Well folks, grab several cups of extra strong coffee to wade through all 36 candidates. Luckily a fair number of them are very short entries, the "also ran" candidates. Easy to skip. They're in alphabetical order by first name (cause that's how the program did it) with my choice at the very end, if you really insist on skipping my hard work and witty observations.
Alex Tsimerman independent
business consultant and frequent candidate
header image is of raising the flag at Iwo Jima
He does not express any issue positions except to claim that government is abusing the people and his constant lawsuits and daily attendance at Seattle City Council meetings are intended to right these perceived wrongs.
Elected Experience: None
Other Professional Experience: Business, Business consultant and Caregiver for my mother.
Education: College, University, Master degree in Engineering & Management
Community Service: Won class action in 1997 for housing discrimination, included HUD. Won a very unique class action in 2015 against DSHS for stealing $100 million from 50,000 people. Speaking over 1600 times in many council chambers about local government corruption and to restore our right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Alex Tsimerman speaks in council chambers to stop Seattle & King County who suck blood and money from us which goes to government & corporations. StandUP America and join him!
Statement: Are we better now than a few years ago? Stop Seattle fascism with idiotic face!
I, Alex Tsimerman, speak to all Washingtonians stop Seattle emerald degenerate super smart freaking idiot, who bring Seattle to number One Fascist City in America with Nazi Social Democrat Mafia with progressive Gestapo principle. That always choose dirty garbage rats that drink from fat cat toilet and who make your life miserable and brought us to total collapse. Enough is Enough.
Sound transit, Seattle City, Amazon, Microsoft and Boeing are working together in what looks like collusion, which will cost us $200,000,000,000 (~$200 billion) for another few years and we all will have to pay for this. No taxes for first $100 spent on anything. We pay billions in taxes. Give ordinary people a little bit of air for breathing. Ordinary Americans have lost all power- whether it be economic, political, media or legal.
People in Pierce County, refused to accept Sound Transit 3. We The People need to bring a class action and give billions back. City of Tacoma voted to limit elected officials to only 2 terms. We need to bring this to the entire State to stop all elected officials from staying in their position for 20+ years.
We have two Women Democrat US Senators for more than 30 years but salary for women always remained less than men. This shows how a One party system, who looks like Fascism, works.
A One party system is always Fascism. StandUP Washington State so we can bring us back to normal life. We have enough money in the system to make life better for everyone without a penny more from the people. I speak to you Washingtonians StandUP stop Seattle Fascism with idiotic face. For, Of and By the people! Vote for Alex Tsimerman!
Contact:
(206) 324-6264
I almost feel for Mr Tsimerman. He has experienced Soviet Socialism and sees it creeping in wherever he looks. Yet another somewhat incoherent perennial candidate. Another ‘also ran.’
Anton Sakharov R
businessman and community activist
He is an immigrant who has “lived through Soviet socialism, religious oppression, antisemitism.” He says our current path is a dangerous one. Socialism makes fake promises of equal outcomes, we must instead ensure equal opportunities.
“I came here because my parents believed this country to be an ideal place . . . a country where laws are followed, bureaucracy is nonexistent, people are safe and prosperous.”’
(Stories of the wonders of America have long been overblown compared to the disappointing reality. )
His agenda:
infrastructure
incentivize business to open in less populated areas to distribute employment
work with feds to share infrastructure renovation cost
school safety
implement perimeter and entry security across all public schools
hire veterans as security guards
install metal detectors & security systems
(sounds like he wants to turn schools into prisons)
small business
remove unnecessary regulations, eliminate burdensome permit and license processes
guarantee no tax increase for 5 years for small business
remove barriers to entry in highly regulated industries (like pharma manufacturing, safety equipment, food processing, medicine?)
tax burden
increase state revenue instead of increasing taxes
cut personal taxes by repealing death & estate taxes
cap residential property taxes and eliminate tax hikes
(one wonders how one increases state revenue without increasing taxes, and how one pays for the projects he advocates while capping and eliminating taxes)
accountability
make project accounting details on state projects transparent to the public
modify pre-tender process to allow more competition for state projects
hold state officials accountable for cost overruns & project delays
homelessness
redistribute health & housing capabilities across the entire state
ban illegal sanctuary cities and reallocate funds to help veterans in need
reallocate funds from cash assistance programs into incentives for employers to re-employ the homeless.
Sadly, many people who have experienced forms of Communism flip to the extreme opposite. Neither is particularly functional or beneficial.
Another ‘also ran.’
Bill Hirt R
retired aircraft engineer & frequent candidate
from my 2016 blog:
education: MS, engineering, Iowa State University.
Strong supporter of “pro-life”. Primary issues: “the utter incompetence of Sound Transit and WSDOT in dealing with the state’s transportation problems.” Candidate declaration states that he has no expectation or desire to be elected. He just wants to draw attention to his blog. Also “intend to delve into the efficacy of limiting CO2 emission as a way to limit “climate change” (his quotes, not mine) and attempts to use “renewable energy” (again, his quotes) to meet the area’s energy needs.
Here's a 2017 story of yet another run for office he expected to lose:
Mon, 10/30/2017
By Lindsay Peyton
Bill Hirt does not plan to win the election on Tuesday, Nov. 7. He is honest and open about why he is actually running for the office of King County Executive against Dow Constantine. He simply wants to draw attention to his fight against light rail. “It’s just another step in more than nine years of trying to stop East Link,” he said.
The battle began in 2008 – when Hirt said he came to realization that Sound Transit’s claims about the eastside extension of the light rail were, in his words, “sheer fantasy.”“I soon recognized that Sound Transit’s decision to route light rail though the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel prevented light rail in Seattle from ever having the capacity needed to reduce congestion,” he said. According to Hirt, the route limited capacity to 8,880 riders per hour. “Whatever riders the extensions attract along I-5 will reduce current transit ridership,” he said. “Their increased operating cost with no increase in capacity is a recipe for a financial black hole from fare-box revenue shortfall.”
Hirt has run for public office six times – all to raise awareness of his stance on the issue. He said this and past candidacies were his “attempts to use the Voters’ Pamphlet to attract attention to my concerns.” “They’re my way to make a difference by alerting the area about what to expect and that it didn’t have to happen,” Hirt said. He admitted that it’s unlikely that he will be able to prevent the East Link – since the project is moving forward and he does not believe that he’ll win the election.
Hirt said the King County Executive has power to stop this development. He wants to expose incompetence in the plan – and offer his suggestions about what could be done to reduce congestion. Hirt keeps his blog
http://stopeastlinknow.blogspot.com well-stocked with articles about the issue.
He said his last elected position was senior class president in 1957 in Armstrong, Iowa. He received his master’s degree in engineering at Iowa State University and then worked for Boeing for 36 years. Hirt and his wife moved to their current home in Bellevue in 1967, where they raised two daughters. After retiring in 1998, Hirt and his wife traveled throughout Europe and the U.S. He enjoys playing bridge and golf, spending time with his grandchildren – and encouraging east side residents to call their legislators.
Another ‘also ran.’
Bill Miller American Patriot party
has a PO box in Kenniwick
PDC says he has opted for the mini-financing. He will collect less than $5k and so will not have to report.
Can’t find anything on line. Another “also ran”
Brian R Weed Independent
lives in West Richland
this is a website at which you can book a performance of comedic hypnotherapy by Mr Weed
couldn’t find anything else. Another ‘also ran’
Cameron Vessey Independent
The Facebook page is less than coherent, and states that climate change is a hoax.
If I’m governor every citizen and business will have the right to decide their own safety measures.
Democrats are literally trying to repeal California civil rights law that prevents discrimination.
(shows image of Inslee with label: Traitor)
I’ve always felt unions are tools that no longer serve society as they once did.
Trump is not a racist
The idea of white privilege is dangerous
Says he mis-spent his youth and spent years in prison.
Wants Elon Musk to drill 4 holes through the Cascades. (huh?)
Proposes mag-lev system starting with Tri-cities to Spokane.
Proposes Washington Militia for those who fail standard for US Army.
contains nothing but a donate button (actually, 4 of them)
I find it hard to read illiterate incoherent rants
His PDC filing shows that he has received $0 donations.
Another loony. Another ‘also ran.’
Craig Campbell Independent
no info available. ‘also ran’
Cregan Newhouse Independent
city consumer protection enforcement supervisor
The latest poll, however, (which did not include independent candidates), is fascinating: Cregan Newhouse, who was not even on the poll, has an 8% path to face off against the incumbent in the general election. this would be a battle of two progressives: a true, $5000.00 campaign vs a goliath, $10 million war machine. Newhouse is capable of dominating a debate, and could make a splash which reverberates nationally. Neither Democrats nor Republicans (actual citizens, not incumbents) favor Governors for life.
If you are passionate about any of these issues, please tell two people about Cregan Newhouse, and ask them to tell four more.
8% (as noted in the Spokesman Review article, those 8 points are between Tim Eyman’s 8 and his own 0)
His platform:
- 1. RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Today's extreme levels of income and wealth disparity continue to worsen. As progressive as we like to think we are, Washington State is among the worst ten states in the nation. The top 1/10th of the top 1% owns as much as the bottom 90% combined. Extreme economic inequality is a massive barrier to eliminating racism.
- 1. Newhouse would advocate for legislation enacting a progressive income tax on the wealthy elite. Households making under $300,000 per year would be exempt:
- 1. Funds UNIVERSAL PRE-K. The current ECEAP program is grossly insufficient.
- 2. Funds a reduction in sales tax.
- 3. Funds a reduction in property tax.
- 4. Funds home buying programs for under represented communities.
- 2. Newhouse will see meaningful climate legislation passed, when Inslee couldn't even do it with control of both houses.
- 2. ELECTION INTEGRITY We must allow for fresh and energetic leadership to renew itself. Concentration of power must be recycled in government. Perpetuated power feeds into mistrust of the people.
- 1. Newhouse would advocate for a constitutional amendment limiting gubernatorial terms (2 term max).
- 3. COVID-19 RESPONSE
- 1. Health: A data driven response remains necessary. All 39 counties must be involved, and data must be transparent.
- 2. Economy: Preparing for the unexpected is the Governor's job. Our rainy day fund should have been the equivalent of 2 months of our operating budget when the crises hit. Instead, it was on fumes. After eight straight years of incredible economic growth, this failure was inexcusable.
- 1. Newhouse will institute best budget practices, and prohibit the raiding of the rainy day fund during times of economic boom.
- 2. Newhouse will encourage state agencies, as subject matter experts, to identify their own efficiencies.
- 3. Newhouse will promote investment in technology, which:
- 1. Provides significant, high-yield returns
- 2. Eliminates disasters such as the massive unemployment fraud which cost our Washington residents hundreds of millions of dollars
While the man proposes some interesting ideas, I don’t believe he has thought them through to their logical conclusions. He’s also not particularly coherent. One more ‘also ran.’
David Blomstrom 5th Republic party
His website says he’s Seattle’s only activist.
He says he’s a teacher in the Seattle School District.
Issues:
new state flag (lighthearted)
free speech – he has discovered that The Jews are the source of all problems
coronavirus – it’s a conspiracy. He’s written a book: Jew Flu, The Coronavirus Conspiracy
sex trafficking – he’s worried about the 500+ sex slave teens in Seattle
homelessness – caused by corporate corruption, automation, & artificial intelligence
taxes- he’s jealous of Tim Eyman’s ability to generate publicity, but thinks the rich should pay their fair share
education – Jews control everything, the media, the economy, the government, and education
Jewarchy – he writes books about how bad Jews are
China – Israel controls America, China has the best tech, Microsoft & Google have great spy tech. Better China spy on US than the Jews. US & Israel are terrorist states. China is not.
Environment – as governor he would roll back the anti-environmental polices of Trump, Obama, & Bush.
Accountability – we can’t fix any of the above issues as long as Jews are in power.
Since I happen to be a Jew and the daughter of a Holocaust refugee, I take rather serious offense at this sort of thing. It totally freaks me out that this person is allowed to teach children in the Seattle school system. How many young minds has he poisoned to date?
Worse than just ‘also ran’, this person needs to be stopped from ‘teaching.’
David Voltz independent
1-20-20 Vote Tim Eyeman to fire Jay Sleezee the worst gouvernour ever!!!!!!
12-21-19 Matt Shea responds to sham investigation. (fyi: Matt Shea was tossed out of the Republican house caucus for his Christo-fascist Neo-nazi activities)
11-21-19 Democrats are trying to impeach a president for crimes Obama and Biden committed.
(Lots of loony right wing posts of Glen Beck and similar)
Having to deal with no less than 36 candidates for governor (not gouvernour), I am beginning to think seriously about some sort of minimum standard for filing. I would begin with a demonstration of literacy. Can the candidate write a coherent statement? Can they state the job description of the position for which they’re running? If not, they’re going to have serious trouble on the job and should not be wasting all of our time and energy.
Another non-serious candidate. Another ‘also ran.’
Donovan L Rivers D
he is African American
an Ambassador For Peace and Social Justice of over 40 years
has non-traditional education, no degree but much international travel as ambassador, peace
advisor
his website shows an advisory cabinet
Sounds like a pretty neat guy. Perennial candidate. Not sure he’d be the best governor.
Another ‘also ran.’
Dr Cairo D’Almeida D
Help the homeless meet basic needs
Provide veterans & foster parents with psychological support
Use AHCA* to re-create the middle class
(that would be the American Health Care Association)
Improve current infrastructure
End the use of fossil fuel
Support use of new tech for more jobs, including women, LGBTQ, WOMXN, LatinX, POC, & any other minorities.
Eliminate for-profit jails & detention centers
No jail for homeless or addicts
Free bus passes for students
Expand light rail to every county and city with more than 10,000 people
Update immigration laws
“Do NOT ask me to tell a woman what to do with her body!”
Tie property taxes to minimum wage
State Parks need more and better care, use new tech to make parks safer for humans and wildlife
government officials: humility, fairness, integrity, honesty, transparency, respectfulness, responsibility
Worked in heavy construction 1976 -1982, helped build the DC Metro, labor union president.
PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology
2010 – 2019 TSA officer
single parent, now 2 grandchildren
private pilot licenses
certificates in computer science & AutoCad
He quotes Rosa Parks and adds “its not how much you’ve got but what you do with what you’ve got to help others.”
Here’s the song I’ve sung for many years that incorporates that statement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGHTvw6ACkc
There’s a whole other issues page, but I think we’ve got it pretty much covered. Sounds like a genuinely decent human being. I actually like most of his program. I do wish he would start just a little lower than shooting for governor first time out. I would like to see more from this person. I’m afraid I won’t be able to vote for him for governor, though. Too bad.
Dylan Nails Independent
dnails1.wixsite.com/nailsforgovernor2020.
20 years old, lives in Colfax, 2018 Colfax HS grad
“running to show that youth have something to bring to the table of politics and to promote youth involvement in government.”
ASB president at Colfax HS, 2 years
FFA
FCLA
knowledge bowl
football
track
musical
currently at NW Nazarene University, Nampa, ID – major in secondary ed, emphasis in history & special ed.
positions:
Be a voice for eastern Washington and the whole state
Increase teacher pay and education funding
Increase funding for State Parks & natural resources
Student debt relief
While I admire the young man for trying, I’m afraid he is one more “also ran.”
Elaina Gonzalez-Blanton Independent
Unclear if she ran for legislature last year or is running currently. In that race she is declared as a Republican.
Focus: repeal the new k-12 sex ed law (again, check out the discussion in the introduction) Touts R support (in 1863 and 1865) for 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, and then posts a sign about Juneteenth date 6-19-20 – implying she is running for legislature this year. Very confusing.
And here’s the really great one. She claims a CHAZ Warlord (image of large black man with dreads, gold chains, and tattoos), is handing out AR-15s in “Seattle’s Leftist Paradise” while she has to wait 10 days to buy a hand gun and take a class before she can buy a semi-automatic rifle. “This is the stupidity of our state leadership and gun laws.” The image of the large black man includes a stack of what appear to be – not guns but meals.
“I support the 2nd Amendment and our right to bear arms. Please donate to my campaign for 23rd District rep”, complete with Trump poster.
I am not fond of guns and I am very much not fond of using images of African Americans to generate fear.
Another ‘also ran.’
Gene Hart D
retiree
The page is somewhat discombobulated, but a few viewpoints come through quite clearly. He strongly supports Black Lives Matter.
I'm thinking too many of our People miss the point of this August 4, 2020 Primary Election
It's about the big picture, about a good, better and best society. It's about full mobilization, all hands manning their battle stations. It's about all organizations, profit, non-profit and government, needed, urged, coached and inspired.
It's about insistence on Robust Economy for all, rural and urban, not just King and Snohomish counties. Insistence on good, fair, reduced taxes for The Great Majority, who now pay higher rates for state and local taxes than the top 20% do. Insistence on living, family wage jobs, thriving, independent, employee-owned businesses et cetera.
It's about our home. We want, We deserve more. Putting People First. Keeping People First. (There's more, lots more, but I'm thinking you now see a good measure of the big picture.) Blessings and Justice For All. Any questions? Elect Gene Hart for Washington, our home, Governor.
Thank you All Concerned Citizens.
I appreciate citizens bringing their challenges to my attention.
FWIW, J and I go way back. So, I'm not running against J. I'm running for Washington, our home. I am running to prevent/cure SNAFUs, FUBARs and Glitches.
FWIW, I'm thinking the Spirit of Providence, Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Truth knows We have more than enough of those negatives. I'm thinking that's why our Great Coalition of Coalitions continues to grow.
I'm running for a good, better and best society. Yes, I am running for the concept of term limits. Yes, I'm running to help J achieve his dream, vision, mission, duty, purpose and plan to be the point of our nation's spear for climate change mitigation. Any questions? Elect Gene Hart for Washington, our home, Governor.
Priorities of Government (POG) We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all human beings are created equal, that they are endowed by Providence, their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, Education, Healthcare, Freedom from want, Freedom from Fear, Full Employment, form a more perfect Union; establish Justice; insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity - That to secure these rights, responsibilities and duty, Governments are instituted among The People, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. ..." Any questions? Elect Gene Hart, for Washington, our home, Governor.
"We propose refocusing our energies on fighting the virus more and each other less. There isn’t a blue or a red side in this fight. We all want the virus beaten back. We all want people to earn a living and children to reconnect with other children."
In my sense, definitely, first sentence says it all about all, followed by further clarity.
As someone who is in his 42nd month and tens of thousands miles journeying, throughout Washington, our home, reading, listening to and hearing concerns of my fellow citizens. As Governor, Washington, our home. I will not allow ignorance; petty, narrow-minded, politicos et cetera to deter our vision, mission, duty and plan for the good, better and best society here in Washington, our home.
Dear Fellow Concerned Citizens,
Many activists and a state-sponsored working group are working on healthcare reform, here in Washington, our home.
Coming to The People's desk for signature first, as Washington State Governor, I would most likely sign that reform, given my sense of it, as the next step for healthcare, as an unalienable right.
We need The Robust Economy, rural and urban, to pay for our Programs. Before, it was only good, Fair Taxes, reduced for the Great Majority, followed by education, our state’s Paramount Duty and Target Zero. But, our pandemical tsunami has changed the lay of the land.
Paramount Duty is “…ample provision for the education of ALL children…” in accordance with our Washington State Constitution. Target Zero is zero transportation deaths and zero transportation major injuries before the end of this decade. All require that rural and urban Robust Economy and good, reduced fair taxes for the Great Majority, yes, Fair Taxes, family wage jobs, thriving independent, employee-owned businesses et cetera.
In my sense, it really means Full Mobilization, All Hands, Non-Profits, Profits and Government needed, urged, coached and inspired.
Sounds like a good person who needs to think through his ideas a bit more. But then, he says he has no intention or expectation of winning, that he is just helping Jay Inslee. Ok. After all of that, just another ‘also ran.’
Goodspaceguy Trump R
Here’s what I wrote about him when he ran for governor in 2016:
amateur astronomer, amateur economist, frequent candidate
goodspaceguy42@yahoo.com
education: MA University of Minnesota
“defend small business. Abolish the minimum wage”
“rent controls destroy the rental market.”
“property rights are the pathway to prosperity for the people.”
About all that has changed is that now he has evidently embraced Trump.
another ‘also ran’
Henry Clay Dennison Socialist Workers’ Party
communist political organizer & frequent candidate
I did find a 2020 campaign platform, although it does not mention for which position. The platform is national in scale.
Mr Dennison does not appear terribly serious. Another ‘also ran.’
Ian Gonzales R
https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=476026
lives in Kenniwick
looks quite young
and that’s all I could find
another ‘also ran’
Joshua Freed R
“Small businesses and Washington families deserve better than failed leadership funded by outside special interest groups.”
But you’re invited to attend “an exclusive evening with Joshua Freed”, to include skeet shooting, hand rolled cigars, cheese and wine with Lindie Freed, full course catered dinner, & cocktails for only $1k/each on June 28. Gee, in person? One notes that he does not mention the virus at all.
That R is practically invisible on his website. It is buried at the very bottom in the “paid for.” None of his campaign signs include it. Oh, and his signs are free. He only asks $15.00 for shipping.
issues:
clean up our cities and get people the help they need
convert under-used state facilities to homeless housing
complete overhaul of mental health system
support police and first responders by enforcing current laws and equip them with tools they need to keep our community and themselves safe.
will not take a paycheck as governor
“pathways to recovery” (11-29-19)
create “pathways to recovery” centers in underused state facilities, starting with Evergreen State College, which has 950 beds to use for detox and recovery. Enrollment is down 42% and they don’t give real grades. The experiment needs to end.
This translates to shutting down Evergreen.
“compassionate enforcement” – anyone using drugs in a public space will either go to jail or to the “pathway to recovery” center. (I am currently dealing with someone who was involuntarily kept in such a center for 3 days. He is now visiting the hospital daily to treat the enormous hole in his body created by an injection administered at that center. Turns out this is a well-known side effect of this particular drug. Doesn’t sound very compassionate to me.)
This will be a public/private partnership. (it sounds so warm and fuzzy: public/private. What this usually translates is that we the public pay for the benefit of the private half of the partnership. Think about all those private prisons holding ICE victims. That’s the classic public/private partnership.)
Make state government more open and transparent.
claims governor is negotiating sweetheart contracts behind closed doors. He will make state contract negotiations open and transparent.
will apply open public meetings act to legislature. (I could’ve sworn that was resolved in the courts last year)
Transparent budget and NO state income tax.
claims state government favors the rich, ie:
* we deny educational choices for low-income communities
* cost of roads is borne by poor people
* mentally ill are being left to suffer
(while I agree in part, I want to know how continuing our grossly unfair tax structure will benefit these people)
“Together we can make state government work for all of us – with no one left behind.”
They include former Bothell mayor Joshua Freed, who kicked off his campaign with about $500,000 in self-funding;
Another candidate asked just why someone would pay out $500k toward a job which pays +/- $180k/year, and what benefits he expects to gain to pay that back. Good question, especially since he specifies that he will take no salary. There’s something very fishy going on here.
Yet another fiscally manipulative, socially creepy R who wants to buy a higher office. No thanks.
Joshua Wolf independent
college student
“bring honor to politics”
21 years old, from San Juan County
top priority, the reason he’s running is to stop people being trafficked along the I-5 corridor
he’s of the New Liberty Party – a resurrection of the original Liberty Party ~ 1840 – 1860s, abolitionists.
other issues:
salmon runs
mental health
foster care
prisons
police
bureaucracy
school reform
native tribes
homeless and housing crisis
loss of small business
fishing industry
He is not terribly coherent, mainly because he does not edit himself, but he does have some ideas. His heart is in the right place. He says he is both dyslexic and dysgraphic, which likely explains the non-editing. I suppose I should cut him some slack for that.
Sounds like a good kid. I wish him well and hope to hear more from him. With a lot more experience he may do good work. For now, he’s an ‘also ran.’
Leon Anon Lawson Trump R
The only reference I found was from the Washington state Q Anon group, leading me to believe that the Anon in the name is a party declaration.
Not real. Another ‘also ran’
Liz Hallock Green
attorney, cannabis store owner, 2019 city council candidate
“our campaign is not taking donations at this time. Donate to NW Harvest COVID-19 Relief Fund.”
Small business owner. No corporate donations.
Her vision:
~ families are not constantly stressed by trying to find affordable healthcare and childcare
~ mental health is a priority
~ children do not fear abuse or hunger, and can grow up happy and healthy regardless of their neighborhood; where they are encouraged to be creative and given the math, science, and arts education they need to succeed.
~ encourage entrepreneurship and allow small business to flourish; ensure large corporations do not control our elections and democracy. Ensure the voices of all people are heard.
~ teach our children to honor and respect the planet and get outdoors.
We have only one future, and that’s a future together.
Re: 2nd & 4th amendments. She believes in the right to own guns – for responsible adults, after universal background checks. She does worry about warrantless search and seizure. (Which is probably reasonable for a Cannabis retailer. It hasn’t been legal all that long and there are some truly arcane laws to which retailers are subject.)
Re: Climate Crisis. Poor air quality harms children. Tech makes drastic reductions in greenhouse gases relatively easy. Oil & gas industry are fighting those reductions. Climate change is inevitable and the best we can do now is mitigate and prepare for the changing landscape, shore up water and food supplies, and prepare for climate refugees.
Ran for Yakima city council.
Quotes FDR, Howard Zinn, and Maya Angelou
This one sounds like she has interesting ideas which I would like to see explored further. Perhaps she should aim just a bit lower, to gain some experience before trying for governor. I see she ran for council in 2019. Evidently she didn’t make it. Unfortunately, another ‘also ran.’
Loren Culp R
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 restriction 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 of all bills:
is it constitutional?
will it demonstrably benefit citizens of WA?
can we afford it?
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.
Solutions: transportation & infrastructure
accountability – set benchmarks & monitor progress
partnerships – public/private, streamline permitting
cost reduction
Solutions: education
job skills – re-introduce CTE (trades & ag) training in high schools
parental choice – let them enroll their children in what school they like
back to basics – reading, writing, math, vocational tech
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”
Loren Culp, the police chief of Republic who rose to fame after refusing to enforce I-1639 gun
laws;
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.
Has raised $650k thus far.
This man is downright dangerous. And it looks like he has raised the most of any Republican, so may well be one of the top 2 finalists in November. That would be scary. I have seen a few signs for him on the south end, in the usual Republican hot-spots. 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 sheriff if he is not willing to uphold the law.
Martin “Iceman” Wheeler R
firefighter
A long story blaming Jay Inslee for everything.
Issues
~ trash management. keep the state clean and beautiful, with volunteers
~ “addresslessness”, which he equates with mental illness
~ Dept of revenue, says voters dislike budget; stands against all levies.
~ law enforcement. enforce existing laws; safety, safety, safety.
~ guns. you can’t legislate attitude; guns are tools; owners need training; 2nd amendment was designed to stop tyranny.
~ Dept of transportation. He talks about negotiation, but no specifics.
He complains about the inequity and injustice of the shutdown and asks who decides what is essential. He rails against the USSR and quotes the bible.
He would veto the sex ed bill (which has already passed. once again, look at the rap in the intro to this blog)
Not a serious candidate. Another ‘also ran’
Matthew Murray R
No on-line presence. May be Yakima police chief. If so, pretty far right.
If this is the same Matthew Murray, he’s the Yakima police chief
5-1-19 Matthew Murray sworn in as Yakima’s new police chief
That includes the police chief
Given that he has no on line presence, and all I’ve been able to find is relatively negative stuff about someone with this name, this is yet another ‘also ran.’
Nate Herzog Independent
ex Lake Forest Park city councilman
ex Republican
GOP from birth, card carrying member until Trump
Never Inslee, Never Eyman
Can’t find any more info.
another ‘also ran’
Omari Tahir Garrett D
community activist and frequent candidate
His website for 2019 campaign for Seattle city council.
very much a Black Lives Matter activist
Sounds like a great guy, but everything on line is about his campaigns in Seattle.
another ‘also ran’
Phil Fortunato R
State senator, ex state rep, stormwater management firm owner
promises:
Roll back irresponsible taxes and budget increases
End ‘dangerous’ Sanctuary State policy
Fully fund transportation with existing revenue
End mandatory sex ed in kindergarten (again, check out discussion at start of blog)
Reduce fees and regulation to make housing more affordable
“overall sad state of affairs in the Emerald City” and a need to stop spread to the rest of the state.
“Moving Washington Forward”
program:
~ Roll back unsustainable budget increases (for things like teacher pay)
~ Provide incentives to state employees to get rid of waste and ineffective programs
(one wonders how those incentives would be funded)
~ Fund our state’s transportation infrastructure with existing taxes
(and what other programs will have to be cut to do that?)
~ Incentivize schools to keep more money in the classroom
(what does this mean? Just where does the money to be kept in the classroom come from?)
~ Implement a “Smart Green” agenda that conserves our state’s natural resources and protects the environment (sounds great. What does it look like?)
~ Create a framework to allow for the construction of affordable starter homes.
details on all of this to be released over the next few months in a “blueprint for Washington”
More plans:
~ Homelessness. “We simply cannot allow people to camp on the sidewalks, and obstruct and assault pedestrians. . .The costs affect tourism and deplete city budgets. We cannot have people getting a pass just because they are homeless. If they have committed a crime they need to be held accountable. They usually come with the baggage of drug or alcohol addiction. They need to be removed from the streets and provided treatment.”
(Note that the concern is for what tourists will see, not for why those people might be camped on the streets. Left unmentioned is just how or where they will get that treatment with a shrunken budget. To call this attitude callous would be an understatement).
~ Budget. Its not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem. He proposes zero-based budgets. Start with zero and require that every agency demonstrate the need for every penny requested. (He acknowledges that this is a huge task, so proposes to do ¼ of the budget each year. Again, there is an assumption that agencies and departments are grabbing money and mis-spending it rather than doing their jobs. Of course he admits that he would rather not have a whole lot of those jobs done at all.)
~ Transportation. Infrastructure is crumbling, traffic is a nightmare. Mileage taxes are invasive and unfair. Use an inflation linked funding source, the motor vehicle sales tax. Gas tax will decline as people use alternatives.
~ Education. We have adequately addressed McCleary. We’re already paying nearly $16k/student/year. There are nearly 1500 unfunded mandates. Allow districts to obtain waivers from those mandates that don’t directly contribute to the education of the student in the classroom.
(like breakfast, or school buses?)
~ Housing. The state is at fault for the housing crisis. Excessive regulation has increased cost. Misguided land use rules. He will “implement an aggressive program of opening up our state to build more housing of all kinds.”
In the news, 4-9-20 “Fortunato calls bankruptcy ruling unreasonable, demands fairness for Eyman.”
“I think part of this is politically motivated on the part of AG Ferguson and the political establishment. They don’t like the fact that Tim has put a finger in their eye on taxes time and again,” Fortunato said. “Tim may have mis-stepped in campaign finance reporting, but I think they need to exhibit some compassion and fairness. We are stopping evictions, delaying mortgage payments and all kinds of extraordinary things to help people while the economy is struggling. If this were anyone other than Eyman, there would be outrage from Democrats. Demanding that someone come up with over a million dollars by the end of the month is unimaginable.” (its also not true. The court put Eyman on a payment plan: $10k/month for 2 years and then $13k/month until his fines and restitution are paid off)
Mr Fortunato is apparently the ‘mainstream’ R favorite for this race, having amassed $183k in campaign funds. Unfortunately that has not bought him any traction in the polls, where he, along with the other ‘favorites’ are running 20+ points behind Jay Inslee. Several of those other favorites are far further to the right and have raised considerably more in donations.
There is so much garbage in these statements. He asks for ‘fairness and compassion’ for chair thief Tim Eyman, but I don’t see any compassion for those people camped on the sidewalks. For them he proposes ‘zero tolerance.’ Imagine one of those people wheeling a chair out of Office Depot. Depending on the color of their skin they might not survive the episode at all. The only reference, oblique though it be, is that people are having trouble financially these days. He’s not offering to help with that, but only demanding that we cut Eyman slack because of it.
And nary a word about the pandemic or how to deal with it.
I have not seen anything to like in what Mr Fortunato proposes and a lot to dislike. He seems to be part and parcel of that sadistic crowd currently in power in the other Washington.
Raul Garcia R
contact@drgarcia4governor.com
campaign slogan = Hippocratic oath, First, do no harm.
Emergency Room MD, small businessman, Cuban immigrant. Interned for Bob Dole. MD since 1982. Worked in Miami, New York, Yakima Valley, tri-cities. “On the frontlines of COVID right now.”
Campaign chair: Sam Reed.
I note that he does not state his party in his website front page or campaign sign. I just found it, not surprising, R
He’s an osteopath, ER, has written some papers. Wife is RN.
Looking to unify: Democrats vs Republicans, East vs West
He’s pumping for signatures on Ref 90, the “parents for safe schools” referendum to remove sex ed from schools. (yet again, check out the rap at start of blog)
In Flag Day speech he says he and his mother “escaped from a communist regime that took our farm and some of our family.”
respect for free speech
choose our own faith
hard work brings opportunity
article lists his agenda:
improving healthcare access
supporting small businesses
preparing the state for future emergencies & pandemics
immediate concerns:
reopening the state for business
providing resources for farmers, Hanford, small businesses, and global corporations
Another refugee from a communist regime, with the baggage that entails. Many of his basic statements seem fine. Its just when you look deeper that you find the objectionable parts.
His campaign against sex ed is either misplaced or doctrinaire. And his wish to re-open the state for business in the face of the growing pandemic speaks poorly for his MD credentials and his adherence to the Hippocratic oath.
He appears well intentioned, but I still wouldn’t vote for him.
Richard Carpenter R
no info. ‘also ran’
Ryan Ryals independent
He calls himself a “bleeding heart Libertarian” and says he stands for equality and social justice while also favoring free markets and limited government.
(this is a highly intellectual discussion of the meaning of the various strains of Libertarianism, which draws no conclusions I was able to find)
The man is cogent and clearly a thinker. That is refreshing, even if I happen to disagree with his conclusions.
“Respecting the rights of the minority party is the only way we thrive, and its going to take an independent to set the course straight again.”
A short encapsulation of his rather wordy (and I should talk, right?) ideas:
Regulations: we need some, but not too many.
The Budget: its going to hurt. We need creative and unusual ideas which value freedom and personal responsibility, preserve liberty and real justice for everyone, while being truly representative of the people.
Homelessness: blaming folks for being lazy or drug-addicted isn’t solving the problem. We need new solutions. Tiny houses are one solution. Change the regulations to allow Tiny houses, travel trailers in RV parks, and long term camping, among other things.
Efficient, Functional, and Prepared Government: the pandemic is showing the lack of preparedness. Relying on the feds is no strategy.
Police Reform: start by removing some offenses that require arrest. Reduce those to citations. Some offenses that normally get citations may need to be removed entirely.
Decreased Partisanship: This is really mis-titled. His discussion is on the fact that people need to be involved in their governments or those governments will not represent the peoples’ interests.
Guns: I own some. I’m not coming to take yours. But if you misuse them you probably won’t be allowed to keep them.
Corona virus: re-opening was mis-handled. Should have simply specified 1 person/100 sq ft. in phase 1, 1/50 sq ft in phase 2, etc. (He’s talking about performance based regulation, and I agree)
Transportation and Traffic: we need better roads to support commerce. He’s advocating for “V2X”, a technology to allow vehicles to communicate with everything around them. Not sure how that would relate to my 30 year old car in a rural area.
Fundraising: he is accepting no donations. He believes fundraising skews the process.
This is someone with whom I would enjoy arguing. He obviously has ideas and has thought through some of them. He is not out for money or fame, but to do what he believes is right for the most people. I happen to disagree with a fair number of his conclusions about how to achieve that, but at least he seems to be trying.
He has no chance in this race. Which makes him one more ‘also ran.’
Thor Amundson Independent
(l) – project expediter & frequent candidate
no further info. ‘also ran’
Tim Eyman R
https://tim4gov.com/
His website is full of vituperation, threats against Jay Inslee, and claims that masks increase CO2 and are unhealthy. All the images of his many in-person rallies show crowds of unmasked people. What the website does not show is his political affiliation. I had to get that from the sample ballot.
from the 2019 Politiblog:
Here’s yet another Tim Eyman special. This would be Eyman the petty thief (stealing a chair from a store) and a major thief (our time, energy, taxes, and dedicated donations).
He has been making a quite lucrative (and evidently somewhat illegal) living pushing initiatives to limit what taxes may be imposed and the uses to which we can put them. He really truly hates public transit (or at least the people who pay him to run initiatives do).
From Eyman’s website:
I will veto any tax increase
Do you trust me or Jay Inslee?
I believe in permanent offense
He complains that various county auditors have rejected his voter pamphlet statement because it violates their codes. He has posted the statement, and the highlighted portions are all attacks on Jay Inslee, by name.
He actually has posted 11 minutes of video of himself in the CHAZ Capital Hill free zone. People asked him questions, ragged on him, demanded answers. He simply stood there, unresponsive. Those present only lately realized Eyman was running for governor and roundly booed him. He refused to answer any of their questions. When he spoke, which was very briefly, it was to say “Fine. You disagree with me. We can still be respectful. Thanks, goodbye.” I got the impression that he was trying to incite some sort of incident which he could then use to demonstrate the evils of CHAZ and what Jay Inslee was allowing to happen.
This is the man who singlehandedly destroyed mass transit in Washington. That $30.00 car tab is costing us literally billions in foregone infrastructure, maintenance, and replacement. Thanks Tim. Among other things I-976 prevented Island Transit from purchasing 24 replacement carpool vans. And it may lose almost $20 mil in operating funds. Thanks again, Tim.
4-9-2020 Bankruptcy judge orders Tim Eyman to pay $270k in state court contempt fines.
Eyman was given until 4-19-20 to pay the fine for refusing to follow court orders in a campaign finance case. This is part of his federal bankruptcy case. Eyman owes more than $340k in contempt sanctions and related costs and has paid about $60k. The new plan will require Eyman to pay $10k/month starting in May, with an increase to $13.5k/month starting January 2022 until his debts are satisfied. The case arises from Eyman’s laundering of political donations, accepting kickbacks, taking campaign donations for personal use, and contempt of court fines.
To date he has raised $340k in campaign contributions. Given his penchant for sliding campaign funds into his own pocket, one wonders how much campaigning this will buy. His website is vituperative, less than truthful, and downright slimy. He does not appear to have anything approaching an actual platform or proposals for governing. Its all about what he would not do.
And now he has sued Jay Inslee for ordering the wearing of face masks in public and shutting down ‘non-essential’ businesses to slow the virus. He cites the governor of North Dakota for her wonderful approach. That would be the governor who did not require masks or distancing at the July 3 Mt Rushmore event. The man is just plain toxic and should be avoided.
He appears to have an affinity with Oak Harbor developer Scott Thompson of Wright's Crossing. At the infamous July 4 event hosted by Thompson a non-R came to observe and was severely beaten (ended up in Harborview with a concussion). Part of the beating involved slapping Eyman stickers all over him. Also covered in Eyman stickers were many in the audience and state senator Ron Muzzall.
Tim Eyman belongs in prison, not in any position of power.
Tylor Grow R
lives in Arlington
provides no contact info, nothing on line except the fact of his filing.
another “also ran”
Winston Wilkes propertarian
No campaign, no contact info. Home address in Granite Falls. I found a photo of a rather young man with a very close haircut in what looks like a mug shot, complete with suit & tie.
According to Wikipedia propertarianism is a subset of libertarianism which focuses on the property rights of corporations.
Another also ran.
Jay Inslee D incumbent
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 has just appointed one of my favorite environmental attorneys to the State Court of Appeals for our district.
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/ His campaign web page gives no information, just a donation button.
So 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 136,000 deaths, and roughly 1000 people dying every day. While numbers are increasing in Washington, they are at the very low end of the scale and focused in Republican dominated east side counties. Just yesterday 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. FYI, Island County is running about 23 cases/10k people. Adams & Benton Counties are at 108/10k, Franklin @ 233/10k, and Yakima at 307/10k.
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.
