep using my position of privilege to help make our state better.”
He supports increasing opportunities and eligibility to vote.
He has been very productive in congress, passing 45 bills. He claims his (unnamed) opponent has passed 3, one of which renamed a post office.
He is endorsed by retiring Lieutenant governor Cyrus Habib
Read more here: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article242927086.html#storylink=cpy
As mentioned above, with the advent of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter uprising he suspended fundraising to put his energies toward helping people in need. That goes a long way with me.
I’ve looked closely at the voting records and endorsements of both candidates. It takes a while to figure it out, but Denny Heck is a nice ‘mainstream’ Dem and Marko Liias is a progressive. While I won’t cry too hard if we end up with Denny Heck, I far prefer Marko Liias. I will be voting for Marko Liias.
Secretary of State
Kim Wyman, R incumbent
https://www.kimwyman.com/
she is finishing her 2nd term
she praises herself for improved voter access and turnout
she made many state permit and license applications available on line
She has evidently been quite busy publishing letters and op eds about the benefits of voting by mail.
I found a “stipulation and agreed judgment” from the Thurston County Superior Court dated January 2017, in which Wyman and her campaign agreed to pay a fine, with attorney’s fees and 3 years probation, in the matter of the Public Disclosure Commission finding her to have committed a campaign fund violation.
She has not responded to Gael Tarleton’s challenge concerning the candidate filing process going south during the one week registration period. There is no evidence that she takes the threat to voting by mail seriously. She has co-authored articles in national outlets about its desirability and efficacy.
I’ve been in fairly regular contact with the Sect of State’s Elections office and am becoming less and less impressed. As of August 24 I was not able to get the information I needed to write this blog. There are a number of candidates and issues not seen in the primary. I wanted to inform you about those. I was told that information will be available “in late September.” It is now late September and I am finally able to see the sample ballot and finish this blog.
I have been asking the Sect of State’s office what they’re doing to guarantee the safety of our ballots, what with the Post Office becoming less and less reliable. They answer time and again that its all good, not to worry. Ms Wyman repeated this in a recent press interview. I’m still worried.
In the primary I said she wouldn’t be awful, but I prefer someone I think would be a whole lot better. I am revising that opinion. She is actively supporting voter suppression in other states. She actively supports the current federal administration. All of which might explain why she does not appear to be taking the threat to our mailed ballot election very seriously. In fact, she has no particular plan to assure election integrity because she doesn’t see that there is any problem. I do.
Gael Tarleton, D
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
state rep, ex Seattle port commissioner, ex university official
https://www.voteforgael.org/
“It’s time we had a Secretary of State who is not only prepared for the current threats to our elections, both foreign and domestic, but also supports and leads efforts to expand voter participation and engagement. I’m committed to protecting every voter and every vote.”
She has been challenging the incumbent to defend Washington’s vote by mail system in the face of attacks by Trump. She asserts that a failure to defend our elections will only embolden further strikes.
As State Rep she has called for “an immediate audit of the VoteWA system.” PCOs and candidates have been complaining of problems with that system. I am beginning to see problems with VoteWA myself. Check my discussion in the intro for details.
She raises the issue of incumbent Wyman providing voter data to Trump’s bogus commission on voter fraud after the 2016 election. Most states refused and the commission was disbanded. One does wonder what happened to the Washington voter information Wyman provided to that commission.
She reports that incumbent Wyman testified against the federal bill, HR 1, the For the People Act of 2019, a bill to increase cyber security in electronic voting and vote counting. HR 1 would also have implemented an automatic voter registration program, prohibitions on foreign nationals advertising on social media, and a national strategy for election protection.
She reports that Wyman donated to the election of Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger, the man who rather deliberately botched the Georgia primary and will most likely do the same to the November general election.
She is a member of the Northwest Progressive Institute.
She is a national security and defense intelligence expert.
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofGaelTarleton/
Endorsed by:
Washington Conservation Voters
Washington State Labor Council
WA State Federation of State Employees.
https://demcastusa.com/2020/08/22/saving-the-usps-with-sec-of-state-candidate-gael-tarleton-key-wa-2020-races/?fbclid=IwAR0FdlN5bA0l39Tnn_VmUQ9Jx_uO6R7NmQpKfSyPx0AbHgAHLeHRgKg7N5c
This is a podcast interview on the issue of the USPS and voting. This woman is passionate about the right of all
people, regardless of party, to vote and have their vote counted.
She has been calling out the criminal Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, for his sabotage of the Postal Service, both to enrich himself and to sabotage the election. While DeJoy has agreed to stop removing mail boxes and sorting machines, he refuses to replace any of them or even to reverse his mandate cutting overtime. Ms Tarleton continues to push. I am proud to report that postal centers in Tacoma and Wenatchee have defied orders and plugged their sorting machines back in.
As is obvious from reading this blog, I have some very intense feelings about the sanctity of elections and voting. I want to see the integrity of the election process restored and protected. In that regard, I very much like what I see. I will be voting for Gael Tarleton.
State Treasurer
Duane Davidson, R incumbent
https://davidsonforwa.com/
he worries about the state’s Rainy Day fund, saying the legislature keeps raiding it.
He has created a funding directory to help local governments find state funding.
He wants to amend federal law to allow for state banks to finance the cannabis industry.
His website provided the usual warm & fuzzy, although it did include a statement that his challenger is an “extreme progressive lawyer who will say anything to join his boss, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, in statewide office.” Which makes sense in the context of his opponent charging him with supporting Trump.
The PDC report shows him receiving $ from lots of business and banking PACs. No surprise there.
The man may well be a reasonably responsible manager of our money. I just think we can do better.
Mike Pellicciotti, D
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
state representative, attorney, ex Gonzaga U regent
http://www.electmikep.com/
~ He has never accepted campaign contributions from corporations
~ He will stop the practice of state treasurers investing tax dollars in the very corporations that fund their campaigns.
~ He says the incumbent supports Trump.
~ He passed legislation to
- get dark money out of politics
- increase financial penalties for corporate crime
- require greater campaign finance transparency by PACs
~ He has called on the legislature to obey the open public records act and has disclosed his own records.
~ He introduced legislation to fix property valuations re property tax.
~ He advocated (and won) an end to corporate tax breaks.
~ He has served as assistant attorney general, managed the unit of financial examiners, auditors, & analysts.
~ He has recovered $30 mil from financial fraud & government waste.
~ He chairs the equal justice coalition re: renters, mortgagees, vets, and predatory loan victims.
~ He earned a Fulbright scholarship in economic development, an MA in rural development, and a law degree from Gonzaga.
~ He led a national initiative to reduce student debt for public service grads.
He is endorsed by just about everybody – except Rs
His biggest campaign contributions come from unions, tribes, and teachers.
I like what I see and will be voting for Mike Pelliccciotti.
State Auditor
Chris Leyba, R
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
police officer, grad student
https://www.leybaaudits.com/
introduces himself as an 11 year police detective, law enforcement auditor, animal rescue operator, & 21st century Republican. Mission: bring balance back to the assessment of our state financial oversight.
- certified law enforcement auditor
- proud Republican
- 11 years of criminal investigations experience
- experience in financial & performance management administration
- BS, molecular biology, working on MA in business finance at WSU
- law enforcement trainer, former state contractor
~ He claims that the auditor is no longer non-partisan/neutral. Faults McCarthy for focusing on IT audits, saying it shows a lack of balance.
~ He wants to increase public transparency, and wants the public to have direct input into what is investigated.
~ He wants to audit the hours worked in various government agencies, i.e. state government, representatives and senators, to assure the mental health of decisionmakers. (huh?)
~ He wants to audit traffic and toll camera contracts.
~ He cites to an auditor’s report of major irregularities in child welfare programs, SNAP, etc and claims that proves his point that the current auditor is biased and not doing the job. (again, huh?)
~ He claims the unions have bought the current auditor. “Are you ready to take back your government agency oversight from the unions?”
He sees everything as criminal misconduct rather than actually auditing the agencies.
That includes backed up sexual assault testing. He claims that the auditor’s reports will help the legislature allocate funds.
He’s quite upset by the disrespect shown for police in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
He claims that Dems raise far more campaign funds by hustling major non-profits and party organizations, while Republicans have to raise $ from individuals.
He wants to change the office from auditor to inspector general. This shows that he is really running for the wrong office and wants to change what the office does.
He appears to believe that there is a conspiracy involving state governors to require face masks. He doesn’t want cops to have to enforce facemask orders, and says to leave that to public health officers and leave cops to deal with violent crime.
He wants to abolish the Growth Management Act. “Team Washington. Revise and restrict GMA.”
If/when he becomes auditor he will begin by auditing the office of the governor, dept of health, and emergency management.
He comes across as a classic cop right-wing Republican conspiracy theorist. I just checked out his accusation that Dems are hustling organizational $ while Rs are stuck hitting up individuals. That is not the case for most of the candidates I have checked. It is true for Mr Leyba, who should be glad he has so many relatives. They’re his major donors. I then checked on Pat McCarthy. She does have a few organizational donations, and you’ll find them listed in the entry for her.
I don’t believe Mr Leyba understands the job, and it appears that he would approach it as a cop rather than an auditor. We’re seeing enough of that on the streets. We really don’t need it in the halls of government.
Pat McCarthy, D incumbent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_McCarthy_(politician)
currently state auditor, previously Tacoma School Board 1987 – 1999, Pierce Co Executive
https://sao.wa.gov/about-sao/state-auditor-pat-mccarthy/
“Pat is dedicated to shining a brighter light on government operations for the public. She believes audits increase public trust in government.”
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/jul/13/editorial-mccarthy-is-safe-choice-for-auditor/
McCarthy was elected to replace a Republican fraud in that position (he resigned. I think he was arrested). She ran on restoring trust in government. She has been honored for changing policy re: email. It was previously kept only 2 weeks. She changed that to 6 years.
https://www.awb.org/olympia-business-watch?bid=20156
Helping local governments move into the digital record keeping age.
Making that information available to the public.
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/state-auditor-investigates-employment-security-department/DKT4LCX3AVGQTCZ2FTV745DWPI/
McCarthy announced investigations into WA Employment Security after significant fraud and loss of state funds. Needed benefits were stolen and/or delayed. Criminals in Nigeria stole $500 million in unemployment benefits. WA has recovered $333 million. She’s not blaming Employment Security. She just wants to recover funds and prevent a repeat.
And here’s a story on how it happened https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/may/25/how-missed-red-flags-helped-nigerian-fraud-ring-sc/
6-25-20 Tacoma News-Tribune story. McCarthy donates pay raise to charity. Can’t get the story because of a paywall.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBvT6mzOvrmDt5PZGj80k8IS5selNH08C
Introducing a report re Alternative Learning Experiences. I’ve not checked out the report, in part because I had trouble finding it on the Auditor’s website. There are a LOT of reports dealing with all sorts of questions and issues. The Auditor does a whole lot more than I ever knew.
https://www.knkx.org/post/lesson-learned-state-auditor-shines-light-big-issues-small-central-washington-city
In 2019 she discovered and dealt with shenanigans in the Wapato city council/mayor/city manager offices, including misappropriation of funds, missing funds, and nepotism, among other things. She blew the whistle on the city, which has theoretically cleaned up its act. 10 citizens of Wapato complained via the auditor’s citizen hotline. “I feel strongly that if you have a problem you’re better off embracing it, owning it, and trying to turn it around.”
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/state-audit-uncovers-69-million-stolen-from-pierce-county-housing-authority/281-523acfed-413c-49c5-b3c5-5639c952a086
State auditor’s office reports more than $6.9 mil stolen from Pierce Co Housing Authority by its former finance director, from 2016 to the end of 2019. And this is precisely what the Auditor’s job is about.
I just checked out her challenger’s accusation that Dems are hustling organizational $ while Rs are stuck hitting up individuals. That is not the case for most of the candidates I have checked. It is true for Mr Leyba, who should be glad he has so many relatives. They’re his major donors. I then checked on Pat McCarthy. She does have a few organizational donations: WA Education Assoc PAC, Boeing PAC, Iron Workers District Council, Justice for All PAC, Citizens for Better Government, and the Hospitality Association. None of these are particularly large donations. This is an unfortunately low key race. I think it deserves a lot more attention.
This job is far bigger than I realized, and I think we are lucky to have Pat McCarthy covering it. I will be voting to re-elect Pat McCarthy.
Attorney General
Matt Larkin, R
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
attorney, ex GW Bush White House aide
former Spokane and Pierce county prosecutor
“worked across the aisle”
https://www.mattlarkinforag.com/
He worked in Bush’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, “empowering private charities to obtain federal aid.”
He was also Associate Director of Presidential Speechwriting.
He is currently chief corporate legal counsel for his family manufacturing business in Bothell.
His website features a 30 second ad full of vehicles on fire and people running in the streets, with the claim that the current administration is tolerating rioting and mob rule. “Its time to enforce the law.”
“Washington cannot afford another 4 years in the wrong direction. We need a fresh perspective and real solutions to homelessness, drug abuse, and crime.”
He proposes a plan for “Crime Relief Support for Local Prosecutors.”
His agenda:
~ clean up our streets
~ hope for the homeless
~ reclaim our city parks
His issues:
~ enforce the laws, especially the second amendment
~ crack down on drug abuse
~ support police
~ provide real solutions to homelessness
~ lower taxes
~ make government accountable
~ run the state like a business
He has a lot of east side endorsements, especially east side sheriffs.
Under COVID-19 he talks about governor Inslee’s response being proper, but that the AG could and should be doing more.
What I see is someone who wants to be the state’s top cop, prosecuting people who demonstrate and ignoring the systemic problems which precipitated the demonstrations. He does not recognize the role of the attorney general as representing the people of the state of Washington against infringements on our state’s rights by that other Washington. He specifically wants to end all those lawsuits by Bob Ferguson – like the one against the Navy requiring them to do a real genuine valid examination of the impacts of Growler noise on the people of central Whidbey. He has stated “you should never be suing a sitting president.” Instead, he wants to change the law to allow the Attorney General to insert himself in local prosecutions while ignoring broader issues. On the other hand, he “can see a lot of reasons” to join those R AGs who are suing to kill the Affordable Care Act.
Bob Ferguson, D incumbent
https://www.electbobferguson.com/
Experienced lawyer, independent leader, 4th generation Skagitonian, internationally rated chess master.
He has filed more than 80 lawsuits against the Trump administration. He has won all but one of those which have come to trial. 31-1. 12 of those are final and unappealable.
- defeated the original Muslim travel ban
- blocked the decision to rescind DACA
- blocked allowance for 3D printed gun plans on the net
18 enviro & climate change cases 14/0
8 immigrant protection cases 4/0
7 health care, reproductive care cases 3/0
2 consumer protection for student borrower cases 1/0
2 LGBT cases 1/0
1 firearm access case 1/0
1 net neutrality case
WA is lead plaintiff in 14 cases, 7/0
Agenda:
~ protect the Constitution
~ protect civil rights
~ protect consumer rights
~ protect environment
~ fair elections
~ open government
~ protect veterans
~ protect seniors
~ protect workers
~ end human trafficking, stop sexually violent predators, end sexual assault
independent leader
lots of national recognition
Note that the focus is on protecting the land, the people, and their rights. That is refreshing.
Incidentally, he has filed a case against the US Navy over the Growler noise and its impacts on the people of central Whidbey. That was a politically risky thing for him to do, but all of us on the island appreciate his considerable support.
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/AG-Ferguson-Require-police-report-use-of-deadly-15377612.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headlines&utm_campaign=spi_itsintheseattlepi
This is a very recent report to the effect that Ferguson has asked the legislature to pass a bill that law enforcement statewide be required to disclose all use of deadly force, and that such information should be available to the public on a website. This would be consistent with the intent of 2018’s I-940 to hold police more accountable. There is already an FBI reporting system which could easily be applied to Washington.
7-23-20 Filed a challenge to the administration policy of allowing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in health insurance.
Co-led a challenge to EPA’s diluting/reversing the Clean Water Act.
8-21-20 Filed the leading lawsuit against Louis DeJoy for trying to dismantle the USPS. 6 hours later DeJoy agreed to stop destroying sorting machines and mailboxes. As of late September the judge in Yakima and judges in 3 other states have ordered DeJoy to reverse all of his mail-stopping activities.
8-27-20 Another win, this one for Hanford workers, requiring the federal government to install safety protections for workers at risk of exposure to toxic fumes, and to assure access to healthcare and other benefits for those who do become ill. The Trump administration has appealed.
9-4-20 Bulletin: “we won our 32nd case against the administration”, which rolled back penalties against automakers for failing to meet fuel efficiency standards. The rollback is declared illegal.
9-14-20 Another win, this one against the administration's attempt to change the definition of "employer," which would have exempted them from the Fair Labor Standards Act. Chalk up another one for workers.
10-10-20 This is the date on which the Affordable Care Act will be argued before the Supreme Court - with our without newly appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett - and Bob Ferguson will be arguing for Washington State and our health care.
This man is exactly the right person in exactly the right place to protect Washington’s land and people from the thrashing and trashing coming out of the White House. We need him to keep doing what he’s doing.
I will be voting enthusiastically for Bob Ferguson.
Commissioner of Public Lands
Sue Kuehl Pederson R
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
research scientist, fisheries biologist, 2016 state senate candidate
https://citizensforsue.com/
former chair, Grays Harbor Republican Party
fisheries biologist at UW, NOAA Fisheries, Army Corps of Engineers
power manager, Gray’s Harbor PUD
senior power analyst, Seattle City Light
senior environmental analyst, Seattle City Light
research scientist/publications manager, Biosonics Inc
“Its time to bring new leadership for our public lands.”
She believes improved timber management can reduce disease and excess fuel in our forests, leading to a reduction in wildfires.
She believes that salmon and hydropower can coexist.
“We deserve good resource management and a keen understanding of the balance needed between the natural world and humanity.”
The Commissioner of Public Lands has a constitutional duty to responsibly manage timber harvests in a way that will improve forest health, reduce forest fires, provide living wage jobs, and support our public schools.
Her focus is on generating income from the forests, increasing the rate of harvest to do so. The blog post on her website demonstrates a fundamental lack of ecological understanding of forests and how they grow.
Her Facebook page reports her going to the Spokane GOP Lincoln Day Dinner on June 9. Really? This looks like the Republican machine candidate.
The fact that she can talk about salmon and hydro co-existing tells me she is not a serious scientist. The idea of a “balance between the natural world and humanity” tells me that she does not consider humans as part of the ecosystem but somehow apart from it. That is an outdated and dangerous point of view. While there actually is a need to thin our overcrowded forests, this must be done from the standpoint of forest health rather than generating income. We’ve seen all too many “forest health” cuts that ended up being either high-grades of all the best timber or just flat out clearcuts. The increased rate of logging she proposes would do very little to reduce the fires she claims are the result of failure to log rather than climate change.
I am by no means enamored of Hilary Franz. But I don’t think Ms Pederson is a very good replacement. I would not vote for her.
Hilary Franz D incumbent
https://www.hilaryfranz.com/
~ supporting our schools and communities
~ protecting our communities and firefighters
~ growing our rural economies and clean energy
~ conserving our lands and waters
I have my gripes with Hilary. We’ve known her peripherally for years and years, as she was executive director of Futurewise, a statewide environmental protection organization. We thought all our troubles would be over when Hilary was elected in 2016. Oh, come on. How naïve. Actually, she’s doing great things on all fronts – except my particular focus, forest practices in the “area likely to convert” to a use other than forestry. We’ve brought up our problems to her several times and she has seemed absent. I should not have to explain the Forest Practices Act to her.
Ok, crab session over. The fact is, as I said, that on all other fronts she is doing a really great job. By way of explanation, the Commissioner of Public Lands oversees the operation of the Department of Natural Resources. DNR has kind of a mixed bag mandate. On the one hand, it manages millions of acres of public land for the specific purpose of generating capital for the state schools. On the other hand, it oversees resource extraction – logging, mining, shoreline uses – on private lands. That’s a lot of bases to cover, so I suppose I should cut her some slack for covering all but the one that interests me the most.
I will be voting for Hilary Franz.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Maia Espinoza
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
non-profit group executive, 2018 state rep candidate
She’s an R, but this is a non-partisan office
https://www.maiaforus.com/
She is involved in a lot of educational committees, a member of Catholic Daughter Association, Executive director and founder of Center for Latino Leadership.
She’s an Army brat, an active member of Military Order of the World Wars.
Issues
- schools that work
- life long learners
- essential skills
- fresh is best, provide fresh local foods
- innovative classrooms
- stop mandatory sex ed
https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/northwest/as-covid-19-changes-education-systems-state-school-superintendent-candidates-push-for-local-control/article_e968571b-f51b-5296-947b-950d38ade2df.html
- covid response, schools were ill prepared for distance learning
This one is a mixed bag. I certainly agree that kids should be provided fresh local (preferably organic) food at school. And she’s probably right that the schools were ill prepared for distance learning. Who knew? This was not exactly on anybody’s agenda. I’m sure some are coping surprisingly well and others depressingly poorly. What I’m not seeing is any constructive suggestion as to how to improve the situation.
And her main issue is that “mandatory sex ed.” She, like so many of her fellow candidates, is totally focused on this issue without having done the homework. Which is why I went to the trouble to summarize the legislation for you (see the discussion of R-90). Turns out she claimed in her voter’s guide statement that incumbent Chris Reykdal wanted to teach sex positions to 4th graders. He sued, and was overturned by the state supreme court, which said basically that its ok to lie in the voter’s guide because it contains a disclaimer that statements have not been fact-checked.
Nope. Even if she has some good ideas, she has more really bad ones.
Chris Reykdal incumbent
this is a non-partisan position, but Chris is a D
https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/superintendent-chris-reykdal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Reykdal
served 3 terms in WA legislature
was one of 13 no votes on the $8.7 billion tax break to Boeing
https://www.chrisreykdal.org/
- led with transparency and integrity, even in the face of the pandemic
- developed a new school accountability system
- ensured local timber revenue stays in the local school district
- increased k-12 investments by over $4 billion/year (=$3500/student)
- increased educator salaries to attract and retain our amazing educators
- expanded health care to tens of thousands of school employees
- de-linked high stakes testing from graduation
- added career and tech ed pathways to graduation
- returned civics classes to our schools
- enhanced formula funding for students with disabilities at a record rate
- increased graduation rates to a record high
- secured record high funding levels for school construction
- raised WA to a top 15 state level in English language arts & math
priorities/ goals
- provide full education, in various forms, beyond high school, to all
-100% high school completion
- closing the opportunity gap to close the achievement gap (Black Lives Matter)
- teacher excellence, have increased teacher pay 24%, need to do more
- expanding dual credit options (running start)
- recommitting to career and tech ed
- high standards with local control, minimize federal intrusion into WA schools
- early learning
- capital budgets, local bond funding is inequitable, he’s working to fix that.
https://www.facebook.com/chris.reykdal
He objects to the term “alternative”, seeing it as tainting students. All are individual and diverse.
He’s being hammered by the “no sex-ed” crowd, who are calling him all sorts of names, mostly things like pedophile. (see the discussion of R-90)
https://mynorthwest.com/1728148/dori-reykdal-sex-ed-curriculum/?
Chris explains that each school district determines its own curriculum and sex ed content, that younger children are primarily intended to learn that their bodies are their own and not to be touched without their consent. There is also a parental opt-out. When asked if he would consider an opt-in instead, he said that was very interesting.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/sexual-education-washington-public-schools/281-abfdc1c0-b6e3-4774-b3f8-7c6ba9f08e6c
It seems the bill is rather mis-named, based on this report. Young children would be taught concern for their friends and how to stand up for themselves. In elementary schools the class would amount to 1 hr/school year. Much of this relates to sexual abuse prevention. And as mentioned over and over, see the review of the actual bill in the discussion of R-90.
https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/resources-subject-area/sexual-health-education/instructional-materials-review-reports-and-tools
All in all, in spite of the hysteria and ugliness, Chris Reykdal has been doing a good job in a difficult time. Given that his challenger seems to be a single issue (sex!) candidate, and given the fact that he is actually doing a good job for our schools, I will be voting for Chris Reykdal.
Insurance Commissioner
Chirayu Avinash Patel, R
https://www.politics1.com/wa.htm
insurance agent
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chirayu-patel-177b8115
account executive at Goel Payment Solutions since 2013
insurance agent at All-in-One Insurance since 2013
Couldn’t find a website or even a Facebook page.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/jul/14/insurance-commissioner-race-pits-20-year-veteran-a/
This story reports that Mr Patel is a University of Washington biochemistry student who describes himself as an “autistic savant” who can channel the thoughts of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Thomas Jefferson.
If elected, he said, he’d like to occupy the office for about 60% of the time, and invite Kreidler and Welti (a primary contestant) each to run it for 20% of the time. “I don’t see them as my opponents. I see them as my allies,” he said, although he hasn’t discussed the shared work arrangement with them.
Patel describes himself as being “on the autism scale” but high functioning, which he said allows him to use a part of his brain that most people don’t. With it, he said he can put himself in the mind of Reagan and Jefferson, to whom he believes he is biologically related through Genghis Khan.
He describes the Affordable Care Act as a Hamiltonian federalist action and wants to start a Jeffersonian counterbalance to stabilize it. He said he’s willing to work with the federal government regardless of whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden is in the White House.
I can appreciate the man’s dealing with Autism. I don’t believe he has a realistic understanding of the job.
Mike Kreidler, D incumbent
https://mikekreidler.com/
Priorities:
~ Protect health care coverage for all Washington residents
He supports ACA and wants to assure people are protected during the pandemic
~ Strengthen the law to protect consumers from surprise medical bills
The law passed in 2019, went into effect 1-1-20. Lets doctors and insurance duke it out without hitting on the patient.
~ Make insurance companies honor their commitments
He is a watchdog for consumers
~ Maintain a healthy business climate for the insurance industry
Insurance is a $43 billion industry in WA, employs over 50k people. He works to be fair to both business and consumers.
~ Connect insurance with the environment to help protect all citizens
He chairs the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Climate Risk & Resilience Working Group. He also leads the WA Disaster Resiliency Work Group, which makes recommendations to the governor on how the state can better prepare itself for climate change.
The huge international re-insurers are looking at the impacts of climate change and realizing that they are on the hook for multiple billions and probably even trillions of dollars. They are looking for ways to reduce their risk, so they form work groups to find relatively easy steps to do that. I’m quite happy to see Mr Kreidler involved in such a work group. We are already seeing some pretty whopping bills from such climate change effects as flooded highways and homes, fires burning whole towns, and storms causing landslides which take whole neighborhoods. I hope they come up with some “ounce of prevention” proposals for us.
He enacted emergency rules requiring that all health insurances operating in Washington waive co-pays and deductibles for clients requiring COVID testing. And then he extended it for another 30 days to the end of July.
Kreidler has in fact been doing a very good job of protecting the people of Washington from the insurance industry. Since I have had help from the Insurance Commissioner’s office under the incumbent, I will be voting to retain Mike Kreidler.
