Friends –
Today, I celebrate my 47th trip around the sun, and I wanted to share a moment with you: this growing, diverse grassroots community. You have supported me the last eight years serving as State Senator and now in this race for Commissioner of Public Lands, and I cannot thank you enough.
For my 47th birthday, can you give a gift of $47 today? Thank you to everyone who chipped in, big and small, before our March deadline; however, we are still behind financially. If 47 people can donate $47 to help me celebrate, we can start April strong!
The intersections of my identity and my life’s work combined beautifully as we celebrate and honor pioneers in the labor movement and within the Department of Natural Resources. On Sunday, we celebrated the work of César E. Chávez, a Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist, who along with Dolores Huerta, co-founded what we know now as the United Farm Workers labor union. UFW is where I got my start organizing and is deeply rooted in my family and culture. Latinos, along with Indigenous siblings, have stewarded our land for life-giving resources and continue to provide people across the country with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sunday also marked the death anniversary of Jennifer Belcher, the first woman to serve as Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands. Jennifer left a legacy that continues to impact how we steward our lands today. She stood up to protect wildlife habitat and fought for new ways to protect our state forests. She stepped into a department that was, and continues to be, dominated by white men and faced many challenges as she pushed the boundaries of what the Public Lands Commissioner stands for. Jennifer posed a real threat to the hold big timber has always had on DNR, and she faced it by standing strong in her values.
My life’s work and those who have inspired me and countless others to commit to standing with all peoples put me in the strongest position to serve you as Public Lands Commissioner with a clear vision: people-first stewardship.
This race is about my deepest passion–connecting the people of Washington to their own power to face the most pressing needs of our state: a changing climate, growing inequality, and hopelessness. I’m a fighter. I’ve seen my father fight his own battle with cancer and win; I’ve fought and continue to fight cancer and know first-hand that Washington State can do better. Washingtonians deserve someone who is going to fight to heal and protect these lands and all who call this place home. I do have ambition that the place I love and the people I care so deeply about can together do hard things because I have seen us do it. Please consider supporting my campaign today.
Adelante,
Team Rebecca Saldaña (D)
PO Box 20776
Seattle, WA 98102
United States