2026 General Election Endorsements

This midterm election will be a big deal, and not just because Democrats could retake Congress from Republicans and provide a check on Trump’s power at the federal level. A ton of interesting races and measures are also brewing at the local level. Ballots should be arriving in mailboxes by October 16 across Washington state.

It’s imperative that we block megamillionaire Brian Heywood’s latest Eymanesque effort to hijack Washington state’s legislative process through ballot initiative campaigns he and his rich friends bankroll. Their top goal this session seems to be to repeal the millionaires tax, and the benefit to them is obvious. The question is what does lowering taxes on multimillionaires get the rest of us?

As a side quest to their tax the rich repeal battle, Heywood’s campaign also seeks to force schools to turn over kids’ medical records, even if they’re parents are charged with abuse. Plus, they want to inspect your kids’ genitals before they can play sports. This is in the name of the alleged scourge of trans women competing in school sports, but it’s a solution in search of a problem, with a massive amount of harmful side effects. Vote no on all three statewide initiatives from these creepy multimillionaires.

Meanwhile, Washington State’s congressional delegation did not exactly inspire us with confidence that they will be leading the charge to defang Trump, and too few long-time incumbents drew credible challenges. Further down the ticket, however, we see plenty of exciting candidates – some even daring to challenge powerful incumbents and force them to defend how they are adapting to our present political moment.

The progress being made in Olympia stands in stark contrast to intractable federal gridlock on key issues and increasing democratic backsliding. In a productive period from 2023 to 2025, state lawmakers phased out single family zoning in favor of more affordable middle housing, enacted rent stabilization, reformed parking mandates, and barred cities from broadly banning apartments near our biggest transit investments. 

The Washington State Legislature is fresh off passing a millionaires tax that will help ease the burden on the working class once it goes into effect in 2029. We were impressed by the broad coalition that advanced the tax, which only hits those who earn more than $1 million in compensation per year, and convinced Governor Bob Ferguson (hardly known for his boldness or backbone) to get behind the effort.

Unfortunately, after queuing up the millionaires’ tax, Ferguson has settled back into his lane of opposing new efforts to tax the rich and focusing the agenda on cuts to state programs. We do not think the work of progressive tax reform is done, and we want to see the state do more to invest in our future, whether expanding public transit, investing in affordable housing, ensuring universal health care, or meeting the state’s paramount duty to ensure the “ample provision for the education of all children.”

Our slate of candidates for the state House and Senate is ready to continue that work, and we’re excited to see what our state can accomplish when it sheds outmoded constraints, like a carcentric approach to infrastructure investments or an instilled fear of taxing the rich.

Oh and did we mention control of the Seattle City Council could also be up for grabs due to a special election in District 5? With centrists still holding a grip on council, progressive legislation continues to face a fraught path forward. Whether Mayor Katie Wilson gets a chance to deliver on campaign promises to make Seattle a more affordable and safe place to live could depend on electing progressive councilmembers, like Nilu Jenks, who [spoiler alert] we enthusiastically endorsed in the D5 race. Read on to see why.

Ballots should be arriving in your mail boxes this week. Washington voters have until 8pm Tuesday, November 4 to return a ballot at a drop box or get it postmarked. Visit the Vote WA portal to register or check your voter information.

The 2026 Elections Committee is led by chairs Forrest Baum and Kelsey Vanhee. Membership includes Tamer Abouzeid, Mike Bollich-Ziegler, Angela Compton, Austin Field, Caitlin Hepworth, Amber Hu, Naomi Lewis, Oliver Moffat, Ryan Packer, Maya Ramakrishnan, Jazmine Smith, and Doug Trumm.

Endorsements Cheat Sheet

Table of Contents

• Statewide ballot measures: no on all
• Yes on Seattle Transit Proposition 1
• Yes on Pierce Transit Proposition 1
• Yes on Tacoma Measure 1
• Yes on Issaquah Parks
• King County
• Congress
• Seattle Council
• State Supreme Court
• Washington State Legislature

No on IL26-001

Urbanists will join the long list of groups voting “NO” on Initiative Measure No. IL26-001 (aka the “Parents’ Bill of Rights”).

Sadly, not all kids live in homes that are safe and accepting, and for some vulnerable kids, teachers and school counselors may be the only safe grownups in their lives. Right-wingers have long worked to dismantle public education and attack the educators and staff who work to protect victims of child abuse and LGBTQ+ kids.

Hedge fund manager Brian Heywood is back again trying to trick voters into passing his so-called “Parents’ Bill of Rights” — officially titled “Initiative Measure No. IL26-001.” This badly written initiative would force schools to involuntarily “out” LGBTQ+ kids and strip privacy from child abuse victims.

Voters might be wondering why this scrap of rage bait has risen again. A few years ago, Heywood’s Let’s Go Washington PAC hired signature gatherers to get the first “Parent’s Rights” initiative certified. That original version tried to trick voters into stripping student privacy protections by hiding it within a long list of already existing “Parental Rights”. 

But the state legislature defused Heywood’s sneak attack by simply adopting all the duplicative rules while still protecting the privacy of vulnerable children. Now Heywood and his MAGA buddies have once more crawled from under a rock and hired signature gatherers to place their “Parental Rights” initiative back on the ballot. 

Urbanists won’t be fooled: this initiative has nothing to do with protecting kids and families. If approved by voters, I-001 would force schools to turn over private records about child abuse victims to their parental abusers. Even parents under criminal investigation for sexual abuse of their child would gain access to private school counseling records.

By requiring schools to disclose highly confidential mental health counseling files to parents, I-001 forces school counselors to “out” vulnerable LGBTQ+ kids to their families. Because of family rejection, LGBTQ+ children (especially trans kids) are more likely to experience homelessness than other kids and are at higher risk of self-harm than other kids.

This cruel Initiative would strip kids’ privacy, causing family conflict, increased youth homelessness, and worsen the teen mental illness crisis. Vote “NO” on Initiative Measure No. IL26-001.

No on IL26-638

Mandatory sex inspections of young girls is not a phrase any of us wants to be writing, any of you want to be reading, or anyone should ever want to require. This initiative, bafflingly, claims to be about “defending equity in interscholastic sports” while prohibiting a tiny number of trans students from participating in sports and subjecting all girls to a mandatory inspection to confirm their biological sex.

Still need a reason to vote no? No Hate in Washington State calls I-638 “The most extreme MAGA measure of its kind in the U.S., I-638 would require tens of thousands of elementary, middle and high school girls (but not boys) to undergo intrusive, potentially harmful medical sex inspections every year as a new part of sports physicals.” 

Call us old-fashioned, but we think youth sports are supposed to be about having fun, encouraging physical activity, teamwork, and leadership skills, not about unnecessary and invasive medical inspections or imposed gender conformity. We’re proud to join the Washington State PTA, the Washington Education Association, League of Women Voters, and many, many more in opposing this awful initiative. Vote no on I-638. 

No on IP26-645

We’ve been screaming from the rooftops for years that if we want to get this state on track, we absolutely must fix our regressive, upside-down tax code. It’s also wildly popular and works like a charm. It’s why we support the capital gains tax and defended it when hedge fund manager Brian Heywood tried to repeal it in 2024. And it’s why the millionaires tax is another huge step forward in making meaningful change in our struggling state budget so that we can continue to have the way of life in Washington that people love. 

Like the attempted capital gains tax repeal, this new attack on the millionaires tax would upend our budget if passed and defund our schools and healthcare. The ballot measure, listed as IP26-645, was forced onto the ballot by a multi-million-dollar signature-gathering campaign funded by Haywood and his rich friends, hoping to shrink their tax bills – even though the richest 1% already pay a lower tax rate than the vast majority of middle-class Washingtonians. 

First, let’s get some facts straight. This tax is narrower than simply being a millionaire: the tax applies to income over a million dollars per year (less than 20,000 households) and would only apply after that millionth dollar. If you make $1,000,100 in one year, your tax burden would be $9.90.  

Despite that narrow pool and large deduction, it’s projected to bring in over $3 billion per year to fund schools, child care, healthcare, and reduce/eliminate other taxes everyday people pay.  In other words: with the millionaires tax, most people pay less in taxes, small businesses pay less in taxes, and the ultrawealthy pay a little bit more towards their fair share. Without it, we lose big on the things that matter most to us. 

Vote No on 645.

Yes on Seattle Transit Proposition 1

What would you do with a million extra bus hours? Well, the Seattle Transit Measure is investing them in more frequency, more weekend service, more midday service, and more late-night service. Plus, the transit measure would fund more free ORCA passes for low-income riders. This renewal would take all of the bonus investments that Seattle has infused into Metro service and amplify it, in addition to funding the streetcar system and more.

Everyone should be able to get to where they’re going at any time of day in a world-class city like Seattle. We deserve to be able to make it to the kids’ soccer games on weekends, make it home from a night out or a late shift, and have regular, frequent service throughout the day. 

Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposal doubles the size of the transit measure, raising about $138 million annually by increasing the measure’s sales tax from 0.15% to 0.3%. That would give Seattle extra purchasing power, with 280,000 bus service hours to invest annually instead of the 180,000 previously. Seattle and Metro expect at least 10 of the city’s busiest buses to see augmented service over current levels.

Because this is a renewal of existing revenue, if the measure were to fail, we would lose funds, lose service hours, lose frequency, and lose big altogether. While sales taxes are regressive, cutting bus service is far more regressive.  

Hop on board, Seattle. Vote Yes on Prop 1.

Yes on Pierce Transit Proposition 1

Just as critically, Pierce County absolutely must pass its own transit measure. It’s also a small sales tax increase, but it would similarly mean more buses, running to more places, more often. It also makes buses fare-free for seniors. So much good would come of the investments into Pierce Transit that this measure enables. 

Prop 1 would increase service levels by more than 40%, a massive infusion for a county that has lagged behind on transit investment.

If approved, the ballot measure would bump the dedicated sales tax rate funding Pierce Transit from 0.6% to 0.9%, a funding stream that has been sitting unchanged since George W. Bush's first term in the White House. That would put Pierce County in closer parity with neighboring counties, which boast more frequent bus service.

With the added funding, Pierce Transit expects to be able to add four brand new routes across Tacoma and Puyallup, extend hours on 23 routes, and boost frequencies on 21 routes to run at least every 20 to 30 minutes on the weekends, compared to just four routes clearing that basic bar for frequency today.

When we think about how people get around, where they get around and how we can connect communities across the sound, Pierce has to be a part of that picture. It’s not just about Tacoma. Whether you live in Puyallup or Gig Harbor, Steilacoom or Fife, you deserve transit access and reliable service.  

While Seattle often passes transit funding measures by comfortable margins, the same is not true of Pierce County, which saw its last transit measures fail in 2011 and 2012. It’s going to be a tight race to get it passed, so it’s important to vote yes and talk to your neighbors about how important it is that they do, too!

Yes on Tacoma Measure 1 (Safe Homes For All) 

Tenant protections only matter if they’re enforced. Tacoma passed the 2023 Tenant Bill of Rights, but supporters say tenants face retaliation or struggle to afford the private legal actions required for accountability. The Tacoma For All Coalition, which backed the measure, said “just one fine against a law-breaking landlord has been issued” since the 2023 law went into effect. 

Tacoma’s Measure 1 (Safe Homes For All) seeks to protect tenant unions and ratchet up fines on noncompliant landlords. The measure isn’t perfect – enforcement will be funded in a small, per-unit rental fee, but repeat offenders will also pay into enforcement costs, a strategic compromise to ensure it does not come at the expense of other essential city services. 

While we support Measure 1 on its merits, it has also impressed us with the right enemies. The Rental Housing Association of Washington’s Government Affairs Director (and current Burien City Councilmember) Kevin Schilling called it “a communist idea” and the RHA’s PAC has received $175,000 from a real estate group run by Seattle’s largest Trump donor to fight the measure. Schilling, fresh off a failed run for state legislature, has a track record of trying to protect corporate interests from the will of the voters, and his Red Scare social media tirades against Measure 1 should be reason enough to vote yes. 

Tacoma renters deserve the right to organize, to see violations of their rights addressed, and to have transparency into the violations of potential landlords. Vote yes on Measure 1, and help Tacoma take an important step toward Safe Homes for All.

Yes on Issaquah Parks

The Urbanist supports voting “YES” on Proposition No. 1 for the Issaquah Parks Levy. The levy does not impose a new tax on residents, with the existing levy having been in effect since 2006. This vote maintains the existing tax of 8 cents per $1,000 of assessed land value for property owners, which is estimated to generate approximately $18 million in local parks funding. Funds accumulated through renewing the current levy will fund projects on the Parks System Plan, including parks restoration, new trails and existing trail improvements, upgraded year-round sports fields at elementary schools, new pickleball courts, and a new dog park. 

King County Council, District 2: Rebecca Saldaña

We’re lucky to have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the King County District 2 election: State Senator Rebecca Saldaña and Seattle Port Commission President Toshiko Hasegawa are both visionary and formidable progressive urbanists. Both have extensive experience and bring strong coalitions and policy chops with them. But voters only get to fill one bubble, and we’re proud to pick Saldaña. 

With a decade of distinguished service at the state legislature, Saldaña is a proven coalition builder with experience dealing with challenging budgets without leaving the community behind, which is just what the county could really use at this moment. Her vision for King County Metro focuses on connecting communities and translating community needs into policy for an expansive, regional, and sustainable future.

“In the last 10 years, we have put a price on carbon,” Saldaña told The Urbanist when she jumped in the race in December. “We’ve passed progressive revenues. We have put a lot of infrastructure in to try to Trump-proof us during his first regime.”

Saldaña wants to lower costs and expand opportunity through “reliable transit, childcare, infrastructure, and good union jobs.” In her questionnaire, she said, “[h]ousing, climate, transit, and public health are deeply connected, and I believe King County must continue leading on progressive revenue so working families are not paying a larger share of their income in taxes than the wealthiest among us.” 

Hasegawa has some great ideas regarding transit-oriented development, land banks, social housing, conventional affordable housing, and building community infrastructure around transit. She’s a strong progressive voice and also committed to equity, and has done impressive work at the Port and is no stranger to the inner workings of the county. 

When it comes to the leadership we need to represent District 2, we’re proud to support Rebecca Saldaña. Vote Saldaña. 

• Rebecca Saldaña questionnaire 
• Toshiko Hasegawa questionnaire 

*Note: Tamer Abouzeid recused from King County races.

King County Council, District 4: Jorge Barón

Councilmember Jorge Barón continues to show up as a strong urbanist for King County to ensure we’re investing in affordable housing and homelessness response. We were excited to endorse him in the 2023 General Election, and he’s shown up consistently to prove us right. While the County is facing significant structural budget issues, including at Metro, Barón is working to fix them and find new revenue to ensure that we can stabilize the budgets and provide the infrastructure and services we so deeply need. 

Since he took office, Barón has prioritized finding a sustainable answer to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, both structurally and financially. He doesn’t support simply dissolving KCRHA without a replacement but wants to look at what another alternative would look like. He recognizes that we need social services and the importance of the right balance, especially as federal funding cuts send many social service programs into a tailspin. 

Representing North Seattle, he’s been a strong advocate for delivering the full Ballard Link Extension as soon as possible. With strong collaboration from the legislature, city, and county, Councilmember Barón will push for us to be creative and thoughtful in delivering the transit access we voted for with ST3. He will also support a countywide transit measure that ensures that Metro service reaches the level of service, frequency, and stability we need. 

Barón is running unopposed, but still took the time to fill out our questionnaire, which we deeply appreciate. We have a great leader in District 4, and we’re excited to give him another term.

Vote Barón.   

• Jorge Barón questionnaire

King County Council, District 6: Claudia Balducci

Claudia Balducci was our first endorsement of the cycle when we early endorsed her in March. The broad coalition behind Balducci appears to scare off the competition, and she is running unopposed.

First elected to the county council in 2015, Balducci is seeking her fourth term representing District 6. The reason her most recent term was only three years, rather than the usual four, was because of a reform to even-year elections for county offices that she led the way in championing. It’s rare to see a politician who is willing to push to give themself a shorter tenure in office. But that’s exactly what she did, in order to reap the benefits of higher-turnout even-year elections that offer a more representative electorate, less skewed toward wealthy homeowners. 

This committee does not issue early endorsements lightly. In most cases, we’d like to see the full extent of our options before finalizing our choice. Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has been the only leader to win that honor in recent memory. Balducci similarly distinguished herself as being on the vanguard of urbanist policy wins.

Our wide-ranging interview tackled her priorities, affordable housing, homelessness responses, and passion projects. And of course, Balducci dug deep into transit. She thoughtfully explored the funding challenges the Sound Transit Board is facing and demonstrated the creativity and curiosity that will be necessary to keep our region moving toward our transit goals in the face of budget shortfalls.

On housing, she emphasized the need for greater public funding for very low-income housing, serving residents earning below 50% of area median income. We appreciate her clear desire to see through the cycle of implementation on a variety of issues, not stopping at putting policies in place, but evaluating their impact, making adjustments, or changing course. 

That’s why Balducci has been an outspoken advocate for aggressively expanding homeless shelter capacity, not just sweeping the problem from one neighborhood to another. As a Bellevue City Councilmember, she fought to site and eventually open the city’s first men’s shelter, which was a long battle. She understands the importance of a “housing first” approach and adding wrap-around services to help get people back on their feet. 

Balducci shared with us a recent push to learn more about water quality, which she said came from a gap she’d felt in her own knowledge – after being handed the hot potato that is chairing the council’s Regional Water Quality Committee. It’s clear her investment has paid off – she demonstrated a command of the issues from stormwater to salmon to wastewater treatments and the looming rate increases that will add to the affordability crisis for residents. She’s already looking ahead to solutions. 

Tackling tough subjects and following through with hard work is classic Balducci and one of the reasons we’ve been proud to endorse her through the years. She’s versed in the deep details of so many issues and is still looking for opportunities to learn more. 

Transit is an area where Balducci has always shined. We were surprised the Sound Transit Board ousted her as chair of the Systems Expansion Committee and isn’t leaning more on her experience. But, even so, we expect her to continue her push for the best ways to move the agency’s expansion plans forward. Her creativity and tenacity have been an indispensable part of the important course corrections the agency is making to deliver Sound Transit 2 and 3 as promised to voters with minimal delays – and hopefully sidestepping a descent into parochial infighting.

Balducci was key in ensuring the 2 Line opened as a “starter line” on the Eastside while the agency worked to correct construction defects on the I-90 floating bridge segment. That ensured riders got an extra two years of use out of those Eastside stations, which beat ridership projections, demonstrating how hotly anticipated the crosslake connection was when it opened on March 28.

Similarly, Balducci has been the County’s foremost leader on boosting King County Metro funding and getting on course to restore and expand pre-pandemic service levels and ensure most residents have access to at least one frequent bus line. Ultimately, she could not win over her colleagues to place a countywide transit measure on the ballot in 2026, but we have no doubt she will raise the banner again and see through a countywide transit boost.

Balducci is the kind of leader we look to in tough times. She’s excited to tackle the thorniest, most complex issues facing the county and we’re excited to see what she’ll do with another term. Vote Balducci.

• We interviewed Balducci in February. Our early endorsement dropped before our questionnaires did; so, we do not have a written questionnaire response in this race.

King County Council, District 8: Teresa Mosqueda

The Urbanist is proud to extend our endorsement of Teresa Mosqueda as she faces off against Nick Duda in the general election. Winning a whopping 66% of the primary vote, it is clear the voters are impressed with Mosqueda during her time in office.

With nearly a decade of experience under her belt in public office, Mosqueda has proven to be an effective progressive leader. Mosqueda has scored many wins over the last nine years that demonstrate her urbanist values. From fighting to keep the West Seattle Link light rail project moving despite numerous hurdles to expanding worker protections to pushing for greater affordable housing investments at the county level, Mosqueda’s record is quite impressive.

Mosqueda burst onto the scene as Seattle City Councilmember for citywide Position 8, winning election in 2017 and quickly becoming one of the key stalwart votes to rezone the urban center neighborhood citywide, taking the Mandatory Housing Affordability program “citywide.” She also shepherded the Jumpstart payroll expense tax to passage in 2020, securing a key progressive revenue stream that spared the city from pandemic austerity cuts and greatly boosted investments in affordable housing.

In 2023, Mosqueda won a seat on the King County Councilmember in District 8, and she has continued to deliver progressive victories at the county level and using the seat on the Sound Transit Board of Directors that she lobbied for and won at the beginning of 2026. Mosqueda was a strong voice to save Rainier Valley’s Graham Street infill light rail station from the chopping block. 

Such a long career as an elected official does not come without its share of votes and policy decisions that we didn’t agree with, though. Her vote to fund Sound Transit’s Renton parking garage to the tune of $100 million during a budgetary crisis was a head-scratcher for us. When Mosqueda has taken iffy votes like this, she has often pointed to the boost to union jobs as her motivating factor. While we appreciate her labor loyalty, at a certain point infrastructure investments have to stand on their own merits, rather than coasting on job creation claims.

Minor blemishes aside, our board voted unanimously to endorse her again because she is absolutely the best choice to continue representing King County District 8.

Nick Duda is the candidate challenging Mosqueda. In his questionnaire,  Duda’s grand plan for reducing car dependence in the region is to go after fare evaders. While we admit that fare evasion certainly has a negative impact on the fiscal realities of operating a robust public transportation system, for that to be his focus for how we can improve upon and expand mobility for all road users feels wildly out of touch.

Duda’s approach to the homelessness crisis equally misses the mark. He incorrectly claims that a “significant portion of chronic homelessness is connected to severe substance use disorder,” even though the data shows affordability is a more direct cause of homelessness. Based on his rhetoric, Duda clearly prefers a more punitive approach to dealing with issues facing Seattle, but his flimsy grasp of the policy details suggests his approach is more style than substance, and likely to backfire, harming those who need the most help.

Vote to re-elect Teresa Mosqueda for King County Council.

• Teresa Mosqueda questionnaire 
• Nick Duda questionnaire

King County Assessor: Rob Foxcurran

The Urbanist endorsed Rob Foxcurran for King County Assessor in the primary and is again endorsing him in the general election, and it is a much easier endorsement this time around.

In the primary, Foxcurran was three points shy of breaking the 50% mark. His opponent in the general election will not be Shoreline Councilmember Christopher Roberts, who we argued was also a strong and qualified candidate. Nope, instead, the other candidate in the general election for King County Assessor is Dominique Scarimbolo, who pipped Roberts to second place by a 0.6% margin, garnering 19.23% of the vote. We are not complaining, because that makes our decision, and that of the voters, much easier than in the primary.

Nor are we shocked; such is the state of our politics that a fifth of voters are willing to elect an Assessor who opposes property taxes. Scarimbolo bills herself as “not a career politician,” but rather a “taxpayer, property owner, and small business owner.” “When your assessments are too high, and you think you’re going to die,” she wants to be your superhero. We do not think she has the experience or desire to be a competent King County Assessor. 

We would actually have enough funding for our needs, Scarimbolo claims, not, say, if we tax the rich, but rather if we “didn’t blow it on…fraud.” While King County, like any large government, has had its issues with waste or fraud, we are right now observing an active agenda trying to paint King County as completely fraud-ridden, mainly as it relates to the provision of social services. It seems Scarimbolo has bought into that agenda. She is also the head of the King County chapter of the Citizens’ Alliance for Property Rights, which meets monthly at her brewery, where she is “the brains” and her brother is “the muscle.” She argues for transparency, accountability, and better public access to information.

Foxcurran has the right background for a role that requires both technical experience and an understanding of how the office affects the daily lives of King County residents. Foxcurran also argues for accuracy, transparency, and better public access to information. But he does not come with the added baggage of being an anti-tax advocate, and he actually has the experience to follow through on those promises.

As the Senior Appraiser for the City of Seattle and a previous hearing examiner on King County’s Board of Appeals and Equalization, Foxcurran is, by leaps and bounds, the right and only choice for this position. Vote Foxcurran.

• Rob Foxcurran questionnaire 
• Dominique Scarimbolo did not return a questionnaire.

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington is such a reliably blue state in presidential elections that it’s easy to overlook the complexity of our political landscape. Like any state, we have our cliques and our alliances, the candidates who share consultants or who make handshake deals to trade endorsements or defer challenges. There is implicit and even explicit talk about whose turn is next; grumbling when a candidate skips the line or runs for an office held in all but name for the anointed choice.

Opportunities to grab a seat in Congress are treated as sacred since so few of them arise. Many members of Congress treat the job as a lifetime gig, only leaving in a body bag. Washington’s delegation fits into this trend. Adam Smith has been in Congress 30 years, and Rick Larsen is close behind with a 26-year tenure. Suzan DelBene is now a 14-year veteran, and Pramila Jayapal is reaching the decade mark.

Part of the reason why officeholders almost never leave is that the two major political parties, the election system, and campaign architecture are set up to shield incumbents. Incumbents tend to have long memories, and their prominence in the party gives them an opportunity to punish primary challengers down the road. As a result, rising political stars tend to wait for an open seat rather than rock the boat by challenging a party colleague, even one who has been there since dial-up internet.

Such a system can seem inevitable, especially given the influence of unfettered money in politics following the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling. But voters appear increasingly unsatisfied with the status quo. This primary season has seen upsets in New York and Colorado already. Instead of being satisfied with the cynicism of accepting that there is no alternative, progressive voters have been turning out to make the case for alternatives once dismissed as unserious or non-viable. Will Washington continue this trend? 

The Election Committee is not reflexively pro- or anti-incumbent. When we meet to discuss each race, we weigh the calculus of what is lost (experience, seniority for committee assignment with more clout, skilled staff) and what is gained, such as fresh perspectives, new energy, and a willingness to try new approaches. We also have to consider that rhetoric is easy, while legislating and forging a winning coalition on a 435-member legislative body is hard.

We hope our write-ups will illustrate the disparity in the strengths of challengers and flaws of the opponents, even when we could not arrive at an endorsement. Several young, progressive challengers we chose not to endorse had solid questionnaires and interviews, but could not demonstrate a serious understanding of the legislative process or what it would take to win. We’re willing to be convinced down the road. 

1st Congressional District: Suzan DelBene

Suzan DelBene is hardly blowing us away with her leadership, but her primary challengers failed to inspire voters, and she now faces Republican Mary Silva in the general election. Silva, who did not participate in our endorsement process, proudly states she has “no special official qualification” to run for Congress, and her platform focuses on adding Voter ID requirements and “medical freedom” as well as some thinly veiled references to conspiracies within the US military. Of the two, DelBene is the clear urbanist choice. 

DelBene is a former Microsoft executive who has been in Congress since 2012, taking over Jay Inslee's former seat. As a one-percenter herself, she has not been on the vanguard of efforts to tax the rich. Instead, she is a former chair of the New Democrat Coalition, which has sought to push the party to the right. DelBene has amassed a huge campaign war chest, raising $3.5 million. 

The charitable read on DelBene is that, while she isn’t rowing very hard, she is usually rowing in the right direction and serves as a party loyalist who has helped fund other Democratic nominees around the country via her perch as Chair of the Democratic Congressional Candidate Committee. Like others in the Washington delegation, she uses her seniority to push to bring home infrastructure grants, funding which has helped Sound Transit build out its network. She also co-sponsored the American High-Speed Rail Act, which would unlock $41 billion for passenger rail projects nationwide if passed and if Trump and his lackeys ever cease their blockade of rapid transit investment.

We’d love to see DelBene take a strong stand on reining in Trump and a runaway Supreme Court doing his bidding. Trump has inflicted a ton of damage to bedrock institutions and a ton of harm on the American people through poorly thought-out wars and economic stunts, and incrementalism is ill-suited to rectifying that and building back this nation.

We expect voters in the 1st will return DelBene for another term, and we think, given the alternative, that’s the right choice. 

• Suzan DelBene questionnaire
• Mary Silva did not return a questionnaire..

2nd Congressional District: No endorsement

Incumbent Representative Rick Larsen, who did not seek our endorsement, has seen his share of challengers on the left and the right over his many years, and has kept his seat through them all. This year he faces Republican Edwin Feller, who likely peaked with just shy of 33% of the primary vote. Feller is building his campaign around the kind of MAGA anti-tax and anti-trans rhetoric that is unlikely to resonate with voters in the 2nd. Larsen looks to be headed for a 14th term. 

Urbanists in the 2nd deserve better options. Larsen recently endorsed BUILD America 250, a deeply misguided package capitulating to Republicans on infrastructure policy and eviscerating transit and rail funding and the Reconnecting Communities highway mitigation fund. This highway expansion-or-bust approach is deeply out of step with voters. His team spun the bill as an investment in “job-creating infrastructure”, illustrating a disappointing lack of vision about transit and complete streets while buying into the debunked ‘one more highway lane will fix congestion’ ideology that is bankrupting our transportation system and destroying our environment.

Larsen is happy to show up at a ribbon-cutting for a new light rail project and give an enthusiastic speech. We wish that enthusiasm extended to ensuring that federal transit funding streams stayed strong throughout the life of Sound Transit 3 to avert further delays to expansion projects across the region and even accelerate timelines. Larsen is next in line to chair the House transportation committee if Democrats retake control of the body. That could be beneficial to local projects, but only if he doesn’t kneecap the funding programs he would oversee.

While happy to surrender to enemy forces on domestic policy, Larsen’s consistently hawkish foreign policy and staunch support for Israel’s warmaking have not aged well. Plus, his corporate and PAC-heavy contributions give us little reason to hope for much change in his positions. We hope urbanists in the 2nd can elevate a credible challenger next time. Or maybe, just maybe, Larsen will turn it around and impress us in his 14th term.

• Incumbent Rick Larsen did not return a questionnaire.
• Nor did challenger Edwin Feller.

6th Congressional District: No Endorsement

We are inclined to support incumbent Representative Emily Randall, but unfortunately she did not submit a questionnaire for our consideration. Randall has served one term in Congress, during which time she and her progressive colleagues unfortunately have had little opportunity to pass helpful legislation with Trump in the White House, but she generally has been a reliable vote trying to block the worst policies coming from the Trump regime. Before her jump to Congress, Randall served six years in the state Senate and was instrumental in flipping the 26th Legislative District for Democrats.

Her Republican opponent, Teresa Fox, is campaigning on increasing police and health care services for rural communities and keeping trans children out of girls' sports. With a broad coalition of educators, health care professionals, and human rights organizations lining up against the terrible I-638, this may not be the year to make inspection of children’s sex organs a centerpiece of your campaign in Washington. 

We’re hopeful voters in the 6th will return Randall for another term. 

• Incumbent Emily Randall did not return a questionnaire.
• Neither did Teresa Fox.

7th Congressional District: No Endorsement

Generally speaking, we’re fans of U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, but unfortunately she did not participate in our endorsement process. The candidate who did, Nirav Sheth, is running as a Republican and seemed inordinately focused on local governance issues, such as vandalism at his Normandy Park restaurant, rather than federal ones. We aren’t able to make an endorsement in this race, but we trust the voters will send Congresswoman Jayapal back for another term, even though she is highly allergic to Urbanist questionnaires.

• Nirav Sheth questionnaire 
• Incumbent Pramila Jayapal did not return a questionnaire.

9th Congressional District: No Endorsement

The Urbanist Elections Committee was disappointed by the primary candidates in the 9th Congressional District, and we remain disappointed in the general election. Neither longtime incumbent Adam Smith nor his Republican challenger earned our endorsement. 

As we wrote during the primary, we are baffled that Adam Smith hasn’t attracted more opposition. It’s telling that Smith’s first instinct after Trump’s re-election was to adopt right-wing talking points and look for easy left-wing scapegoats. Parroting the arguments of Christopher Rufo – a pro-Trump activist who helped fabricate anti-Somali justifications for Trump’s brutal assault on Minneapolis–makes Smith a sucker, not a centrist.

Smith should’ve blamed himself for Trump’s victory. Democrats like Smith have spent decades embracing war (he voted to invade Iraq) and oligarchy. In their ineffective efforts to oppose Trump, Democrats like Smith have disastrously linked democracy with austerity, causing large swathes of the electorate to sour on both.  

Smith remains committed to this disastrous political strategy, hoovering up donations from pro-Trump organizations. His largest single contributor this campaign cycle is AIPAC, which has given him over $280,000 to ignore genocide. His next largest donor is Anthropic, the gigantic AI corporation that–despite their ethical marketing–formed a critical component of Trump’s attack on Iran. Anthropic has partnered extensively with Palantir, a surveillance company with massive ICE contracts whose founders believe that freedom and democracy are incompatible and that their technology should be used to kill those they deem “communist.” Palantir is Smith’s eighth largest donor this cycle. 

We could go on and on about Smith’s other donors, his tendency to endorse local Republicans for office–including Republican-backed State Supreme Court candidate Sean O’Donnell–and his tense relationships with his own constituents, but the problem is clear: Smith needs to go. He’s vulnerable, too. He noticeably struggled during the primary, failing to clear 50% of the vote despite lacking a strong challenger. There’s no lack of political talent in Smith’s district, and we look forward to future primaries. 

Of course, we also cannot endorse anyone running to support Trump’s agenda. We do not endorse Smith’s Republican opponent, who has spent his time generating AI slop ads demonizing trans kids. The 9th District deserves better. 

• Adam Smith questionnaire 
• Doug Basler did not return a questionnaire.

10th Congressional District: No Endorsement

Incumbent Marilyn Strickland did not participate in our process. Her opponent, Republican Chris D. Chung, is running a campaign with an internet footprint so small it’s almost impressive. Strickland is the former Mayor of Tacoma and led the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. As her chamber association would suggest, she has occupied the Democratic Party’s centrist wing, rather than pushing at the vanguard pushing for progressive change. 

Chung, who ran for insurance commissioner in 2024 as a Democrat, has very little by way of campaign information. His statement in the official voter’s guide has some vague commitments to listening to concerns and increasing affordability, but nothing in the way of a policy position or proposal. Strickland is on track to return to Congress, ensuring the Washington State delegation is well stocked with disappointing centrists without serious challengers. 

• Incumbent Marilyn Strickland did not return a questionnaire.
• Nor did Chris D. Chung.

Seattle City Council, District 5: Nilu Jenks

Seattle City Council District 5 deserves stronger leadership, and Nilu Jenks is ready to offer it. This year’s special election offers the perfect opportunity to upgrade and get more policymaking chops and a reliable progressive vote on council. 

Seattle City Council District 5 has been fraught with centrist or conservative-leaning elected officials. The seat is currently held by Debora Juarez, who was appointed on an interim basis until the November 2026 election. Under normal circumstances, this seat would not be up for election until November 2027, but Cathy Moore, who was elected to this seat in 2023, suddenly resigned citing “health and personal reasons.” The timing of the resignation gave Juarez an extra-long, year-and-a-half appointed term. 

Whoever wins this year’s special election will serve one year and have to run again in 2027 before earning the standard four-year term, making this the last Council race without ranked-choice voting, which is being rolled out next year.

Since 2023, Jenks has worked as the Political and Partnerships Director at FairVote Washington to advance voting reforms that foster a more inclusive and representative democracy. She will be one of the few on the City Council who will have an intimate understanding of how our implementation of ranked-choice voting will work.

That brings us to today. Jenks ran for this seat in 2023 and, unfortunately, did not make it past the primary. The Urbanist endorsed her campaign then, and we are proud to endorse her again. Jenks was originally inspired to run because of the climate emergency and need for environmental justice in Seattle. That reasoning is still one of her motives for why she is running for this seat again - but don’t let her climate advocacy mislead you into thinking she aligns with proponents of the low-density, pro-tree folks who have weaponized the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) to delay Comprehensive Plan implementation time and time again. 

On the contrary, Jenks understands that the dire need for housing is not at odds with retaining and increasing our tree canopy. One idea she has to address this is by providing more flexibility in development standards - for example, giving height bonuses if a developer is able to retain trees on the lot.

As we transition into the next phase of the Comprehensive Plan (coined the Taller Denser Faster plan by Mayor Katie Wilson), we need advocates on City Council that are willing to stand up to those who use the very real need for a healthy, vibrant tree canopy as a facade to oppose upzoning. In contrast to Jenks, Seattle Times-backed centrist challenger Julie Kang has appeared hesitant to embrace the Taller Denser Faster plan, raising concerns about infrastructure and the concurrency of improvements.

Jenks’ number one priority if she is elected is to build 1,000 units of affordable housing in District 5. Jenks gets that homelessness is a housing problem, and that one of the most effective ways to tackle our homelessness and housing affordability crisis is by building more homes. She is a supporter of stacked flats and middle housing, and wants to expand development opportunity and capacity beyond major arterials.

As a Lake City resident who lives directly on Sand Point Way, Jenks understands the need for pedestrian safety in District 5. Sand Point Way, Lake City Way, and Aurora Avenue N are amongst some of the major District 5 arterials that are in need of serious pedestrian safety improvements. In addition to the Seattle Transportation Levy, which already has a goal of building 350 blocks of new sidewalks and walkways by the end of 2032, Jenks wants the City to look into other creative solutions to increase walkability such as pocket park infrastructure that connects to transit stops, promoting multimodal transit connections to link light rail stations, and investment in east-west transit.

Jenks securing almost 54% of the vote in the primary election was nothing short of impressive. In the general, she will face off against Julie Kang, who pretends to have progressive values, depending on the room she’s in. With her constant waffling around issues related to housing, and her firmly touting conservative policies such as pushing widespread camera surveillance and “stay out” order banishment zones (neither of which is particularly data-driven or supported by empirical research), we know she is not what the elected District 5 needs.

Nilu Jenks is the progressive, yet practical, voice we need to bring to the City Council to shift the balance of power back to progressives. Vote for Nilu Jenks!

• Nilu Jenks questionnaire 
• Julie Kang questionnaire 

Washington State Supreme Court

We said it during the primary, and we’ll say it again: The justices we elect this year will decide the fate of the millionaires’ tax and of Washington’s entire tax system.  Legislators and levies are very important, but the five most important votes you cast this year will be for judges.

Fortunately, the primaries set up a very clear contrast. On one hand, we have reform-minded candidates who–we hope–understand that Washington’s Constitution requires the Court to give legislators enough discretion to solve our state’s pressing fiscal challenges. These reformers, some of whom are more inspiring than others, are facing a slate of conservative political operatives backed by dark money and the Washington Republican Party–who are perfectly happy with Washington’s unfair and inefficient tax system. We’re not; we endorsed the reformers.

State Supreme Court, Position 1: Colleen Melody

We endorsed the incumbent, Justice Melody, in the primary against two Republicans. We endorse her now in the general election against one Republican. 

We see no red flags in Justice Melody’s judicial service or her time in the Washington Attorney General’s Office (AGO). During her 11 years in with the AGO, Justice Melody led lawsuits against various disastrous Trump policies, including his failed, racist effort to end birthright citizenship, before being appointed to Washington’s Supreme Court. 

Justice Melody’s opponent is exactly the kind of candidate who would protect Washington’s unjust, judge-made tax system. Scott Edwards is a tax attorney for the wealthy, and he’s endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party. We also never heard back from him. Vote Justice Melody. 

• Colleen Melody questionnaire 
• Scott Edwards did not return a questionnaire.

*Note: Maya Ramakrishnan recused from State Supreme Court races.

State Supreme Court, Position 3: Jaime Hawk

We endorsed Judge Hawk in the primary and do so again in the general. She’s an experienced, proven reformer and her opponent is an extremist masquerading as a judge. Vote Judge Hawk. 

Judge Hawk has an inspiring biography: she was the first in her family to go to college, she fought for clients as a state and federal public defender, she crusaded for civil liberties as an ACLU attorney, and she became the first ACLU-WA attorney to join the bench as a judge. She also serves on the Supreme Court’s Minority and Justice Commission. We appreciated Judge Hawk’s demonstrated commitment to fighting for individuals targeted by powerful institutions.

As we noted in our primary endorsement, we appreciated Judge Hawk’s emphasis on tenant rights in eviction cases. She told us that, as a King County judge, she’d experienced pressure to process eviction cases more quickly–pressure which has resulted in skyrocketing evictions. Approximately 90% of these evictions are driven by inability to pay rent, an unsurprising problem here in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Judge Hawk’s candid descriptions of these behind-the-scenes pressures–and of her efforts to make sure tenants had access to legal help–were unusual for a sitting judge, showing a level of courage and fairness we hope she will bring to our state’s most powerful court.  

We have no confidence in her opponent: David Stevens, a Mason County Superior Court judge endorsed by the Washington Republican Party. He loves Clarence Thomas, and even Dave Larson, the Republican-backed candidate for Supreme Court Position 5, told us Stevens was too political. We agree. He does not share Judge Hawk’s commitment to equality before the law and should not be a Washington Supreme Court justice. 

Vote Hawk.

• Jaime Hawk questionnaire 
• David Stevens did not return a questionnaire.

*Note: Maya Ramakrishnan recused from State Supreme Court races.

State Supreme Court, Position 4: Ian Birk

Voters didn’t get to weigh in on this race in the primary because there were only two candidates: Ian Birk, an experienced appeals court judge endorsed by everyone from Planned Parenthood to the Washington State Labor Council, and Sean O’Donnell, a King County Superior Court judge endorsed by the Washington Republican Party and by Democrats who frequently endorse Republicans, like Adam Smith. Some might claim that judges should have bipartisan support. We say the modern Republican Party is the party of Trump, and Trump has always rejected free and fair courts. This is an easy one: vote Judge Birk. 

Voters have an easy choice: Judge Birk is a thoughtful, experienced Court of Appeals judge who has written fair, deeply researched opinions on land use, transportation, and other urbanist issues. His opponent, Judge O’Donnell, is a King County Superior Court judge who opposed reducing public defender workloads, worked to speed up evictions, and enjoys support from anti-millionaire tax corporate lawyer Rob McKenna and perennial conservative Supreme Court candidate Dave Larson. Vote Judge Birk. 

Judge Birk is the candidate we envisioned when we asked ourselves, is there such a thing as an ‘urbanist’ judge? We were impressed by Judge Birk’s passionate praise of cities during his interview, and also by his professional experience–which includes volunteering as a tenants’ rights attorney and fighting for individuals in insurance and consumer protection cases. We were also impressed by his ability to wrestle years of conflicting laws and court decisions on complex issues – including reimbursing businesses displaced by Sound Transit and municipal water rates – into clear, easily applicable rules capable of reducing needless litigation. While we didn’t love some recent Court of Appeals decisions he joined, we take that as a sign of his impartiality. We believe Judge Birk’s expertise will be a valuable addition to Washington’s Supreme Court. 

We appreciated Judge O’Donnell’s willingness to meet with us, and we found him both affable and engaging, but we had too many questions about his record to feel comfortable supporting him. Given the upcoming Supreme Court fight over the millionaire’s tax, we were concerned by Judge O’Donnell’s strong ties to opponents of fair taxation: his work for former Republican senator – and income tax opponent – Slade Gorton, and his support from fellow Supreme Court candidate Dave Larson (who we did not endorse) and Republican corporate lawyer Rob McKenna. McKenna is leading the fight against the millionaire’s tax and donated to Judge O’Donnell’s campaign. 

Judge O’Donnell’s record was also troubling. We were concerned by Judge O’Donnell’s claim, in our endorsement interview, that he worked to speed up eviction cases in King County. With tenants’ attorneys already overwhelmed, speeding up eviction cases means denying tenants effective legal representation. His public opposition to reducing public defender caseloads raised similar concerns. We aren’t confident that Judge O’Donnell shares the populist values of Washington’s constitution. Vote Birk.

• Ian Birk questionnaire 
• Sean O’Donnell questionnaire

*Note: Maya Ramakrishnan recused from State Supreme Court races.

State Supreme Court, Position 5: Theo Angelis

Our chosen candidate, Judge Sharonda Amamilo, did not advance. While we stand by our concerns about Justice Theo Angelis’ corporate resume–and we now have new concerns about his commitment to juvenile justice–we have no trouble endorsing him over his Republican-backed opponent. We still have some reservations about Justice Angelis. In our endorsement of Judge Amamilo, we noted that Justice Angelis had spent 26 years as a corporate lawyer at K&L Gates, a major national law firm that lobbies hard for data center construction.

We were also disturbed by Justice Angelis’ recent comments to the Seattle Times about mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles. Our State Supreme Court has ruled–correctly, we believe–that mandatory life sentences for anyone aged 21 or younger are unconstitutionally cruel. Justice Angelis appeared to believe that legislators should have the discretion to automatically lock young people up for the rest of their lives. We disagree. 

Our concerns about Justice Angelis pale in comparison to our objections to Dave Larson. The Urbanist has previously published op-eds detailing his links to leading millionaires’ tax opponent Rob McKenna and conservative dark money organizations. We believe he has already decided to oppose the capital gains tax and the millionaire’s tax, keeping Washington trapped in a regressive revenue nightmare. 

• Theo Angelis questionnaire
• Dave Larson questionnaire

*Note: Maya Ramakrishnan recused from State Supreme Court races.

State Supreme Court, Position 7: No endorsement

No candidates returned questionnaires in the race. We expect incumbent Debra Stephens to win, and have no qualms about that.

Washington State Legislature

LD 1, Position 1: Davina Duerr

Rep. Davina Duerr joined the legislature in 2019, and has consistently built a coalition to support housing and transportation choices. An architect by trade, she brings professional experience to home building policy. Serving on the Transportation Committee and as a prime sponsor of many housing affordability bills, she has made a tangible difference in the state during her time in the House. 

Looking forward to her next sessions, she already has plans to address building codes, the wildland-urban interface, and create a statewide model tree ordinance. It was clear during our interview that she has a strong grasp of policy and politics. Furthermore, she has paid attention to how the legislation she wrote has been implemented at the local level. In one anecdote, she described a public meeting of the Lake Forest Park City Council where she pushed back on a bad-faith interpretation of her carbon emissions planning bill. Someone with her experience is well positioned to craft legislation that will survive legal challenges and weaponization by anti-housing activists.

Her opponent, Maggie Wang, is a conservative Republican with little public policy experience to speak of. Wang’s responses to our questionnaire revealed that she had little interest in creating safe transportation options or in finding progressive sources of revenue. 

Davina Duerr is a bold voice for a future Washington state that welcomes new neighbors with plentiful, high-quality housing while achieving our sustainability and climate justice goals. Vote Duerr.

• Davina Duerr questionnaire 
• Maggie Wang questionnaire 

LD 5, Position 1: Zach Hall

Zach Hall is the clear choice for Legislative District 5 and an urbanist champion. Hall is a lifelong resident of the district, elected in 2019 to the Issaquah City Council and serving as its youngest member of the Council in the city’s history. His website notes he led council efforts to “expand affordable housing, public safety, land conservation, and transportation infrastructure.”

In 2025, he was appointed to fill a vacated seat in the State House of Representatives, replacing Representative Victoria Hunt, who filled the vacant State Senate seat following the passing of Bill Ramos. During his short stint in the House, he has become the vice chair of the Energy and Environment Committee and also serves on the Local Government and Transportation Committees. 

Hall has demonstrated his commitment to urbanist priorities, like affordable housing, multimodal transportation, and energy resiliency. His votes reflect this, including HB 1923 for the Mosquito Fleet, HB 2266 for streamlining the development of permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and indoor emergency shelters, and HB 2489 to prevent criminalizing homelessness. 

Throughout his questionnaire, Hall described the challenges facing the district for affordable housing and came to the table with solutions, including amendments to the State Building Code for elevator sizing and scissor staircases, reducing difficulties in the siting of supportive housing facilities, allowing mobile dwellings to operate as housing units, performance-based housing regulations, and reducing State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) red tape. Hall understands that tackling affordable housing requires a menu of solutions.

Hall has also been an advocate for multimodal transportation. He voted in favor of SB 5581 for complete streets. While this bill did not pass, in his questionnaire, he highlights the value of investing in non-motorized transportation options that produce safer travel networks. He vowed to “continue advocating for these kinds of solutions with transportation and caucus leadership”.

Michelle Bennett is challenging Hall for the position. Bennett is running as a Republican who has primarily campaigned on repeal of the millionaires tax. Bennett has generally not revealed much information to the public on her other priorities and has limited governance experience, primarily arguing that her leadership in the King County Sheriff’s Office and as Mercer Island’s Chief of Police makes her a worthwhile candidate. Some of her other campaign priorities relate to protecting police officers, who are some of the highest paid municipal employees with the strongest unions in the state. 

In a recent Reddit post, she was asked what her approach to bringing more affordable forms of housing would be, and she stated a regurgitation of existing legislation and talking points, including faster permitting and reducing development costs, with a major caveat - allowing a liberal degree of self-regulation at the municipal level. Self-regulation has currently led communities like North Bend to prohibit or challenge housing types affordable to households earning less than 80% AMI. While a one-size-fits-all approach to housing isn’t perfect, it at least allows for a greater level of economic diversity in communities that have become safe havens for affluent homeowners, but almost no one else.

A vote for Zach Hall is a vote for not only experience in governance, but for pro-urbanist action on housing, transportation, the affordability crisis, and tackling the real hardships constituents are facing in LD-5. Vote Hall.

• Zach Hall questionnaire 
• Michelle Bennett questionnaire

LD 5, Position 2: No Endorsement

The Urbanist does not endorse either candidate for the LD5 Position 2 race. The candidates in this race are Patrick Peacock, a registered Republican, and incumbent Representative Lisa Callan. 

While Callan is clearly the better option in this race, serving the district since 2019, she did not participate in the endorsement process despite many attempts to collect her questionnaire. Callan has voted in favor of some recent pieces of urbanist-supported legislation, such as the Mosquito Fleet Act, the millionaires’ tax, and HB 1175 for small neighborhood businesses in residential zones. She has also voted in favor of housing legislation, including HB 1110 for middle housing and HB 1337 for accessory dwelling units. 

This is Peacock's first election; he previously served 23 years in the U.S. Army, earning a Bronze Star. He currently works for Boeing as a Senior Security Specialist and is Vice Chair of the King County GOP. We were not impressed by Peacock’s questionnaire. He opposed multimodal transportation projects and investments, and supported the continuation of heavy car-dependency, stating “LD 5 is a bedroom community and rural” and “the ability to commute to work via autos is essential for the constituents.” Peacock seemed car-brained and out of touch with actual transportation solutions.

Regarding the housing affordability and homeless crisis facing the region, Peacock expressed that homelessness is “more of an issue for urban areas” and that “we don't have a homelessness problem, we have a mental health and drug problem which results in homelessness,” criticizing Seattle leadership for “subsidizing and enabling the homeless communities.” Peacock left the impression that homelessness is not an issue for his district or for him, which is fairly ignorant of the fact that over half (51%) of the households in his district earn less than the area median income (AMI) of $149,321 and roughly 22% are households earning 50% AMI or less - all while the average household price in his district is $819,900. 

Ironically, favorable economic policies in his eyes include eliminating the millionaires tax, ending Washington Applecare, and eliminating the fuel tax. 

• Patrick Peacock questionnaire 
• Incumbent Lisa Callan did not return a questionnaire. 

LD 11, Position 1: Ashley Fedan

The 11th District can do better than incumbent Rep. David Hackney. The best we can say about the three-term incumbent is that he voted for the millionaires tax and he also carried a Sound Transit funding bill on behalf of Seattle Subway early in his career, but a number of red flags have emerged. Ashley Fedan represents a clear upgrade for South King County. 

We appreciated the clear moral voice Fedan brings as a nurse and Navy veteran who has named expanding access to affordable healthcare and building more housing at all income levels as her top priorities. Her answer on our vision zero question shows she is not just on the same page as urbanists, but also really good at explaining our issues in a relatable way: “In my nursing lens, prevention is cheaper than the cure. We can prevent deaths and injuries at every opportunity.”

In contrast, it’s hard to say Hackney is laser-focused on improving the daily lives of working people struggling to make ends meet. During his interview with The Urbanist’s Elections Committee, he said he didn’t know what social housing was, which is hard for us to get over, given the number of bills that have advanced through the House in recent years. 

Hackney has never met a police department that he didn’t think needed more funding handouts. He’s aligned himself with conservative, tough-on-crime candidates, as evidenced by his endorsement of Republican Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison and fellow closeted Republican Andrea Suarez. 

Fedan appears ready to lead on housing and other urbanist issues to a much greater degree. We’re on board with her commitment to strengthening the state’s Complete Streets requirements – which clearly need bolstering – and to cutting red tape that often hampers homebuilding, transit, and bike/ped projects and definitely makes them more expensive. As a nurse, we also think that Fedan is more in touch with the day-to-day reality of life in the 11th District than Hackney, who is a Harvard Law-trained attorney and former federal prosecutor. 

During the primary, we were on the fence about Fedan, but have come around to the conclusion that voters should absolutely send her to the state House. Vote Fedan.

• Ashley Fedan questionnaire
• David Hackney questionnaire 

LD 21, Senate: No Endorsement

Marko Liias is Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, and despite his efforts to change the direction of Washington State’s transportation priorities, you’ll notice we’re not endorsing him. This is because we’d like Liias to pursue his own stated priorities and lead with a stronger sense of urgency. We do endorse Liias’ stated priorities of more access to transit, increasing affordability, and building more housing. We would like to see more progress actually striving toward those goals.

We know moving forward can take careful compromise, yet compromise can’t bring progress to a standstill or be an excuse to do things the way they’ve always been done. The Senate Transportation Committee has shifted in a bit more of an urbanist direction under Liias’ tenure, but the state is still prioritizing highway expansion to an unhealthy degree. Despite a colossal highway maintenance backlog and a highway funding system on the path to insolvency, state lawmakers just keep adding more highway lanes, with the transportation chairs leading the way. In fact, they’re rushing to build the most expensive highway project in state history, supersizing the I-5 bridge to Portland, with the second half of the project an underfunded IOU.

In another car-centric example, Liias blocked a “Mosquito Fleet” bill to increase local foot ferry funding options, saying state car ferries should take precedence and that the bill’s sponsor had been too brash and politically clumsy. It seemed like a thin reason to sabotage a potentially helpful piece of legislation, and an example of sinking a bill with a bunch of provisions that, on their own, all seem like good ideas.

Stating goals where accomplishments are thin shows the need for more ambitious collaboration. We need our state transportation committees to be leading the way in building out our transportation system in a sustainable fashion, both fiscally and environmentally. We appreciate Marko Liias’ goals, and we need him to increase the scope of what’s possible and move toward real progress in what he believes in.

Liias’ challenger is perennial candidate and former one-term Mukilteo City Councilmember Riaz Khan, who is a fascinating character of contradictions. Without a campaign website, you can take to Khan’s LinkedIn and personal Facebook page to find that he’s a manufacturing engineer at Boeing, SPEEA union rep, and “well known Mukilteo activist.” On his page, a constituent asked: “Why are you Republican? You seem more like a Democrat.” It’s a good question. After previously being involved in the 21st District Democrats, including as vice chair, Khan has been running as a Republican since May 2024. He has still not raised any money for this race or released any policies or priorities. 

We look forward to Liias pushing further this next term. 

• Marko Liias questionnaire
• Riaz Khan did not return a questionnaire.

LD 21, Position 2: Lillian Ortiz-Self

Lillian Ortiz-Self is the only serious candidate in this race, facing a Libertarian challenger who has challenged her twice before, in 2016 and 2024; she is a clear choice in this election. Ortiz-Self has been serving in the House for a dozen years, rising through the ranks to become House Majority Caucus Chair. Most recently, Ortiz-Self worked with Attorney General Nick Brown and was the primary sponsor of the Immigrant Worker Protection Act, which requires employers to inform their employees if a federal agency is inspecting their employment-eligibility paperwork. 

We are also encouraged by questionnaire responses where she states she “absolutely” supports universal healthcare in Washington State, that she is skeptical of blanket uses of facial recognition technology because of well-documented biases, and that she has “severe concerns” about blanket automation, even for traffic cameras. She wants to continue to build on HB 1110 by legalizing missing middle housing, simplifying standards for accessory dwelling units, and easing permitting timelines and processes.

• Lillian Ortiz-Self questionnaire 
• Bruce Guthrie questionnaire 

LD 22, Position 2: No Endorsement

Jamie Keenan-deVargas, an activist, renter, and retail worker, is challenging incumbent Lisa Parshley for her Position 2 House seat in the 22nd Legislative District, representing Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater. Representative Parshley did not participate in our endorsement process. Keenan-deVargas did, and his questionnaire and interview demonstrated high alignment with urbanist-friendly policies on affordable housing and transit. 

But he failed to make the case that Parshley is the problem on these issues. Parshley has been a reliable vote on housing and transit issues, as well as a champion for reproductive rights and access to healthcare. Without a clearer case for change, and with a significant gap in fundraising and endorsements, Keenan-deVargas will have a difficult time making a case to the voters of the 22nd. 

• Jamie Keenan-deVargas questionnaire
• Incumbent Lisa Parshley did not return a questionnaire.

LD 23, Position 1: Tarra Simmons

Rep. Tarra Simmons is a remarkable and inspiring person whom we endorse as the best urbanist in the race, albeit with a few caveats. 

Simmons is Washington’s first formerly incarcerated legislator whose lived experience is invaluable in the legislature. Her legislative victories include restoring voting rights to formerly incarcerated people in Washington, expanding housing support for people re-entering the community from prisons, and expanding eligibility for free hospital care for low-income people. She has also demonstrated a strong urbanist track record, cosponsoring bills like the Mosquito Fleet Act, a Transit-Oriented Housing Bill, and the Traffic Safety for all Bill. 

And like her legislative record, Simmons’s questionnaire and interview with this committee both demonstrated a strong understanding that urbanist priorities like housing, transit, and walkable communities are essential parts of both anti-poverty and environmental work. 

Rep. Simmons has had some controversy since taking office. In August, a state ethics panel fined Simmons $15,000 for ethics violations including steering public funds to her nonprofit and attempting to retaliate against a whistleblower (the ethics board dismissed three other allegations). In an unusual move, instead of quietly paying the fines, Simmons denied the charges and is planning to appeal, saying the complaints are politically motivated and part of a "campaign of harassment" by her political foes.

More concerningly to this committee, in 2024, Rep. Simmons was fired by Civil Survival Project, a civil legal aid nonprofit she founded. While a lawsuit settled in her favor, the allegations of mistreatment by the staff of Civil Survival trouble us.

Regardless, Rep. Simmons’s work in the legislature has earned our endorsement. Her only opponent in the race, Daria Ilgen, does not appear to be urbanist-aligned, and did not respond to The Urbanist’s questionnaire. The Urbanist is endorsing Tarra Simmons because she has delivered results in Olympia for affordable housing, transit, and justice for all, and we believe she will continue to do so.

• Tarra Simmons questionnaire 
• Daria Ilgen did not submit a questionnaire.

LD 23, Position 2: Greg Nance

Voters should return Representative Greg Nance to Olympia. Nance is a lifelong public transit user who told us that the state has been too focused on car-centric policy approaches that are stuck in the 1950s. Nance is the primary sponsor of the Mosquito Fleet Act, which would empower Puget Sound local governments to run their own passenger-only fast ferries. Foot ferries are a nimbler and greener alternative to Washington State Ferries’ lumbering car-focused fleet.

Although the bill (HB 1923) sailed through the House, it hit choppy seas in the Senate and died in Senator Marko Liias’ Transportation committee. Nance said he didn’t think his bill got a fair hearing in the Senate, but that he wouldn’t be discouraged and would run the legislation again and build a stronger coalition behind it. He pointed to good shipbuilder jobs that the Mosquito Fleet Act could help create, including in Liias’s district.

Nance said he’s passionate about transit-oriented development and zoning reform and will defend rent stabilization, strengthen eviction prevention and tenant protections. He recognized that expanding housing supply is key to solving homelessness, but that subsidies are necessary to serve the lowest-income folks.

We asked Nance about one of the most politically fraught issues in his district: 625 Winslow Way, the vacant city-owned lot steps from the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal and transit center, which is the site of a planned development with a little over 90 units of affordable workforce housing. Nance supports the housing project despite local opposition and said he is working to get $10 million from the capital budget to get it built. He stressed that adding affordable housing in that location is the right thing to do.

Nance supports publicly funded universal health care and progressive tax reform and told us voting for Washington's millionaires tax was a proud moment in his legislative career. 

Nance received over 58% of the votes in the August primary and is facing Republican Lance Byrd in November’s general election. We invited Byrd to participate in our endorsement process, but he didn’t return our emails. 

Nance has more work to do in Olympia: voters should send him back. Vote Nance!

• Greg Nance questionnaire
• Lance Byrd did not submit a questionnaire.

LD 26, Senate: Deb Krishnadasan

Vote for Deb Krishnadasan for State Senate in the 26th Legislative District. Krishnadasan is a first-term state senator who has a background in moving to support her priorities of schools and housing for teachers. As Vice Chair of Transportation, she engages deeply on issues related to transit, digging deep into safety and engagement, especially on longer timeline projects such as the current Gorst highway project in her district. On the Mosquito Fleet Act, Krishnadasan is interested in passenger-only ferries, and thinks that with more work and time we can use data to find a way to move forward. 

She also has holistic engagement with housing issues, looking at types of housing and digging into answers for homeless students as well as housing for teachers. Krishnadasan also voiced some of the change in thinking about how more housing types are becoming more desirable and viable options for those looking for housing. 

A huge advocate for education, Krishnadasan sponsored two pieces of legislation related to funding schools, SB 5186 and Senate Joint Resolution 8200. Though neither made it through the process, it can take time to gather support, and this gives us a good idea of the priorities she is acting on. 

Krishnadasan is being challenged by first-time candidate, former tech guy, and current BBQ businessman Gary Parker. Interestingly, Parker’s campaign has jumped onto the affordability train, adding that to some of the traditional cutting of regulations to support business, and specific support of seniors and more law enforcement. Parker is running in the low-effort Republican lane, having only raised $8,500 dollars, or about a hundredth of Krishnadasan. A tsunami of outside money could arrive if Parker manages to beat expectations. 

Deb Krishnadasan is the best candidate for LD26, with a great depth of understanding of the most important issues and how to move forward on housing, transportation, education, and more.

• Deb Krishnadasan questionnaire 
• Gary Parker did not return a questionnaire.

LD 26, Position 1: No Endorsement

Adison Richards, the Democratic incumbent in LD 26, Position 1 is on board with affordability, is in favor of progressive revenue and affordable housing, and wants to work toward the Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. 

His top priority is affordability, which he plans to tackle with regard to utilities, specifically guarding against AI-caused price increases for water and electricity. Richards also sponsored a bill this past session to increase funding for public defense, improving caseloads and helping guarantee our rights to a speedy trial. 

Republican challenger David Olson did not participate in our process. 

While Olson did not respond, his public statements show an interesting trend in Republican campaigns to talk about tackling affordability and other essential issues, yet not provide policies in support of those goals. Beneath Olson’s statements, the details tell the true story. Olson’s stance on the importance of allowing growth, yet only in new places which already have the supporting infrastructure, is inherently flawed. Either he doesn’t understand how growth works, or this is specifically written to sound pro-growth while not actually allowing it. 

On taxes, Richards is also ready to take the next steps to move toward a fairer tax system, supporting pairing progressive taxation with tax relief. In his words, “the problem is both that the wealthy aren’t paying enough and also that the rest of us are paying too much, and I’m committed to addressing both sides of this equation.”

Vote Adison Richards. 

• Adison Richards questionnaire
• David Olson did not return a questionnaire. 

LD 26, Position 2: Renee Hernandez Greenfield

Renee Hernandez Greenfield is the best choice in a hotly contested race in the 26th Legislative District, following the retirement of Republican Michelle Caldier, who has held the seat since 2015. Caldier was the last Republican holdout in a district that has shifted to Democrats in recent years, and Republican donors near and far will be spending big to try to hold the seat.

Hernandez Greenfield impressed us with her focus on actual policy to increase affordability through housing and transportation, and she articulates her approach with extremely thoughtful detail and depth of understanding. A teacher and family advocate, Hernandez Greenfield spoke to her personal experience in using the systems we at times discuss in more theoretical terms. In Hernandez Greenfield’s role as family advocate, she spoke of encountering the downsides of families losing childcare, trying to access transportation, and struggling with housing affordability. She found these challenges especially acute for families of children with disabilities, and she’s intent on tackling those big issues across her district and state. 

Republican Katy Cornell is also running, but Cornell did not return our questionnaire. Cornell has raised the bulk of her money from large Republican groups. 

We’re proud to endorse Hernandez Greenfield for her well-thought-through urbanist priorities and approach. 

• Renee Hernandez Greenfield questionnaire 
• Katy Cornell did not return a questionnaire.

LD 27, Position 1: No Endorsement

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins (again) did not answer our questionnaire or sit for an interview. Why bother talking to voters when you can coast to reelection? Party leadership has drawn criticism in the past when key legislation has died on the doorstep at the last minute through rules and scheduling snags of their own making, but progress passing the millionaires’ tax, rent stabilization, and statewide zoning reform has cooled that criticism for a spell.

Republican Carole Sue Braaten, a perennial unserious candidate from Fife, is the only registered challenger to Jinkins. The best thing we have to say about Braaten is that at least she didn’t use AI to fill out her questionnaire, instead authoring right-wing slop the old-fashioned way. 

• Carole Sue Braaten questionnaire
• Incumbent Laurie Jinkins did not return a questionnaire.

LD 27, Position 2: No Endorsement

Incumbent Representative Jake Fey, chair of the House Transportation Committee, is running unopposed for his seventh term. Fey is a car-centric, middle-of-the-road politician who supports highway expansion while trying to present himself as a transit champion.

Double-digit inflation has been wreaking havoc on Sound Transit capital projects. Instead of helping, Fey shamed the agency for the cost overruns and killed a bill that would have allowed Sound Transit to take on longer-term, 75-year bonds. Fey’s fiscal conservatism has not extended to highway expansion. He supported more debt for highway maintenance and more spending on wider highways. 

We appreciate Rep. Fey at least took the time to fill out our questionnaire and sit for an interview; he’s running unopposed and could have easily ducked our questions. Urbanists want leadership in Olympia who will invest in transit infrastructure for the next century, not continuing to burn money on outdated highways. 

• Jake Fey questionnaire

LD 29, Senate: Sharlett Mena

Rep. Sharlett Mena has proven herself to be an effective, thoughtful, and results-driven legislator, earning a reputation as a collaborative leader bringing people together to solve some of Washington's toughest challenges. This session, she helped establish Washington's first statewide low-income utility assistance program, continued championing protections for renters, and has been a leading voice for making housing more affordable through rent stabilization, transit-oriented development, and investments in deeply affordable housing.

Just as importantly, Mena understands that affordability is about more than housing alone. She is focused on ensuring working families can afford to stay in their communities, creating apprenticeship and workforce opportunities closer to home, investing in safer multimodal transportation, and holding large corporations accountable for the impacts they have on Washington communities. She has also made clear that the state must continue investing not only in building affordable housing, but in the supportive services that help people remain housed.

Representing one of Washington's most diverse legislative districts, Mena brings both lived experience and legislative expertise to Olympia. Her ability to build relationships, navigate the legislative process, and turn ideas into policy has made her an increasingly influential leader. With urgent work still ahead on housing, affordability, transportation, and climate. Vote Sharlett Mena! 

• Sharlett Mena questionnaire 
• David Anderson questionnaire

LD 29, Position 1: Krista Perez

The 29th LD has been craving new leadership, and we still believe Krista Perez is the candidate best positioned to provide it. When we endorsed Perez in the primary, we were drawn to her deep roots in the district, her history of community organizing and small business advocacy, and her vision for making Tacoma more affordable and livable. We also saw in her a collaborative leadership style and a strong commitment to progressive revenue and building healthy, resilient communities.

However, since we voted to endorse her, Perez was charged with driving under the influence after she crashed into a parked car, which set off a chain reaction damaging four other cars (no one was hurt). She refused to take a sobriety test following the crash. She has pleaded not guilty, and her case remains pending. Any DUI is serious, and it troubles us that she has not taken responsibility for her actions, instead having her lawyer paint the incident as overblown and no big deal while not commenting personally. We considered carefully whether this should change our endorsement. 

Elected officials should be held to a high standard of judgment, and driving after drinking is dangerous, so this isn’t something that we can dismiss. We hope to see Perez make a firm statement apologizing for her error and acknowledging that DUIs are unequivocally wrong and worth condemning, no matter what her defense attorney may claim. Ultimately, we granted Perez the grace to learn from her mistake and hopefully be more outspoken once the case is resolved.

We continue to have serious concerns about incumbent Rep. Melanie Morgan's record of managing legislative staff. Those concerns aren't about a single mistake. They arise from multiple investigations into her conduct, including findings concerning abusive or bullying behavior and retaliation, as well as subsequent restrictions on her access to legislative support.

Morgan has argued that some of the criticism directed toward her reflects the ways Black women in positions of authority are scrutinized and villainized, a concern we take seriously. But structural racism and sexism do not eliminate the responsibility that comes with holding power. Leaders must be able to hear criticism, acknowledge harm, and change their behavior.

We expect that same accountability from Perez. A DUI is serious, yet does not, by itself, tell us everything about someone's capacity to lead, nor does a pending charge make Perez unfit to serve. What will matter is what she does next: whether she takes responsibility, makes amends where appropriate, learns from the harm caused, and demonstrates through her actions that this was a serious mistake she has corrected rather than a pattern of disregard for others. We believe Perez deserves the opportunity to do that.

We also believe the 29th District deserves a representative who can work collaboratively, listen to constituents and colleagues, and advance progressive policies on housing, transportation, affordability, climate, and public investment.

For those reasons, we continue to endorse Krista Perez for LD29 Position 1, with the expectation that accountability must be part of the leadership she brings to Olympia.

• Krista Perez questionnaire
• Incumbent Melanie Morgan did not return a questionnaire. 

LD 29, Position 2: Patrick Stickney

What does LD 29 need right now? If the answer is a progressive policy expert who can go to Olympia and fight for transit, housing, progressive revenue, and structural reforms, Patrick Stickney is the clear choice. 

Patrick Stickney, an attorney and Senior Policy and Legislative Affairs Advisor at the Washington State Office of Equity, impressed us with his commitment to advance progressive revenue and tenacious support for transit funding. He’s got a solid grasp of how to craft policies beyond slogans and make them tangible, which came through loud and clear in his interview. 

He’s candid in his questionnaire that he wants not just universal access to health care, but single-payer health care for Washington. He’s lined up an impressive array of labor and environmental endorsements, and makes a compelling case for an approach to public safety that addresses root causes, not just symptoms. 

Also running is Tacoma Deputy Mayor Joe Bushnell. Bushnell has a somewhat progressive record in Tacoma, but veers to the center on public safety. We were concerned about his support from the Tacoma police guild. When we asked him about this endorsement in our interview, he chalked it up to his general support for labor, lumping police unions in with other unions in a way we found convenient for him and concerning for us. While we are pro-labor, we are hesitant to endorse someone not ready to hold police accountable.

Voters can confidently vote Stickney and know they’ll be picking a champion for affordable housing, transit, public safety, and progressive revenue in Olympia. Vote Stickney.

• Patrick Stickney questionnaire
• Joe Bushnell questionnaire

LD 30, Senate: Claire Wilson

Senator Claire Wilson is a strong urbanist supporter who backed rent stabilization, parking reform, and transit-oriented development. She has earned our enthusiastic endorsement since she was first elected in 2018. If you spend any time talking with Wilson, it’s clear how much passion she has for serving the needs of families and the most vulnerable populations in her district and state. Wilson chairs the Human Services Committee and vice chairs the Early Learning & K-12 Committee. 

Her questionnaire and track record reflect her work on prevention, treatment, and early intervention investments to address community safety. Over the last two sessions, Wilson was the primary sponsor of SB 5082 and SB 5940 to establish a program for youth in extended foster care who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to access rental assistance. Despite reductions in scope over two sessions, the bills died in Ways & Means without funding. Wilson told us she isn’t giving up. 

She gets things done by partnering with those who will do the work, whether that includes county and city governments or public and private entities. She cited accomplishments in this area, including helping secure a $1 million grant to expand the Pete Andersen FUSION Family Center in Federal Way, a 90-bed emergency family shelter, and a $250,000 grant to study and plan for a youth shelter.

Wilson’s opponent is first-time Republican candidate Michael Rutland. He did not participate in our endorsement process, and his campaign website is a handful of vague conservative bullet-point lists. 

Wilson is an ally on urbanist issues, sees the intersection of urbanism and her work on human services and education, and is a fighter for our most vulnerable. Vote Wilson. 

• Claire Wilson questionnaire
• Michael Rutland did not return a questionnaire.

LD 30, Position 1: Jamila Taylor

We were pleased that Representative Jamila Taylor engaged with our endorsement process and returned a questionnaire this cycle, as we haven’t previously endorsed her. Taylor has a strong record of sponsoring and voting in favor of urbanist bills throughout her tenure since she was first elected in 2020. Her legislative focus and victories reflect a long career of serving others, particularly youth violence prevention and crime victims. She’s an attorney who previously oversaw community interventions for the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative and managed a network of attorneys for the Northwest Justice Project. 

Over the last two sessions, Taylor led a long-overdue reform of condo liability laws by first sponsoring HB 1403, which revised implied warranties that had often resulted in expensive litigation for builders. Last session, she sponsored HB 2304, building on this reform by raising the allowable building size to four stories and to 12 units, targeting stacked flats. These reforms join a number of middle housing bills that, in combination, should help make these types of projects pencil out as financially feasible for builders.

Taylor also sponsored HB 1474, creating a first-in-the-nation Covenant Homeownership Account program to provide zero-interest down payment and closing-cost loans to first-time homebuyers from communities historically excluded by racially restrictive covenants. 

We appreciated Taylor’s focus in her questionnaire on roadway safety, prioritizing redesigning dangerous roadways, expanding protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and slowing vehicle speeds in high-risk corridors.

Taylor’s opponent is first-time candidate Tiffany Bowyer, a small-business owner, running as a Republican. Her questionnaire reflects a prioritization of car dependency, vague criticisms of housing and homelessness program funding without offering alternative policy solutions, and opposition to progressive revenue policies. 

Jamila Taylor is the only serious candidate in this race, and her strong urbanist record has earned our endorsement. Vote Taylor. 

• Jamila Taylor questionnaire 
• Tiffany Bowyer questionnaire 

LD 32, Senate: Jesse Salomon

Senator Jesse Salomon has delivered enough policy wins to earn another term in Olympia. He’s wonky, he’s in the weeds, and urbanists appreciate his accomplishments as one of Washington State’s most effective pro-housing legislators. He’s led the way in cutting red tape, sponsoring urbanist reforms legalizing smaller elevators, allowing single-stairway “point access block” buildings, de-weaponizing historic landmarks, allowing co-living micro housing, fighting AI rent fixing, and exempting infill housing from costly State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) appeals.

Salomon has been a longtime pro-housing champion. Despite local ‘not in my backyard’ (NIMBY) backlash, Salomon led upzones in Shoreline’s station areas over a decade ago, resulting in thousands of new multifamily housing units near the light rail stations.

As a result, NIMBYs hate Salomon, and his longtime political nemesis, State Representative Cindy Ryu, has mounted a challenge to unseat him. But urbanists remember Ryu got her political start fighting against Shoreline’s Aurora corridor improvement project, a pioneering highway project that reduced crashes and improved community safety in Shoreline. And in 2019, she co-sponsored a bill that would have cut Sound Transit 3 funding.

Despite having been an elected official for over 20 years, Cindy Ryu had a hard time naming any urbanist legislation she’s delivered. In contrast, in his time both on the Shoreline City Council and in the Senate, Jesse Salomon has gotten a lot done that appeals to urbanist voters.

Salomon is not perfect, and we have plenty of criticisms to go with the accolades. He sided with Republicans to gut the rent stabilization bill, a vote Ryu has made a campaign centerpiece. Worse, politicians should talk about their controversial opinions, but he refused to answer when we too asked Salomon why he opposed the farmworkers' collective bargaining rights bill. Salomon also blocked the neighborhood cafe and corner store bill, saying cities should decide whether to legalize corner stores or not. Salomon has spewed rhetoric excoriating the State Supreme Court over caseload standards for public defenders. And a PAC working to defeat pro-Palestine candidates has endorsed Salomon.

If re-elected, we want Salomon to do better and support renters' and workers' rights. Ultimately, we are endorsing Salomon because he has been one of the most effective pro-housing legislators in Olympia. In contrast, Ryu’s record is less impressive, and her campaign unfortunately appears intent on channeling NIMBY energy in an attempt to unseat an effective housing and land use reformer. 

Vote for more housing. Vote Salomon.

• Jesse Salomon questionnaire 
• Cindy Ryu questionnaire 

LD 32, Position 1: Danica Noble

The Urbanist is proud to endorse Danica Noble because we urgently need a champion to regulate AI and big tech in Olympia. An antitrust attorney who spent the last two decades fighting corporate power, Noble told us she is the only union member in this race (and the only mom), and when elected, she will be the only legislator with AI expertise who does not work for big tech. 

While Noble conceded she’s not yet a wonk on housing and transportation policy, her background fighting monopolies and big tech gives her a perspective unique amongst urbanist candidates that we need in Olympia. Driverless cars threaten chaos on already jammed city streets, threatening to imperil people walking, rolling, and biking without clear mechanisms of accountability. Noble told us she supports “radical transparency” about safety data for people outside the vehicle because it is a moral dilemma that can’t be decided in corporate boardrooms. 

On housing, it won’t be sufficient to only streamline permitting to lower housing costs. Real estate speculation also drives up rents, and Noble told us she would work to boot private equity out of housing in Washington State. She would also prohibit landlords from using AI to raise the rent and ensure there are robust mechanisms to protect renters’ rights.

Noble told us she supports expanding light rail and “creating neighborhoods where people can meet most of their daily needs without getting in a car.” She opposes the whack-a-mole approach to homeless encampments, supports universal healthcare in Washington State, and said unequivocally, “we need to figure out how to TAX the RICH!”

Urbanists will love her opponent Keith Scully’s campaign promise to abolish zoning, and he has been a longtime proponent of concentrating density in neighborhoods near highways and transit stations. But Scully has used tree removal fees and hard-scape maximums to keep new, denser housing out of Shoreline’s low-density single-family neighborhoods, and he’s pushed for narrower sidewalks and bike lanes to preserve trees. He also prefers traffic cops over automated speed cameras. NIMBY rabble-rousers Sandy Shettler from Tree Action Seattle and Kathleen Russell of Save Shoreline Trees are donating money to Scully’s campaign. Scully gets second place because his track record and his list of supporters don’t match his rhetoric.

We are backing Danica Noble because the monopolization of tech and consolidation of corporate power is a threat to the urbanist movement, and Noble appears uniquely positioned to do something about it.

Vote Noble!

• Danica Noble questionnaire 
• Keith Scully questionnaire

LD 32, Position 2: Imraan Siddiqi

The Urbanist is proud to endorse civil rights leader Imraan Siddiqi. His background as a frontline civil rights activist led Siddiqi to challenge incumbent State Representative Lauren Davis. One of the original plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Trump’s first Muslim ban, Siddiqi is a battle-tested defender of the civil rights of immigrant communities. 

Siddiqi told us that “transportation equity is health equity,” and he said his family is dependent on mass transit. He committed to being a leader at the state level fighting for Sound Transit’s expansion to Everett, Ballard, and Tacoma to deliver promised improvements to riders and combat urban sprawl. He said he supports funding for pedestrian infrastructure and bike lanes to make transportation safer for everyone. 

Siddiqi told us housing is a human right and said he supports “a massive shift toward public and social housing models” because the affordability crisis is the most pressing issue of our time. To fund the direct construction of missing middle housing, he promised to “advocate for a permanent, dedicated state housing fund bolstered by progressive revenue sources, such as a high wealth tax.” He also supports universal healthcare in Washington State, framing that as a human rights issue as well.

To fund these goals, Siddiqi supports going further than the millionaires tax and said we must do better to address our regressive tax system. Siddiqi said the estate tax rollback was harmful, for example, while his opponent, Representative Lauren Davis, voted to roll back the estate tax.

Lauren Davis (again) didn’t return a questionnaire or sit for an interview with The Urbanist. Davis hasn’t been much of an ally to urbanists. In 2019, she co-sponsored a bill that would have cut Sound Transit 3 funding. This year, Davis was one of a handful of Democrats who voted with Republicans to kill a bill that would have regulated AI data centers. She supports Flock surveillance cameras, is anti-cannabis, and supports tougher criminal punishment for children and johns. She says public defenders want to “dismantle” the legal system and is sponsoring a constitutional amendment to curtail the state Supreme Court. Davis’s campaign has received contributions from police lobbyists and healthcare corporations.

Imraan Siddiqi is a vocal critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza, and he is the executive director of the Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an organization reviled by MAGA politicians. Not surprisingly, Davis has been endorsed and taken money from Washingtonians for a Brighter Future, a PAC focused on suppressing pro-Palestinian politicians.

The Urbanist endorsed Siddiqi in 2024 in his bid to unseat Congressional Representative Kim Schrier, and we are backing Imraan again. 

Vote Siddiqi!

• Imraan Siddiqi questionnaire
• Incumbent Lauren Davis did not return a questionnaire. 

LD 33, Position 2: Mia Su-Ling Gregerson

We are proud to endorse Mia Gregerson for re-election. Gregerson is a champion for housing, transit, voting rights, and workers. She led the efforts to fill out housing options with mobile dwelling units and micro studios and to expand ORCA transit cards for students. In our interview, Gregerson praised the millionaires’ tax and made it clear that she sees that as a step, not a cure-all, to addressing our state’s budget challenges. Gregerson has made a career of being bold, getting ahead of good policies and fighting for them well before they’re popular enough to pass. 

Gregerson highlighted her efforts under the first Trump administration to support immigrants and refugees, and the ways she’s building on those efforts now. We were impressed that she had policy proposals to address trauma and mental health impacts on immigrant communities. She emphasized the need for culturally appropriate outreach and learning from other states’ efforts to replicate what works. 

Gregerson sponsored the Shelter Not Penalties Act to push jurisdictions to rationalize local anti-homeless regulations when no shelter is available. The other candidate in the race, Yuri Marinchik, is running as a Republican and did not seek our endorsement. His website contains little substance, but he laments the cost of car tabs and Sound Transit taxes, so we’re confident he’s not going to be a champion for urbanist issues. Gregerson is the clear choice for urbanists, and her record speaks for itself. 

The 33rd has been well represented by Gregerson, and she has earned another term in Olympia. Vote Gregerson. 

• Mia Su-Ling Gregerson questionnaire
• Yuri Marinchik did not return a questionnaire.

LD 34, Position 2: Joe Fitzgibbon

As the House Majority Leader, Joe Fitzgibbon has a laundry list of impressive, urbanist legislative accomplishments like the Clean Energy Act, Climate Commitment Act, and the recent millionaires’ tax (to name a few). Fitzgibbon finds the balance between pragmatic compromise and bold ambition, between the political demands of his leadership role and representing the 34th. 

We hope another term will see Fitzgibbon continue to push for progressive revenue and resist the calls for austerity. He’s clear-eyed about the impacts of the federal funding cuts and where Washington will have to defend our values. We appreciated his emphasis on how the unincorporated parts of the 34th are feeling those impacts without municipal investment.

Fitzgibbon is facing a challenge from Mary Anito, a landlord, engineer, and parent. Anito’s central argument against Fitzgibbon is that he hasn’t been responsive or available to constituents. We’re all for challenging powerful incumbents, but Anito did not demonstrate enough of a command of the issues or the legislative process to be a compelling alternative. When asked about protecting immigrant communities, for example, Fitzgibbon talked about plans to expand healthcare access for undocumented residents, while Anito suggested that, because she speaks Spanish, she could represent communities impacted by ICE activities. 

Fitzgibbon’s record shows he has the skills, experience, and relationships to follow through on his priorities. We’ve endorsed him before, and we’re excited to endorse him for another term.

• Joe Fitzgibbon questionnaire 
• Mary Anito questionnaire 

LD 36, Position 1: Julia Reed

It is our pleasure to endorse Representative Julia Reed, a strong urbanist favorite representing the Thundering 36th. She exemplifies the values and focus on pressing issues that we look for in candidates, and is someone intrinsically dedicated to safe streets, robust transit, and housing. Reed has continued time after time to show up and deliver for progressive urbanism, whether that's leading on and passing transit-oriented development, pushing legislation to legalize shared streets, protect vulnerable road users, and so much more. While Reed is running unopposed, she still took the time to participate in our process, which we greatly appreciate.

Reed serves as Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee and is a critical champion to ensure Sound Transit 3 expansion plans can get back on track and deliver light rail to the Ballard Extension. She has also been a champion for safety improvements, and stressed the need to improve the Ballard Bridge for people walking, rolling, and biking. In her questionnaire, she identified a state jobs package focused on reducing permitting timelines and spurring housing starts as a top priority – a refreshing people-centered approach as opposed to expecting AI to fix everything. Staffing shortages at local permitting offices are a major ingredient in delays in greenlighting new housing.

Reed backs a highway users fee to stabilize a state transportation budget hurtling towards insolvency, as gas tax proceeds erode away and the system gets more unsustainable and inequitable. Reed said that the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) “was intended to provide reasonable environmental review for projects but has been too often weaponized to stop projects entirely, putting communities and workers at a serious disadvantage.” We want to see reforms to realign SEPA with the goal of environmental protection rather than how it has been weaponized against the environment and against badly needed housing and road safety projects.

It fills out urbanist hearts to have a champion representing us in the 36th. Vote Julia Reed.

• Julia Reed questionnaire 

LD 37, Senate: Dual Endorsement

The Elections Committee recommended a dual endorsement for Chipalo Street and Tatiana Brown for State Senate in LD37, an open seat due to incumbent Rebecca Saldaña’s run for King County Council. This race includes Representative Chipalo Street and first-time candidate Tatiana Brown. This race was a major toss-up during our endorsement process, as The Urbanist did not provide an endorsement during the primary election. We struggled to endorse one of these candidates in this race because both candidates have strong urbanist values and could serve as excellent advocates. 

Street has represented LD37 in the House since 2023 and is Vice Chair of the Finance Committee. Some of his accomplishments include sponsoring and passing HB 2610 for property tax exemptions for nonprofit housing, sponsoring the proposed HB 2480 concerning residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones, and seconding HB 1195 for siting of permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, or indoor emergency shelters. 

While Street is a landlord himself, he has been a good vote on tenant issues, backing the rent stabilization law passed in 2025. We appreciate his ability to speak to developer experience and raise the need to make it easier to build more homes, while not sacrificing fairness to tenants or succumbing to a race to the bottom in terms of protections. 

When asked what housing policies he would like to see moved forward in his next term, Street stated that he supported land trusts, social housing, increasing housing supply across income levels, and preserving deeply affordable homes to help address homelessness. While he self-admittedly is not a transportation expert, he also supports strengthening Complete Streets programs and parking reform by eliminating unnecessary parking requirements near transit and in walkable communities. 

This is Tatiana Brown’s first campaign election, but her background is impressive. She graduated with a dual Master's in Public Health and Public Administration, and she served as the youngest representative of Governor Inslee’s Environmental Justice Council. Brown presented a compelling case in her questionnaire and interview with The Urbanist, demonstrating she is both knowledgeable and empathetic on a range of urbanist topics.

Brown believes that urban design is the best way to create healthier communities. In her interview, she cited wanting to bring more community gathering spaces and farms, find ways to make home building easier for individual owners, address legacy redlining in single-family neighborhoods, and see more community land trusts be established. She supports investing in transit-oriented developments and increasing walkability throughout the district. She would also like to address urban heat islands with greater tree canopy coverage, urban agriculture, trails, and green spaces. 

Both candidates were found to be excellent urbanist candidates for this race, and The Urbanist will be proud to see either of them win the election.

• Chipalo Street questionnaire 
• Tatiana Brown questionnaire 

LD 37, Position 1: Kelabe Tewolde

Kelabe Tewolde is a rising policy superstar, and we’re enthusiastically supporting him in his run against incumbent Representative Sharon Tomiko-Santos. Santos is one of the longest-serving legislators in the Seattle delegation in Olympia, and we appreciate her years of service – and think it’s time for the next generation of electeds to get a chance to lead. (King County Executive Girmay Zahilay and Bob Ferguson apparently agree, giving Tewolde their endorsement.)

Tewolde is an educator with Rainier Scholars, and knows what life is like on the ground for young people in the 37th. We’re excited by his ideas for adding density, like creating school-oriented development, which he emphasizes along with increasing renter protections. We also love that he’s invested in improving the 37th’s transportation system

Tomiko-Santos, on the other hand, is increasingly a liability when it comes to pushing progressive policy initiatives, and her urbanist values are shaky at best. We are concerned about Tomiko-Santos’s recent comments that seem to blame the 1990 Growth Management Act for Washington’s high housing costs. Count us among the fans of curbing sprawl and encroachment into wilderness areas while expanding housing in our already urbanized communities to create more 15-minute neighborhoods with a high quality of life. In contrast, sprawl-based growth patterns are built to fail, both economically and ecologically.

As a current member of the Seattle Planning Commission, we trust that Tewolde will get in the weeds, rather than leaving that indispensable hard work to other legislators. It’s time to send him to Olympia. Vote Tewolde.

• Kelabe Tewolde questionnaire
• Incumbent Sharon Tomiko-Santos did not return a questionnaire.

LD 37, Position 2: Jaelynn Scott

We are excited to endorse Jaelynn Scott, the executive director of Lavender Rights Project, a multifaceted advocacy nonprofit fighting for Black trans liberation. Facing no serious opponent, she will also be the first openly trans person in the Washington State Legislature, although two other trans candidates running for other seats have a chance to tie her for that distinction. 

In terms of urbanist priorities, Scott is a strong proponent of social housing and investing in nonprofit housing developers. She is not shy about raising progressive revenue to boost investment in top priorities like affordable housing, voicing support for the Well Washington Fund, a proposal that would have instituted a payroll expense tax at the state level. She backed reforms to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). In our interview, she brought up concerns about the ways review processes like SEPA are weaponized largely by wealthy communities to avoid new neighbors. 

As a first-time candidate, she is green on some issues. But we were impressed by her ability to take in information, learn on the fly, and already we’re seeing a stronger candidate than when she first launched her campaign. Although Scott is not a frequent transit rider (yet!), she understands the importance of frequent, reliable, and safe transit, and she knows what we have now is not enough. 

Scott’s commitment to antipoverty work, antiracism work, and gender justice is clear, as is her ability to see the through lines between these projects. We believe she will serve us well in the legislature. Vote Scott. 

• Jaelynn Scott questionnaire 

LD 38, Position 1: Julio Cortes

The Urbanist is proud to endorse Julio Cortes, the incumbent for Legislative District 38, Position 1. As a two-time elected official, Cortes has shown that he is serious about improving the lives of everyday Washingtonians. He has an impressive record, from being a strong advocate for the millionaires’ tax, expanding the utility assistance program, fighting against unnecessary restrictions that contributed to the proliferation of food deserts, helping strengthen worker protections, and much more.

If elected again, he would like to continue fighting against homelessness by ensuring services don’t get gutted because of budgetary shortfalls, update state legislation to treat housing as a crucial form of infrastructure, and preempt local governments from blocking needed housing density. We were also impressed by his grassroots work with communities impacted by ICE mass deportation activities, and his interview demonstrated the difference between candidates who are removed from this issue and those on the front lines, like Cortes. 

His general election opponent, Jeff Kelly, who didn’t return a questionnaire to The Urbanist, is yet another austerity candidate. Even though his policies on his campaign website are incredibly vague and lacking in how he would actually achieve his policy goals, one does not have to leap very far to understand his overarching message: more policing, more criminalization, more kowtowing to business interests.

Vote progressive. Vote Cortes.

• Julio Cortes questionnaire 
• Jeff Kelly did not return a questionnaire. 

LD 41, Position 1: Janice Zahn

The Urbanist is proud to endorse Janice Zahn for LD41 Position 1. We also endorsed Zahn’s successful bid last year, noting her advocacy for abundant housing, safe streets, ubiquitous rapid transit, and a just, decarbonized economy. Zahn previously worked as the chief engineer for the Port of Seattle and was on the Bellevue City Council for seven years. This election would be Zahn’s first full term with the legislature after being appointed in 2025 to succeed Tana Senn. 

During Representative Zahn’s first year and a half in the legislature, she has had an impressive track record. She sponsored HB 1992 for adoption of the Safe System approach that would require greater collaboration between municipalities and WSDOT to implement industry best practices as well as act with greater urgency on dangerous roadways identified by communities across the state. 

In her questionnaire, Zahn demonstrated a strong commitment to and knowledge of key urbanist issues and identified the inherent value in multimodal investments, stating that “Vision Zero and Complete Streets principles are essential for quality of life and carbon emission reductions.” What impressed us most is that Zahn is able to get into the weeds on transportation planning and coordination. She sponsored bills that help to streamline transportation infrastructure projects through HB 1970 for Highway Alternative Contracting, HB 1967 for Public Works Bonding, and HB 1966 for Public Works Contracting. 

Zahn also sponsored a number of housing-oriented bills including parking reform easing mandates, HB 1808 for creating an affordable homeownership revolving loan fund program, HB 2228 allowing more cost-effective scissor stairs, and HB 2702 to increase short plat thresholds. She supports state preemption in communities blocking needed housing, expansions to accessory dwelling unit allowances, and modular housing. She expressed empathy and compassion for households experiencing homelessness, and her record shows she is not ignoring their plight.

Also running is Elle Alexsi Nguyen. Nguyen has never held public office previously, and her questionnaire demonstrated a fundamental lack of knowledge on housing, transportation, and the affordability crisis. Her priorities are not urbanist-focused, but rather supporting law enforcement, government transparency, and parental rights. When asked about how she would encourage increased production of housing, she stated that she “support[ed] faster permitting timelines, clearer rules, reduced duplication, and accountability when agencies delay projects”. While supporting these measures is not harmful to the development of housing, it fails to recognize the need to go farther to support greater housing diversity and affordability. The slowdown of housing production does not solely rely on a municipality’s review timelines and process. 

Nguyen had lackluster responses regarding universal healthcare. She stated that while she supported improving privatized healthcare and increasing access to affordable healthcare, she supported “preserving personal choice, private healthcare options, competition, and innovation within the healthcare system rather than eliminating private healthcare entirely.” Furthermore, she stated that while she “support[s] practical transportation policies that improve mobility, reduce congestion, and give people safe and reliable transportation choices,” policies should not be “unfairly targeting drivers,” which seemed like a blaring dogwhistle to carcentrism. 

The choice in this race is abundantly clear: Zahn is a true advocate for good urbanism, and we are proud to endorse her in this election. Vote Janice Zahn.

• Janice Zahn questionnaire 
• Elle Alexsi Nguyen questionnaire

LD 41, Position 2: My-Linh Thai

Representative My-Linh Thai deserves another term in Olympia so she can continue delivering results on housing, transportation, and progressive revenue. Thai has been a leader working to fix Washington’s regressive tax code and was the prime sponsor of Washington’s Working Families Tax Credit, providing tax relief to working families. We also endorse Thai in 2024. 

Thai was the prime sponsor of House Bill 1074, protecting renters from abusive landlords, and she secured $2.5 million for affordable housing within her 41st Legislative District. In the 2026 transportation budget, Thai secured $6.7 million for Sound Transit electric bus infrastructure, $6.6 million for the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail, $6 million for the Eastrail Corridor, and $9.6 million for King County Metro improvements. Thai is also doing important work on education policy; she was the prime sponsor of a bill this session expanding behavioral health for students.

Michael Rosen is the political newcomer challenging Thai. He repeated right-wing anti-homeless rhetoric, told us he’s a “treatment first guy,” and called Plymouth Housing “cruel.” He used AI to submit a questionnaire with anti-tax slop, hardly building a strong case.

When Thai was elected in 2018, she became the first refugee legislator in Washington state, making her an important voice from a community increasingly under threat. Vote Thai!

• My-Linh Thai questionnaire 
• Michael Rosen questionnaire 

LD 43, Senate: Hannah Sabio-Howell

Hannah Sabio-Howell is an inspiring up-and-coming leader and exactly the kind of candidate we’re excited to see run. We’d love to send her to Olympia to get to work. We don’t just say that because she is an alum of The Urbanist Elections Committee after serving as a member or chair from 2022 to 2025 – although that certainly doesn’t hurt. Sabio-Howell put in long unpaid, largely thankless hours for us to make our endorsements happen, and we’re grateful for her volunteering her time to lead our motley crew.

More importantly, Sabio-Howell oozes creativity and political savvy. Check out her clever campaign videos and social media posts for proof of that. For example, in her first campaign video, she biked around town introducing herself to voters, ending with a clip of her ringing her bell and saying “on your left” as she passed two pedestrians – showing she knows cyclist etiquette AND a genius way to remind voters she is the progressive in the race, running to the left of the incumbent.

Sabio-Howell has been in the trenches fighting for workers, serving four years as a communications director for Working Washington and another four years in Olympia as a legislative aide. She has fought to raise wages and worker standards, and we have absolute faith that she will continue to fight for the little guy in the state senate.

Sabio-Howell did not choose the easy path to get into elected office, and some have criticized her for it. But while some see a presumptuous young candidate trying to unfairly dethrone an anointed Democratic Party insider, we see a fighter who is willing to take a political risk if it means better outcomes for all. This is precisely the ethos we’d like to see more of from a Democratic Party that still somehow appears flat-footed and ill-equipped to mount a cohesive, effective resistance to Trump after six years worth of being the opposition party countering his increasingly unhinged and dangerous regime.

Jaime Pedersen has long been a centrist representing one of the most progressive districts in the state. By virtue of being in office for a long time and being good at political fundraising (helps when you’re a bigshot lawyer with bigshot friends), Pedersen has climbed into party leadership. Despite a long history of pushing a centrist agenda, including endorsing Sara Nelson in her ill-fated Seattle City Council reelection bid, he read the shifting political winds well and put his name atop the list of sponsors of the millionaires tax this past session and saw it through to passage – a laudable achievement. 

We wonder where the tax-the-rich Pedersen was for the other 19 years he spent in Olympia, as Democrats spun their wheels and dithered while the state tax code continued to be ranked the most regressive in the nation, hitting the working poor particularly hard.

The millionaires tax could be a great capstone on 20 years of service in the Washington State Legislature. The key question is what Pedersen’s next accomplishments would be if voters give him another four years. Has he jumped the shark and pulled off his biggest political stunt? Or has Pedersen turned a new progressive leaf, with more big swings in store? Will we have to wait another 20 years for Pedersen to land another win like that?

In our interviews with each candidate, we were convinced that Sabio-Howell had the clearer and stronger vision of where to go next. While Pedersen has been circling the wagons and scoring plenty of endorsements from establishment figures, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson endorsed Sabio-Howell, underscoring where local progressives stand in this race, even if one prominent endorsing body appears confused.

Sabio-Howell reflects a district that is progressive, renter-heavy, scrappy, and feeling the pinch as disastrous Trump policies poison a fragile economy and rip gaping holes in a rickety social safety net while Democrats do too little to resist. Frankly, we’re ready for a new direction, and Sabio-Howell can offer it.

• Hannah Sabio-Howell questionnaire 
• Jamie Pedersen questionnaire

*Note: Jazmine Smith and Maya Ramakrishnan recused from this race.

LD 43, Position 1: Nicole Macri

Nicole Macri has long been an urbanist favorite. She is a champion for housing affordability. Last year, she shepherded rent stabilization through the house. In her decade of service, she’s also chipped away at exclusionary zoning, joined the war on cars, and earned national recognition for her work championing just cause eviction protections. Macri understands the connections between housing supply, affordability, and homelessness, and it shows. 

Outside of session, Macri works as Deputy Director for Strategy at the DESC, the Seattle region’s largest provider of permanent supportive housing and wrap-around homeless services, giving her frontline experience.

While doing great work at the state level, we’ve grown a bit concerned with Macri’s approach to local housing advocacy, where she and the DESC have used their influence to delay reforms to Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability program, which builders say is contributing to a big slowdown in housing starts as they’ve struggled to shoulder fees under worsening market conditions and higher interest rates. 

Seattle needs to avoid a housing slowdown to prevent a big jump in rents, and we hope the temporary pilot program offering reduced builder fees can be used to jumpstart homebuilding. Seattle Councilmember Dionne Foster says she has brokered a compromise deal to pass the pilot early next year, and we hope Macri and other legislators either get on board or get out of the way.

Macri has backed housing abundance legislation at the state level, so we’re hopeful she will come around. She has been a rock-solid vote on a number of other urbanist priorities, including traffic safety, overhauling Aurora Avenue, and 75-year bonds for Sound Transit. 

She faced one challenger, apparently named Alby D Clendennin IV. Clendennin did not return a questionnaire and is not giving off serious candidate vibes.

We are proud to have endorsed Macri every year that she has run. The legislature is better with her in it. Once again, vote Macri. 

• Nicole Macri questionnaire 
• Alby D. Clendennin IV did not return a questionnaire. 

LD 45, Position 2: Vanessa Kritzer

Vanessa Kritzer has served on Redmond City Council since 2020, where she has consistently advocated for increased housing and transportation options. She helped advance a new permanent supportive housing project that opened just steps from Downtown Redmond Station, saving it after it stalled in Kenmore. In her day job as executive director of the Washington Association of Land Trusts, she is intimately familiar with conservation efforts and the state’s longtime planning policy: the Growth Management Act.

Vanessa Kritzer is a mother with deep ties to the district, having grown up in Bridle Trails. This area has changed dramatically since Larry Springer first entered office, and Kritzer represents the future of the district. She is engaged in her community, balancing professional life, family, and community, all while embodying values that voters in the 45th hold dear: hard work and environmentalism. Vanessa Kritzer has not only the experience, but also the voting record to back up her urbanist values.

John Gibbons, the Republican candidate who advanced to the general election, does not seem to be actively campaigning. Several search engines return no results for a campaign website or questionnaire. Additionally, he has disclosed $0 in funding, according to the Washington State Public Disclosures Commission. The choice is obvious. Vote Kritzer.

• Vanessa Kritzer questionnaire 
• John Gibbons did not return a questionnaire.

LD 46, Senate: Javier Valdez

Senator Javier Valdez was first elected to the state Legislature in 2018 and since then has developed a well-rounded repertoire of legislative accomplishments including gun safety and protecting immigrant rights. Although his big ticket bills aren’t always focused on urban issues, in the interview Valdez demonstrated strong knowledge of the challenges facing the 46th. 

For example, he personally met with representatives of Fred Meyer in an effort to prevent the closure of Lake City’s only full-service grocery store. Valdez also expressed the importance of protections for immigrant communities within the 46th and across the state, and we appreciate his advocacy in the current political climate. 

His opponent is a conservative with little experience in public policy or engagement with the community. Vote Valdez.

• Javier Valdez questionnaire
• Sandra Stephens did not return a questionnaire.

LD 46, Position 1: No Endorsement

Ron Davis, the candidate we endorsed in the primary, did not make it through to next month's general election. Since that time, we've had the opportunity to speak with both incumbent Rep. Gerry Pollet and did a follow-up interview with his remaining challenger, Will Dreher. While we appreciate each of them taking the time to participate in our process, neither of them has earned our endorsement.

As we have previously explained, incumbent Rep. Pollet has long been at odds with urbanists. In 2021 and 2022, he “earned” our recognition as legislative “Zero” due to his opposition to zoning reform and inability to work with his colleagues. Pollet’s commitments to progressive causes, particularly education funding, are admirable, but we cannot ignore his multiyear efforts to stall pro-housing bills when he was chair of the local government committee. We sincerely hope that Pollet has had a change of heart about fundamental urbanist issues like housing density – but it’s something we would need to see to believe.

We’ve seen some signs that Pollet has evolved, but not yet enough consistency. Pollet told us he not only voted for statewide parking reform in 2025, but also helped the bill overcome a last-ditch effort to derail it over concerns about ADA-accessible reserved parking – very admirable. However, he did not seem to regret his decision to help angry neighbors block protected bike lanes on 35th Avenue NE in Wedgwood back in 2018. In that case, he told us street parking was too sacred to reduce in the safe street redesign. Ironically, the compromise the Durkan administration went with still reduced parking, while failing to deliver a complete street with bike lanes.

The other candidate in this race is attorney Will Dreher. Dreher is a former federal prosecutor and currently sues corporations at a Seattle law firm. Much has been made of Dreher’s first job out of law school– a clerkship for Justice Brett Kavanaugh, then a judge on the D.C. Court of Appeals – and his signature that appeared on a letter of support for Justice Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Dreher has repeatedly explained his decisions, including by emphasizing a subsequent letter calling for an FBI investigation into Justice Kavanaugh after sexual assault allegations came to light, and the professional consequences he has experienced as a result. Readers can decide for themselves what consideration to give this.

Dreher’s campaign has focused on regulating AI (and, interestingly, he has received many donations from employees at AI firms). Dreher has told us that he supports urbanist priorities like denser housing, transit and bike lanes. As a regular bicyclist himself, Dreher seemed to get bike and pedestrian safety issues on a more visceral level than Pollet, and he stressed the climate implications of making streets safe and accessible for all.

But Dreher is somewhat light on details and, as a newcomer to local politics, has no clear track record. The son of a top environmental lawyer who served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, Dreher is clearly ambitious, but we do not feel we have enough information to evaluate Dreher’s sincere commitments to urbanist priorities. If urbanism is truly a priority for Dreher, we hope he shows us that, whether as a lawmaker in Olympia or as an involved community member in the 46th Legislative District. 

• Will Dreher questionnaire
• Gerry Pollet questionnaire

LD 46, Position 2: Darya Farivar

Representative Darya Farivar has been a natural urbanist ally since she joined the legislature in 2022, cosponsoring rent stabilization and voting in favor of parking reform and transit-oriented development. We are excited to again endorse Farivar for re-election. 

Farivar has consistently addressed challenges and opportunities in the district she’s grown up in by pulling groups together, diving deeply into the details, and introducing progressive policies to make government work while standing by her values. 

Last session, Farivar sponsored legislation to address the food desert created by the high-profile departure of Fred Meyer on Lake City Way, leaving the district without a large grocery store or nearby pharmacy. One bill that made it through the session prohibits the restrictive covenants that let departing grocers block new stores from opening in the buildings they leave behind. During our interview with her, she spoke about how meaningful a grocery store is as a community anchor, and about her unfinished work to address this long term both by incentivizing private grocers to operate in underserved areas and by changing the law to allow for publicly owned and operated grocery stores.

She also spoke about the need to urgently address traffic safety along Aurora Avenue N, which cuts through the district, and she was supportive of calming measures such as barriers that slow traffic along the residential streets connecting to Aurora. 

Farivar’s opponent is an independent named Rodney ‘Star’ Thornley, a real estate agent with a vanity license plate running a vanity campaign. His website says he wants to repeal the Climate Commitment Act and is loaded with conservative dogwhistles, such as wanting to crack down on graffiti and get rid of land acknowledgments honoring Indigenous tribes. He has yet to report any fundraising.

Farivar is a proven fighter for a more affordable, more just region, and a reliable vote for urbanist values. Vote Farivar.

• Darya Farivar questionnaire 
• Rodney ‘Star’ Thornley did not return a questionnaire.

LD 47, Position 1: Debra Entenman

Debra Entenman was first elected to serve the 47th District in 2018, beating an incumbent Republican. She has built a solid reputation on issues like criminal justice reform and public safety. She is a supporter of universal healthcare and believes that data centers should not shift their infrastructure costs onto residents, supporting HB 2515.

Entenman takes a nuanced approach to automated enforcement, viewing it as a safety tool that can be good if used properly (“carefully, transparently, and equitably”) and in the right places (“where the goal is clearly preventing harm: school zones, work zones, red-light intersections, high-injury corridors, bus lanes, and areas with documented speeding or crash risks”) and not as a revenue trap. And she speaks about Vision Zero in a way we can get behind: treating “traffic deaths as preventable failure of system design, not unavoidable accidents.”

Entenman won the primary election with 38.5% of the vote. We stated in our primary endorsement that Entenman was being challenged by an interesting group of candidates. Well, one of those interesting candidates got almost a third of the votes, Libertarian Cobi Clark.

Clark’s questionnaire contains some hot takes like “[p]ublic transport is a huge excuse to stop and frisk” and that there is “nothing socially ‘progressive’ about graduated tax systems.” As you may have guessed, Clark opposes the income tax for those making more than one million dollars in a year.

Clark also opposes surveillance and automated enforcement; wants to invest in protected bike lanes and traffic calming measures (his declaration that “car’s are awesome” notwithstanding), and believes that when it comes to investing in community safety, the legislature should prioritize addiction and mental health treatment, education, and public defenders/prosecutors. He does not support universal healthcare in Washington, and he wants to repeal the requirement for a certificate of need and to require price transparency in healthcare. He supports environmental regulations, but believes they should be limited to “addressing anthropocentric negative externality rather than ecocentric command and control planning."

Clark strikes us as unprepared for a serious role in the legislature, a little soap-boxy, and a little out there. Debra Entenman has the experience and track record to have earned our endorsement to go back to Olympia and continue her work. Vote Entenman.

• Debra Entenman questionnaire 
• Cobi Clark questionnaire

LD 48, Position 2: Jessica Forsythe

The race for LD48 Position 2 has a clear frontrunner: Jessica Forsythe. We feel particularly excited about what Forsythe can bring to the table in the state House after delivering strong results at the Redmond City Council, where she has served since 2019. She has also been an active volunteer with King County Access for All, League of Women Voters and the 48th Legislative District Democrats, as well as being the co-chair for Eastrail Regional Advisory Council, which oversees the Eastside’s premier 42-mile bike and pedestrian trail.

Forsythe captured the Election Committee’s attention in her thoughtful questionnaire and highly personable interview. She highlighted some of her major successes in supporting good urbanism and progressive policymaking - including her work on the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, strengthening tenant protections, backing SB 5452 for the use of impact fees for pedestrian/bicycle projects, and helping establish OneRedmond's Small Business Grant Program.

When asked what she would do at the state level for housing, she stated that she would want to strengthen HB 1110 and HB 1337 to discourage local workarounds to avoid middle housing, increase funding to the Housing Trust Fund, expand SEPA exemptions for housing, state preemption, and consider incentivized inclusionary zoning. In her words, ‘State preemption should go as far as needed to ensure cities deliver the housing the state has authorized. The eastside needs to build.”

Forsythe’s experience navigating many challenges and partnerships in major accomplishments in her time on the Redmond City Council demonstrates she is aptly ready to take on Olympia. Her perspective as a renter, small business owner, and union member also provides greater diversity needed at the Capitol. We are excited to see what she is capable of in the state House and confident she will be a champion and advocate for progressive policies. 

The incumbent in this race, Representative Amy Walen, did not secure our endorsement as a result of our collective heartburn from her past votes. The general idea of embracing a car dealership owner is also a struggle for us. 

Walen has served in the House since 2019. She previously was on the Kirkland City Council (2009 - 2019) and was the Mayor of Kirkland (2014 - 2019). Walen voted against a number of housing bills that have given us cause for concern, including statewide middle housing reform in 2023, accessory dwelling unit reform in 2023, rent stabilization in 2025, and was recently the only House Democrat to vote against HB 2266 for relaxing regulations for the siting of permanent supportive housing and homeless shelters. Walen additionally voted against the millionaires tax earlier this year, as well as the domestic workers bill of rights and the farm workers bill. 

In her questionnaire and interview during our endorsement process, Walen had some redeeming responses, voicing support for universal health care, social housing, and upzoning in some instances. She has supported some progressive bills, including her recent vote on the ill-fated neighborhood cafe bill. Ultimately, Walen needs to do more to rebuild trust after a number of bad votes.

We can do better. Jessica Forsythe’s experience and promising grassroots campaign have earned our endorsement for LD48 Position 2. Vote Forsythe.

• Jessica Forsythe questionnaire 
• Amy Walen questionnaire