US Representative

Marc Hennemann    R         emhennemann@aol.com

http://www.marc4congress.com/

education: George Washington U  BA in Political Science, U of Oklahoma MA in Public Administration

Viet Nam vet, career military, then high school teacher

issues: supports active duty military; opposes reducing military; supports veterans’ access to health care; supports free trade; supports trade agreements so long as they do not export jobs; staunch supporter of Israel; opposes the nuclear deal with Iran; US must destroy ISIS; America must LEAD; cut wasteful frivolous spending; pro-2^nd amendment; wants to balance between exploitation and environmental protection; wants to promote growth, expand jobs, and preserve our environment at the same time.

Quote from his website: “The government needs to get out of our living rooms, our board rooms, our wallets, and our way.”  He’s a tad skimpy on how he intends simultaneously to keep taxes low and pay for programs he supports.

Bottom line: a classic R

Rick Larsen   D         rick@ricklarsen.org

www.ricklarsen.org

Rick is the incumbent. We have long had serious differences. I have made those differences clear to him. He is unmoved. His current focus: invest in infrastructure & small business; grow the clean energy economy; increase access to education, in part by “bringing more financial security to students” re debt, so supports free community college. Fighting for women’s rights, LGBT rights, strengthening the voting rights act; wants to overturn Citizens United; wants to pass real immigration reform and support refugees; deal with addiction and homelessness.

My heartburn comes with his uncritical support for the military, including continuing to fly Growlers at OLF Coupeville, and “economic development”, including the now-dead Cherry Point coal shipment facility. His position on the 2 proposed oil trans-shipment facilities at Anacortes is not clear.

Candidate’s statement:

Elected Experience: It is my privilege to serve as the Representative for Washington’s 2nd Congressional District. I’ve also served on the Snohomish County Council.
Other Professional Experience: Prior to working as a public official I was employed by the Port of Everett and the Washington State Dental Association.
Education: I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in Washington state and have a masters degree from the University of Minnesota.

I’m working to raise the national minimum wage, combat income inequality, create jobs in our community, and fix our broken immigration system.

Income inequality has been called the “defining challenge of our time.” We need to rise to this challenge and build a ladder for those seeking to break into the middle class. There’s no better place to start than by raising the minimum wage.

I’m also working to put people back to work. The best way to create jobs is to invest in our transportation systems. Building and repairing our roads, bridges and highways will grow our economy and immediately put people to work.

And I’m committed to expanding opportunities for everyone to participate in our economy and democracy. We must reform America’s broken immigration laws by establishing a clear pathway to citizenship, destroy any barrier that prevents people who are registered to vote from exercising that right, extend unemployment benefits to the long-term unemployed and support efforts that ensure marriage equality exists in every state.

None of this will be easy, but I’m up for the challenge.

Endorsed by FUSE Progressive Voters.

I have had too many disagreements with Rick Larsen to be able to support him. He loves the military and does not seem to understand that they are destroying the very communities they’re supposed to be protecting. He’s all in favor of TPP, which will suck the last of our country’s sovereignty away and give it to the multi-national corporations. We’re seeing that right now with Trans Canada Corp suing the US in the WTO for its denial of permits to build the Keystone pipeline. While he talks about the environment and climate change, he’s supporting various coal and oil export facilities in the name of jobs. He hasn’t figured out yet that there are no jobs on a dead planet, and the quickest way to kill this planet is by mining, transporting, and burning more fossil fuels.

I readily acknowledge that he has done some very good things. I just can’t forgive the very very bad things he’s done.

All of that said, he’s a whole lot better than the alternative, and I don’t feel like I have much of a choice, so once again,

I will be holding my nose when I vote for Rick Larsen.

Governor

Jay Inslee jay@jayinslee.com

http://www.governor.wa.gov/

Jay is the Democratic incumbent governor and, while I have some serious disagreements with him on the issue of aquaculture (he promotes it as part of his environmental agenda), 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.

education:  Willamette University law

Former legislator, regional director of US Dept of Health & Human Services

Worked on sustainable energy since 1990. Voted in favor of an assault weapons ban.

Agenda: Strengthening the economy. Cleaning up our environment. Improving our schools.

He has just appointed one of our favorite environmental attorneys to the state Court of Appeals for our district. Strong supporter of women and their right to choose. Has called for a halt to “bomb trains” in Washington. Supports LGBT rights.

Issues:

            budget – invest in k-12 education, fulfill obligations under McCleary decision, insure protection for the most vulnerable, build on success of LEAN management. Implement a sustainable budget.

            economy – Support industries of strategic importance. Encourage business diversity. Ensure career readiness. Expand workforce training and education in STEM. Growth and prosperity for everyone. Workforce development. Implement paid family leave. Created the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness to support business.

            education – Give our kids a strong start early. Retain skilled teachers and principals. Improve graduation rates. Focus on STEM. Reinvest in higher education. Signed bill to lower college tuition. Signed Washington DREAM Act to grant college funding for undocumented children of immigrant parents.

            efficient government – require plain language. Conducted a summit on race and equity. Revamped state agencies, saving tons of time and money, under a program called Results Washington. “the Tax code is encrusted with the barnacles encrusted on the ship of state, of loopholes” long since outdated.

            energy and environment – Reduce carbon pollution. Reduce toxics. Strengthen the shellfish industry. Dealing with climate change and its impacts.

From the re-election website home page:  “ We only have one planet, and only one chance to get it right when it comes to climate action.” Has written a book on the economic opportunities of a clean energy future. Established a Clean Energy Fund. Directed Dept of Ecology to limit carbon pollution via a new Clean Air Rule. Fought to save State Parks from budget devastation, closure and sale. Working against oil port facilities, championed oil train safety legislation, and required increased inspections.

            health care & human services – Healthiest next generation initiative. Blue ribbon commission on children and families. Cannabis patient protection act. Select committee on quality improvement in state hospitals. Issued directives to all state agencies to work with local and tribal health authorities and other officials to respond to the growing problem of opioid addiction.

            safe communities – firearm fatality prevention executive order. Justice reinvestment initiative. oil transportation safety. Emergency prep.

            LGBTQ – a strong advocate for equality, fighting efforts to weaken equal rights in WA. Campaigned for marriage equality in 2012. Directed state agencies to create ‘safe spaces’ inclusive work environments.

            transportation – Pushed through a transportation investment package with heavy emphasis on bikes, trails, rail, and transit. Has instructed WSF to develop a ‘Ferry Reliability Plan” to prevent missed sailings.  Electrification of WA roadways (this means providing recharge stations everywhere). Keep our roads safe.

            veterans – Honor their service by keeping promises. Issued executive order to promote jobs for vets. Increased vet new hires by 40%. Signed a bill to allow vets and their families to attend colleges under in-state tuition fees.  He has done more and expects to do more in future.

            women’s health care – strongly pro-choice. Fighting Republicans’ attempts to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Working to expand access to reproductive care and family planning services.

Endorsed by Washington Conservation Voters

Endorsed by FUSE Progressive Voters

Bill Bryant   R   Seattle Port Commissioner, venture capitalist

http://www.billbryantforgovernor.com/

bill@billbryantforgovernor.com

education: Georgetown University, trade & diplomacy

The Republican opposition is Bill Bryant, a Seattle Port Commissioner and venture capitalist. His business kind of says it all. He supported the Port of Seattle leasing a berth for Shell Oil’s Arctic Explorer. He also supported the Port suing the City of Seatac to avoid having to pay their new higher minimum wage. Kind of puts the lie to his claimed priorities of: “kids, jobs, traffic jams, taxes, salmon, and fixing broken bureaucracies.”

priorities:

            kids – “fully & equitably fund education” “The education system is failing kids.” Graduating students are not well enough trained to succeed in community college. His mantra is “fund education first”. He wants to “reinvent the last 2 years of high school” into job training and apprenticeship programs. He declared himself  deeply disappointed by the court decision against charter schools, calling it  “morally wrong”. He claims that Inslee has no plan to deal with education. He is a big supporter of charter schools.

            jobs – focus government on supporting job generating sectors of the economy. Bolster exports. Fund workforce development in high schools (as mentioned under education above). Reinvest in tourism. Eliminate or streamline redundant and uncertain permitting requirements, making it easier for companies to add jobs. Eliminate the “culture of ‘no’” in permitting agencies, wants apprenticeship programs; moratorium on all new regulations until existing regulations are justified; tie tax incentives to job creation & investment

Touts his project with the Port of Seattle, partnering with Norwegian cruise lines and the building trades in a public private partnership to rebuild a cruise ship docking facility, saying it created lots of new jobs and generated new tourism.

He claims that government can’t do anything new or different, and is threatened by change. He is proud to have built overpass over RR tracks to port. Its really about jobs, which are created by easy access in and out of ports.

            traffic jams – cost time & money. He claims traffic jams are all WSDOT’s fault. He is pushing for statewide “freight corridor” to separate commercial from all other traffic.

            taxes – He has been on King County/Seattle Port Commission since 2008. He claims taxes are based on wants rather than needs. He wants moratorium on new regulations until the effectiveness of existing regulations can be evaluated. He proposes a 4 year zero base budgeting exercise that will refocus the budget on the state’s key obligations and priorities. He objects to Inslee’s proposal to close tax loopholes to generate funds to meet the McCleary school funding mandate. “We need to take a pressure hose to Olympia.” He claims the funds are there and they just need to ‘fund education first.’

            salmon – He wants to protect Puget sound, salmon, orcas, etc, but does not say how. He touts a contained “splash box” rooftop water treatment system, but doesn’t explain how that relates to his wanting to be governor.

            fixing broken bureaucracies – He claims that Inslee lacks leadership. He lists all the problems with many agencies and lays the blame on Inslee.

            Wow, that was a lot of work. What it boils down to is that Bryant, along with Dave Hayes and Barbara Bailey and probably all the other Rs in the legislature, claims that the money is hiding somewhere in the state’s budget to pay for the mandates in the McCleary decision requiring full funding of k-12 education. The claim is that funds are being frittered away on such foolishness as medical support, aid to veterans, public works (those traffic jams), unnecessary environmental priorities, etc. The last budget out of the legislature sacrificed all of those and many more programs to come up with at least part of the McCleary mandated education funding. The court was not amused and has assessed a $100k/day (yeah, per day) fine on the state until it comes into compliance. So Inslee and all those “tax and spend” dems have tried to close some of the loopholes enjoyed by industries which don’t need them or are in fact damaging the state. Bryant and his fellow Rs roared their objections. That old mantra “no new taxes.”

            Bryant is all hot for Charter Schools and is unhappy that the court objected to the use of scarce public education funds to support them. Some charter schools may be a good thing. Most are not, and they draw disproportionate amounts of tax funding from public schools.

            Bryant’s other pet project, “freight corridors,” has been shot down on a national level for some time now, thank goodness. Imagine something bigger than I-5, but you can’t use it. Only those hauling freight for companies which have paid for the privilege may use them. Now imagine just where such a highway would be built, and all the forests, FARMS and communities which would be flattened in the process. No doubt it would move freight quickly. Not sure how much it would do to alleviate the traffic problems on the more common roads used by the rest of us.

            I do wonder why someone who believes that government can never do anything new and is threatened by change would want to participate in that government.

            Inslee, by contrast, wants to focus on public transit as a way to move people. His focus is on people over freight. And while Bryant talks a good, if general, line on wanting to protect the environment, Inslee is actually doing it.

            I could say a whole lot more, but

I’ll be voting for Jay Inslee

Lieutenant Governor

It turns out this position is more than just symbolic. There’s the usual – stepping in when the governor is away or incapacitated. But this person also serves as president of the state senate, which means s/he helps determine which legislation advances to the Senate floor for debate. By law the lieutenant governor chairs the Legislative Committee on Economic Development and International Relations.

           

Cyrus Habib  D

cyrus@cyrushabib.com

http://cyrushabib.com/

education: Columbia BA, Oxford MA, Yale law PhD

lost eyesight to cancer at age 8

attorney, state senator, former state rep

From the website: he has worked on issues of opportunity gap, income inequality, EXTRA SPACE and climate change.

Issues: fully funding public schools, reducing college tuition, investing in public transportation, basic protections for working families, addressing climate change, making government more open and accountable, guaranteed paid sick leave, assuring voting rights, allowing for legislative testimony on-line.

Introduced a state Voting Rights Act.

As Lieutenant Governor he would end the practice of allowing business interests to pay for international trade and goodwill missions.

Endorsed by Washington Conservation Voters.

Endorsed by FUSE Progressive Voters.

Marty McClendon    R

brokemarty@yahoo.com

http://www.electmarty.com/

education: UW (no degree)

radio show host, realtor, ex-anesthesia tech, pastor

agenda: open, transparent, accountable, responsive government; reduce ‘excessive’ government regulations; allow business to flourish; take care of veterans; strong supporter of 2^nd amendment rights & NRA; must steward our resources – without crippling job growth, property use, or our economic engine; establish transparency in office; aid communications; shrink government; abide by the golden rule.

This one is a classic far-right religious gun-totin’ R who wants to shrink government – while, of course, supporting vets and protecting the environment. No mention of public education, just a claim that state agencies lard their budgets so they can ask for more next year.

He’s an ardent Trump supporter and says he would vote against any kind of gun control.

Another no-brainer.

I’ll be voting for Cyrus Habib

Secretary of State

This is the state’s chief elections officer, so a very important position. Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Supervising elections

            filing and verifying initiatives and referenda

            producing and distributing voter pamphlets

Registering and licensing private corporations, limited partnerships, and trademarks

Registering non-profits and fundraisers

Administering the Confidentiality Program for survivors of violence

Collecting and preserving historical records

Tina Podlodowski   D

info@votersfortina.com          206-419-1364

http://www.votersfortina.com/?page_id=185

Endorsed by Democracy for America, Emily’s List, and a whole slew of other individuals and organizations I support.

Has “spent her life fighting for equality and driving forward progress.” Former Microsoft software engineer. Former Seattle city council member. Committed to a fair, accessible, and equitable voting system. Has worked for environmental justice, women’s health, HIV/AIDS issues, and childhood immunizations. Revitalized two regional non-profits: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Puget Sound and Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Helped form the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility. Works with Citizens for Fairness, the Pride Foundation, and The Human Rights Campaign.

Her focus as Secretary of State will be to make voting easier and more inclusive. Her record to date shows that she will accomplish that. She is unhappy that there are 1.5 million unregistered eligible voters in Washington. She proposes same-day voter registration, and pre-registration for 16 & 17 year olds. In September she revealed a 4 year old “design flaw” in the voters’ database allowing public access to personal information. It has since been repaired.

She wants to audit the election systems in each of the 39 counties to look for obstacles to voting. She wants 100% of eligible voters to be registered, and 100% of registered voters to vote.

Endorsed by Washington Conservation Voters.

Endorsed by FUSE Progressive Voters

           

Kim Wyman  R         incumbent

kim@kimwyman.com

http://www.kimwyman.com/

education: Cal State Long Beach, BA, Troy State U  MA in public admin. Military wife, first in Germany and eventually at Fort Lewis. Worked in Thurston Co Auditor’s office, and became county elections manager. Elected as Sect of State 2012.

She seems to be involved in a lot of voting related organizations, which have given her a lot of awards. Check her website for the details. She is endorsed by a long list of county auditors and many R politicos.

Joel Connelly (Seattle Times) reports “State R Chairman Susan Hutchison was borderline apocalyptic at the GOP’s fall dinner last week” (early Sept), warning that Republicans will “never win another election” if  Podlodowski is elected in November.

Seattle Times reported 10-4-16 “AG’s office files election-finance complaint against Kim Wyman” The Dem party complained that campaign finance reports had not been filed on time. Wyman said it was a minor error and was being addressed. In May the campaign filed 11 reports, totaling $30k+, 10 days late. This was not a new phenomenon. Wyman has filed late 8 times before, anywhere from 2 days to 9 months late. The PDC says all this is no big deal. Wyman says they have replaced the employee and it won’t happen again.

Wyman claims, incorrectly, that “Washington state leads the nation in voter registration.” Well, no. Turns out Washington ranks 15^th. She is satisfied with the system as it is.

The incumbent has been doing, as far as we can tell, a minimally adequate if not particularly inspired job. Tina Podlodowski, by contrast, is a fireball and I would like to see what she does with this position. I particularly appreciate her intent to increase voter turnout.

I’ll be voting for Tina Podlodowski.

State Treasurer

This job is different from that of the Auditor, in that it deals with the banking, finances, and investment of the public’s money rather than the accounting for it. The Treasurer is responsible for taking in funds and distributing them to state agencies, counties, cities, school districts, and other special purpose districts. The Treasurer is custodian of all state owned investments (securities, bonds, stocks, etc) including the state’s pension and accident insurance funds. The Treasurer issues state bonds and pays interest to bondholders.

Duane Davidson       R         duane@electduanedavidson.com

https://www.duanedavidson.org/

Benton County Treasurer (in his 4^th term), former auditor with State Auditor’s office

education: Central WA U    BS in accounting

Appears to be competent as a treasurer. “The State Treasurer should stay out of politics, particularly an issue as divisive as a state income tax.”  After the primary he expanded on that statement to say that “We currently have the highest budget in state history. We need to use the funds we already have available more wisely, not push for a state income tax.” Other than that, he makes no policy statements.

Michael Waite          R         mw@hiremichaelwaite.com

https://hiremichaelwaite.com

Former Australian tennis pro.

Education: Emory University MBA

Senior VP at a multi-national investment company, where he manages over $10 billion.

He wants to “utilize my private-sector experience to bring accountability, accessibility, and transparency to the office of State Treasurer.” He believes that Dems have politicized the office and driven the state into debt. He is determined to pay down that debt. He intends to use the office as a ‘bully pulpit’ to push the legislature. He is adamantly opposed to a state income tax.

Given what we’ve seen of the fine financial management of major multi-national investment corporations, this is not a background I would tout.

I’m not thrilled by either of these, but at least Davidson has experience in the appropriate field. We can only hope that he holds true to the claim that the treasurer should stay out of politics – as opposed to Waite, who wants to use the position as a bully pulpit.

I will be voting for Duane Davidson.

State Auditor

The Auditor ensures that state and local governments are accountable to the public, by auditing all public accounts, including all state agencies, boards, and commissions, all cities, counties, schools districts, public colleges and universities, ports, and special purpose districts. The Auditor also administers the Whistleblower Act, and investigates citizens’ reports of government impropriety. There is a large staff to oversee budgeting, accounting, and reporting systems statewide. And more, of course.

The outgoing incumbent, Troy Kelley, has been a major embarrassment. He took a leave of absence to face a number of trials, which are still ongoing, on theft and money laundering charges. Not a high recommendation for an auditor. Time to move on.

I see two parts to the Auditor’s job. One is the nuts and bolts of bookkeeping and making sure all the numbers line up. The other is to dig into those numbers and make sure they were not doctored to line up.

Pat (Patrice) McCarthy        D         pat@patmacarthy.org

http://www.patmccarthy.org/

currently Pierce County Executive previously Pierce County Auditor

History in rape victim counseling, PTA (reduced the dropout rate, started a public Arts high school). Went back to school, earned a degree, and became Pierce County Auditor. Was named 2005 County Auditor of the Year by the state auditors' association. Instituted programs to increase voter turnout, including “Voting is Cool” a k-6 program. Helped settle the 2004 election, which required multiple recounts.

Became Pierce County Executive 2008. In that position she has had to veto “reckless irresponsible tea party budget proposals and ordinances.”

Worked with Farmland Trust to preserve local farmland. Has received an Innovation in Conservation” award. Has served as chair of the Alliance for a Healthy South Sound.

A champion of open government.

Endorsed by a lot of unions, NARAL Pro-Choice, and a long list of public officials.

Mark Miloscia          R         miloscia@comcast.net

http://www.markmiloscia.com/

education: Air Force Academy BS in engineering, University of North Dakota MBA, Chapman University MA in clinical psychology.

“Straight talk. No nonsense.”  Former 7 term state rep. Currently in state senate. Former substitute teacher. Also former Dem until 2014. Says he changed parties because Dems no longer tolerate his socially conservative views. Believes Auditor should be non-partisan. Wants to “erase the shame and embarrassment” caused by former auditor Troy Kelley. Seems to have no specific issue other than that. He stands accused by a competing primary candidate of having attempted to gut the Auditor’s budget.

He views the proposal by the King County heroin task force to open 2 safe-house sites where addicts can inject under supervision as “insanity.”

He proposes legislation to “crack down on homeless encampments and punish local governments that do not enforce regulations on encampments.”

He blames the problems at Western State Hospital on that institution’s inability to hire more staff. Hospital managers respond that the legislature has cut their funds so they can’t hire any more people.

Mr Miloscia seems to have a pretty far right and self-righteous point of view. Better crack down on those homeless people and anyone who wants to help them. Don’t acknowledge the reality of addiction by trying to help addicts. And of course the classic R song and dance about how agencies can’t do their jobs – without acknowledging that the legislature just tied their hands and kicked their feet out from under them.

Pat McCarthy is a welcome contrast to this self-righteous, anti-people attitude. Here is a woman who knows the job and has done it well for a long time. Incidentally, she supports social issues I favor, such as protection of women’s reproductive rights and retaining open space.

I’ll be voting for Pat McCarthy.

Attorney General

The Attorney General is the state’s lead attorney, who heads the state’s largest law firm. The AG (as they’re known) serves as counsel to the governor, members of the legislature, state officials, and state agencies and boards. The AG defends state officials and employees for actions taken in the line of duty; issues legal opinions; enforces the Consumer Protection Act; and advises local prosecutors when requested.

           

Bob Ferguson, incumbent               D                     info@electbobferguson.com

http://electbobferguson.com/

This man is doing a good job for all of us. Currently he is suing USDOE and a Hanford contractor for failing to protect the health of workers there. He is an environmentalist who recognizes that keeping the environment clean means keeping people healthy. He went after Tim Eyman for playing fast and loose with campaign contributions, and has just won an order from a Snohomish County judge for Eyman to produce improperly withheld financial and business records, including tax returns, going back to 2009. He won a case against WA pharmacists who decided they didn’t want to dispense emergency contraceptives.

Endorsed by Washington Conservation Voters.

Endorsed by FUSE Progressive Voters.

Bottom line: he’s doing a very good job for us.

           

Joshua B Trumbull                          Libertarian    josh@btlegal.com

education: Gonzaga law

currently an attorney in private practice in the Seattle area.

There is no website.

The following is from his voter’s pamphlet statement.

- absolutely no political experience.

He’s running because “the office has become politicized to the detriment of the people.”

I conclude that this guy is an ‘also-ran.’

The only thing I could find was a very short statement on Ballotopedia. “Above all, the people’s individual rights must be protected.”  He strongly opposes the 2 party system. He favors people over corporations. He sees part of the AG’s job as holding corporations responsible, beyond mere wrist-slap fines and settlements.

He failed to respond to the usual info sources, including Vote 411 Voter’s Guide (http://www.vote411.org/).

The information on the Libertarian Party website was less than minimal. It gave his name, position for which he is running, and the date of the election. Period.

He did not respond to Vote WA.org.

I found a story in the Spokane Spokesman-Review which reports that Trumbull mostly defends homeowners against foreclosure, a laudable vocation. He opposes Ferguson’s call for a ban on automatic weapons, calling it an affront to the 2^nd amendment.

He claims experts in the AG’s office were deleting emails relating to liability in the Oso slide case. Here is a link to the story. ( http://kuow.org/post/attorney-general-takes-responsibility-deleted-oso-emails-lawyer-case).

Ferguson took office with 3 goals: beefing up the Consumer Protection Division; securing better pay for attorneys in the office (a major retention issue); and establishing an open-government ombudsman to help with public records law. His office sued Comcast for misleading customers; took on Johnson & Johnson for hiding risks of its surgical mesh; instituted emergency action to force improvements in worker safety at Hanford; and the infamous case against the florist who refused to sell flowers to a gay couple for their wedding.

To quote from the Statesman-Review: “Ferguson came into office promising the be a staunch protector of consumers, and has taken on some powerful entities. He has also followed through on his vow to advocate for open government.”

“Trumbull is a sincere, well-meaning candidate, but he hasn’t made a strong case for turning this large public practice over to a relatively inexperienced lawyer.” I agree with their recommendation.

I will be voting for Bob Ferguson.