I would like to invite you to a Citizen’s Legislative Workshop on Dec. 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Richland Public Library, located at 955 Northgate Dr., Richland, WA.
Join me and Washington State 8th District Representatives Stephanie Barnard and April Connors to learn to how to navigate the legislative process.
I feel that empowering our community through active participation and engagement is the cornerstone of a thriving democracy. At the Dec. 7 legislative workshop, we will focus on breaking down barriers and opening pathways for every constituent in the 8th Legislative District to have their voice heard. Together, we can enhance our collective understanding, encourage meaningful involvement, and ensure that every vote is not just counted, but also counts towards shaping a brighter, more inclusive future for us all.
I hope all of you were able to relax and recharge with the people who matter to you most during this past Thanksgiving week. I was very grateful to have some time to reflect on what has been an incredible year for me personally, and for our Party. Thank you to each and every one of you for believing in our work as Democrats, and the continued importance of supporting terrific candidates and helping ensure they have what it takes to win, lead, and build a better future for the people of Washington State.
As 2023 comes to a close, it is of critical importance that we all take time to remember what we are fighting for and why we choose to be Democrats every single day. We are the Party of democracy, the Party of choice, the Party of working people, the Party of equitable access to healthcare and education, the Party of environmental preservation, and so much more.
I hope you will take some time this month to charge up your Democratic batteries – both by reaffirming your belief in our work, and getting some much needed rest. We all need to be ready to hit the ground running come January and we will be able to accomplish so much more together if we use the time we have now to take care of ourselves and make sure we’re bright eyed and raring to go next year!
Thank you as always for all you do – we have a truly remarkable Democratic team statewide and I’m so glad you’re on board!
Now that December is here, we wanted to follow-up about the WA Dems Holiday Party on 12/12. We are pleased to announce that Attorney General Bob Ferguson will be joining us as a featured speaker!
WA Democrats Holiday PartyTuesday, December 12th4:30pm Sponsor Reception | 5:30pm Main Event1932 1st Ave, Seattle, WA
Thanks so much – we hope you will be able to join us!
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024
Many folks have raised concerns about a recent poll from our friends at the Northwest Progressive Institute that shows Republican Dave Reichert slightly ahead of AG Bob Ferguson in a gubernatorial matchup. First of all I encourage everyone to take a look at the content of the poll and NPI’s analysis as there’s some great information there that is very helpful for understanding the current landscape and the environment we are heading into next year.
Secondly, I want to encourage people to take this information with a boulder-sized grain of salt – but also to recognize that the race for WA Governor could be very competitive and we cannot take anything for granted heading into 2024. The single most important thing we can do to ensure we hold the Governor’s office is to show up and execute the critical GOTV work needed to get our candidate over the finish line.
This strategy has worked for the last 40 years, and there’s no reason it won’t work in 2024, but it counts on each and every one of us doing our part. Whether that’s door-knocking, donating, making phone calls, helping with voter registration and protection, or any number of other democracy-fueling activities – we all need to show up. That’s how we’ve won before, and it’s how we’ll win in 2024.
Murray negotiated and secured passage of bipartisan SUPPORT Act in 2018 as top Democrat on Senate HELP Committee; Bipartisan Promoting Maternal and Child Health Through Substance Use Prevention Act would reauthorize portion of legislation dealing with post- and prenatal health
After pandemic-era freight congestion clogged NW ports, Cantwell wrote provision creating Multimodal Freight Office & secured its inclusion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
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Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!
With gratitude,
Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington State Democratic Party
The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now.
Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!
Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States
I would like to invite you to a Citizen’s Legislative Workshop on Dec. 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Richland Public Library, located at 955 Northgate Dr., Richland, WA.
Join me and Washington State 8th District Representatives Stephanie Barnard and April Connors to learn to how to navigate the legislative process.
I feel that empowering our community through active participation and engagement is the cornerstone of a thriving democracy. At the Dec. 7 legislative workshop, we will focus on breaking down barriers and opening pathways for every constituent in the 8th Legislative District to have their voice heard. Together, we can enhance our collective understanding, encourage meaningful involvement, and ensure that every vote is not just counted, but also counts towards shaping a brighter, more inclusive future for us all.
The legislative delegation. From left, Veronica Machado, principal; Amy Phillips, president, Pasco SD board of directors; Michelle Whitney, superintendent; Raul Sital, assistant superintendent, operations; Steven Clark, Integrus Architects, Assn for Learning Environments (A4LE); Sen. Boehnke; Mitch Denning, WAMOA consultant; Kyle Lepper, LPR Architecture, American Institute of Architects (AIAWA). Not shown, Carla Lobas, assistant superintendent, instructional services; Josh Collop, manager, maintenance and custodial; Anna Tennsmeyer, director, public affairs, and Kevin Hebdon, executive director, fiscal services.
The focal point of this insightful tour was Pasco High School, an institution with a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1952. Over the years, Pasco High School has undergone transformative modernizations, notably expanding crucial areas such as the library, science facilities, and English classrooms.
One noteworthy addition to the school is a transitional chemistry class tailored for English Language Learners, showcasing a commitment to inclusive education. The student mall has also undergone a remarkable expansion, providing a picturesque setting for students to enjoy their breakfast and lunch.
Adjacent to the mall stands the PHS Credit Union, a unique establishment staffed by certified educators and credit union professionals. This innovative initiative, founded in the 1980s, stands as the first high school credit union in the region, enabling students to manage their finances and engage in activities such as car loans.
The legislative delegation extended their visit beyond Pasco High School, encompassing Livingston Elementary and Stevens Middle School. The Booth Education Service Center served as a platform for a presentation on Markham Elementary School and McGee Elementary Schools, rounding out a comprehensive overview of the educational landscape.
The legislative delegation. From left, Raul Sital, assistant superintendent, operations; Amy Phillips, president, Pasco SD board of directors; Sen. Boehnke; Michelle Whitney, superintendent; Mitch Denning, WAMOA consultant; Julia Dudley, principal; Steven Clark, Integrus Architects, Assn for Learning Environments (A4LE) representative; Kyle Lepper, LPR Architecture, American Institute of Architects (AIAWA) representative; and Josh Collop, manager, maintenance and custodial. Not shown are Kevin Hebdon, executive director, fiscal services; and Carla Lobos, assistant superintendent, instructional services.
During the legislative school tour, Sen. Boehnke also visited McLoughlin Middle School, home to 1,100 students in grades 6-8. Despite its origins dating back to 1983, the school is slated for renovation in a 2027 bond issue, attesting to the district’s dedication to modernization. The local tax rates, with the EPO levy at $1.78 per $1,000 assessed valuation and the bond at $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, reflect the community’s investment in education.
Emphasizing the paramount importance of school safety, the legislative group witnessed firsthand the excellent school climate prevalent in all the visited institutions. Both the high school and middle school boast security measures such as vestibules at their main entrances, comprehensive camera systems, and the presence of a full-time School Resource Officer, all contributing to effective student safety.
McLoughlin Middle School, in particular, stands out for its expansive wood shop and the provision of vocational courses in the STEM lab and Family and Consumer Science program. The school’s spacious gym facilitates multiple physical education activities simultaneously, and the large cafeteria accommodates breakfast and three school lunch periods. Looking ahead, the district envisions further growth, with plans in the 2027 bond to expand the school site by approximately 112,000 square feet on available land.
Boehnke visits Stevens Middle School
On Oct. 30, 2023, Sen. Boehnke visited Ms. Bobiles class at Stevens Middle School in Pasco. He was there to talk about introducing and bringing forward the Blueberry Bill this next 2024 session. The Blueberry Bill was drafted this past session 2023, but was too late to get a hearing when it was brought to his attention.
Ms. Bobiles sent Sen. Boehnke a letter last session about making the blueberry the State Berry. This letter led to the drafting of SB 5762, which was sent to the State Government Committee, but was too late to get a hearing in 2023. Sen. Boehnke expects the bill to gain more traction during the next legislative session.
My Opinion | Tri City Herald | Oct. 1, 2023
We can’t hide from COVID learning loss. Republicans want to face it head-on
Less than a month into the new school year, students, parents, and teachers clearly are still dealing with the ramifications of pandemic policies that closed in-person classrooms and caused significant learning loss among Washington students.
For lawmakers, the learning-loss issue goes beyond a critical challenge. It represents a moral imperative that cannot and should not be ignored.
The recent release of two studies painted drastically different pictures of the situation.
On Sept. 8, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released data from the 2023 state assessment. The agency’s spin on learning-loss recovery is rosy. It claims students have recovered in math in “nearly all grades,” with the case being similar for elementary students in English language arts.
The report does contain a significant caveat, warning that “engagement, attendance, grades, and classroom-based assignments and tests provide more detailed, timely, and useful information about individual students’ progress to their families and educators.”
A more helpful analysis comes from a report entitled “Student Achievement and the Pandemic: Analysis of Test Scores, Earnings, and Recovery Interventions,” published this month by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy – an Olympia-based public-research group created by the Legislature, with a bipartisan board.
WSIPP analyzed how student math and English language arts achievement changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and found average math and ELA test scores were lower in 2022 than average scores before the pandemic. Math scores plummeted even more. The most shocking decline occurred in middle-school grades and among female students, students of color, and low-income students.
This level of learning loss is projected to equal a $32,000 decrease in future earnings per student – an even more significant blow to those who can least afford another obstacle to success.
The WSIPP report points to a system still in flux, where harm from learning loss is still being felt profoundly and in a way that disproportionately affects some students.
As a lawmaker, it is my job to listen, then look for common-sense solutions. I am especially focused on education, as it is vital to the economic well-being of our state and also designated by Washington’s constitution as state government’s paramount duty.
Continued attempts by Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal to minimize the damage done to our children during the pandemic are alarming and tone-deaf. Parents have every right to expect our state’s policymakers and education leaders to take this issue seriously and help students recover.
So what can we do? The WSIPP study recommends immediate steps to address this learning loss, primarily by increasing the availability of tutoring, summer-school programs, and “double-dose” classes, in which students struggling to reach academic standards attend two class periods in a subject matter, instead of one.
This approach is in line with that of Senate Republicans. Throughout the 2023 legislative session, Republicans pushed to devote state and federal funds to address learning loss through intense, focused tutoring and rigorous extended-learning programs. We advocated for creating Student Academic Achievement Grants to target learning loss, with funds for tutoring and comprehensive learning programs. We also suggested extending the school year by five days to provide additional in-class instructional time.
Unfortunately, the Democrat majority failed to act on Senate Bill 5248, sponsored by Senate Republican leader John Braun, which would have implemented these ideas. It also turned down his measure (SB 5511) to put more funding toward increasing education equity and learning recovery among all Washington students, regardless of race or ZIP code.
When we return to Olympia in January, I will introduce legislation to increase tutoring opportunities, instruction time, workforce development, and apprenticeship opportunities, as well as reduce barriers for low-income and minority communities.
It’s a mistake to sugarcoat the situation like OSPI is. Or refuse to act, like the Democrat majority has. Without a comprehensive approach to addressing this learning loss crisis, our children will be failed a second time. They deserve better.
Sen. Matt Boehnke represents the 8th Legislative District and is lead professor of the cybersecurity division at Columbia Basin College.
In the news | Seattle Times | Oct. 17, 2023
Hydrogen is the next green thing for WA
The Biden administration recently announced funding for seven hydrogen production hubs across the country. One of them is in the Pacific Northwest. Washington, Oregon and Montana will receive up to $1 billion for eight hydrogen projects, half of them in Washington.
On Oct. 17, the Seattle Times Editorial Board wrote an editorial on the growing green energy sector – hydrogen. Read the editorial here.
Cultivate Washington launches
Washington State Senate Republicans released a pro-agriculture agenda on Nov. 14 for the 2024 legislative session. The agenda will address overregulation, farm closures, water rights, and other issues that threaten Washington’s agricultural industry, the heritage of rural communities and the food supply.
Each sponsor of the agenda is either a farmer or is personally entrenched in the agriculture community, providing lifelong firsthand experience and knowledge lacked by some decision makers. As the legislative session approaches, the Senators and their colleagues will draft legislation to satisfy the priorities of “Cultivate Washington.”
These priorities include:
Reducing the regulatory burden on farming operations while balancing the interests of farmworkers
Ease the pain of high fuel costs
Promote new opportunities for the state to support small- and mid-sized farms
Continue work toward a reliable supply of water for crops and farm housing
Seek a balance between the needs of wildlife and the needs of farming operations
Work toward a renewed public appreciation for agriculture
First – I wanted to let you know that we will be closing our office next week in celebration of Thanksgiving and to give our team a well deserved break to rest and recharge after a successful election cycle and in advance of 2024! Whether you are traveling far, or staying right here in Washington State we want to wish you a happy and restful Thanksgiving with friends, family, and the people you care about most. 2024 will be a sprint and it’s important we all charge our batteries now so we can be ready to support Democrats at every level!
Second – With over 99% of ballots counted, we are very close to having a final picture of this year’s results – and we wanted to walk you through outcomes for our most closely watched races.
A few words on turnout. At this point we are showing a statewide turnout of 36.13% which will trend slightly higher when all is said and done. While not the record breaking turnout we aim for every cycle, this is solid performance for an odd-numbered year and tracks closely with the past several election cycles. With that being said, we need to pick up the pace heading into 2024 and are doing all we can to launch a robust and effective turnout program statewide!
Here’s where results stand in major elections – we’ve noted where races have been called, as well as results we expect will hold:
In Spokane – I’m pleased to announce that Lisa Brown has won with 51.7% of the vote and will be the next Mayor of Spokane and the first Democrat to hold that seat since 2011! Betsy Wilkerson, Paul Dillon, and Kitty Klitzke have also secured strong victories. Every vote matters!
In Pierce County – We’re so excited that Jamika Scott and Olgy Diaz (former WA Dems staff) have secured victory on the Tacoma City Council!
In Snohomish County – Susanna Johnson has defeated her MAGA opponent in the Sheriff’s race, with 51.5% of total votes
In SW Washington – Most of our targeted Democratic candidates have won handily, with Democratic stalwart Don Orange bringing in a particularly strong 68.9% in his race for re-election for Port of Vancouver. Democratic enthusiasm is alive and well in Clark County and we are ready to utilize every ounce of momentum in next year’s contest for CD 3!
In Central WA – while we were unable to carry the Yakima City Council for Democrats, we have two bright spots in Sunnyside, where Keren Vazquez and Julie Hart are winning by 153 and 121 votes respectively. While this may not sound like much, races in this city frequently come down to margins in the single digits – these are huge victories for our Democrats!
In Walla Walla – WA Dems Party leader Jeff Robinson handily won his race for City Council, bringing in 51.8% of the vote.
In Prosser – Dems are leading in all competitive races and look poised for big victories citywide!
In Whatcom County – It was a great day for Democrats, with young voters showing up in droves to support our candidates (30% of voters 18-24 turned out, double the state average). Notably, Sheriff-elect Donnell “Tank” Tanksley won with a strong 51.9% of the vote over his conservative opponent. We anticipate some of 2024’s tightest races will be up in Whatcom, and we are gearing up for success!
And on School Boards Statewide – We beat back nearly all school board candidates endorsed by extremist hate group Moms for Liberty, showing that Washington voters of all stripes want to keep the far right out of our classrooms.
All in all – this election was a rousing success for Democrats in Washington State and we’re thrilled with what we have accomplished.
Thank you for everything each of you did to lead us to victory in so many critical races. We never could have gotten here without massive investments of time, money, energy, and commitment from Democrats statewide and we can’t overstate how grateful we are to have such a strong team across Washington State!
We have so much to be proud of this November, but 2023 is just the beginning and we need to remain vigilant and energetic, with our eyes locked firmly on the prizes we must win in 2024. And so, we hope you will join us in kicking off the next year with a bang at our Holiday Party on December 12th!
WA Democrats Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 12th
4:30pm Sponsor Reception | 5:30pm Main Event
1932 1st Ave, Seattle, WA
Tickets
$30 – General Admission | $55 – VIP
Individual Sponsors
$100 – Grassroots Sponsor (1 VIP Ticket + Special Recognition)
$250 – Grassroots Champion (2 VIP Tickets + Special Recognition)
Thanks so much – we hope you will be able to join us!
NEXT STEPS AND TIMELY ACTION
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, and calendar rapidly filling up with holiday travel and activity we ask that you carve out some time to take one or more of the following actions in support of our statewide mission:
lease consider investing now to help us make key organizing hires and hit the ground running in 2024! Early organizing allows us to maximize our voter contacts statewide and can make all the difference in the tightest races! The easiest way to give is online here
Sign up to volunteer now – we need to build a talented roster of volunteers statewide to execute GOTV at a massive scale come election season. It’s “all hands on deck” next year and we would love to have you on board!
If you’re not already involved, please reach out to your local Party organization, get on their contact list, and attend a meeting if you can! Local Parties are the best source of on-the-ground, timely action opportunities to support our candidates and are critical to sharing our message with voters statewide and leading terrific candidates to victory!
Thanks again so very much for your support and continued engagement. We accomplished so much this year and we’re on track to do so much more in 2024!
Your investment and energy is the lifeblood of our Party and our work. We hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving with friends and family next week and we look forward to reconnecting with you later this month!
With many Republicans refusing to back more government spending, Democrats supplied the bulk of the votes for the speaker’s bill to extend federal funding through early 2024.
On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 786, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02), Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Tony Gonzales (TX-23) that would add Mount Vernon as a court location in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington by voice vote.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA, 9th) today introduced the Pre-Apprenticeship Wrap-Around Support Services Fund Act, which would help fund transportation, housing, and childcare stipends, pay for lost hourly wages, and cover certification costs for those enrolled in pre-apprenticeships.
With gratitude,
Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington State Democratic Party
The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now.
Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!
Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States
Hello Democrats and happy Friday of Election Week!
While we’re still watching final results come in here in Washington State, I want to take a moment to celebrate what a tremendous week this has been for Democrats across the U.S. We fought back and won against the toxic influence of Republicans and achieved historic victories nationwide thanks to hard work and perseverance!
In Ohio – voters fought back against last year’s catastrophic Dobbs decision by overwhelmingly voting to codify the right to choose in their state constitution.
In Virginia – Democrats won back control of the House of Delegates and held onto their narrow majority in the State Senate – a firm referendum on the rightward shift seen since their tremendous victories in 2020. Now Glenn Youngkin has to govern with a Democratic State Legislature!
In New Jersey, Republicans came out of the gate thinking they had an opportunity to gain ground and Democrats beat them at every single juncture, expanding strong legislative majorities and perhaps most notably, flipping the deep red 30th District, which Donald Trump won by 35% in 2020.
In PA – Voters in Philadelphia elected Democrat Cherelle Parker to the Mayor’s office, the first black woman to ever hold the role.
In RI – Gabe Amo won his race for Congress, becoming the first African American elected to the House from Rhode Island. Gabe is a fellow Obama alum, former colleague, and dear friend!
In MS – the Governor’s race may not have panned out as we hoped, but voters did elect Fabian Nelson to the legislature. He will be the first openly gay man to serve in Jackson and surely not the last (now LA is the only state that has never elected an openly gay legislator – we’ll work tirelessly to ensure they get with the program soon)!
And in VA – Danica Roem, who made history as the first trans legislator elected in the United States when she won office in 2017, won her race to be the nation’s second trans state Senator, following in the path Sarah McBroom paved in Delaware in 2020.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg – the Democratic enthusiasm we’re seeing in Washington State and across the country is truly off the charts and I’ve never been prouder to be a Democrat than I am today.
I also wanted to deliver a resounding thank you to 6th CD Congressman Derek Kilmer, who announced yesterday he will not be running for re-election in 2024, for his years of tremendous service to the people of Washington State and to our Party.
We wish Congressman Kilmer all the best in his next chapter – we will miss him tremendously, and you can be sure we will work tirelessly to ensure our eventual Democratic nominee wins in CD 6!
Hello Democrats and happy Friday!
Can you believe we are just 4 days out from Election Day? That means we have just over 100 hours left to do everything in our power to get out the Democratic vote statewide.
ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
Now that we’re a few days past the General Election, it’s a great time to assess where we stand in many of the most critical races statewide.
At this point in the game, we don’t expect any more major ballot drops, which means most of the results here should hold. With that being said, more votes will be counted in the days to come and we will be back in touch with further updates and analysis once final results are certified later this month.
As of now, we’re looking at a total voter turnout of 31.3% and projecting final turnout closer to 40% or a bit higher. This puts us roughly on pace with where we were in 2019 and 2021, meaning voter engagement has held steady cycle to cycle.
In terms of actual results, we haven’t seen a ton of change since election night. That said, we did want to provide a quick summary of notable races:
In Spokane – Lisa Brown and Betsy Wilkerson still hold strong leads of 51.3% and 52.8% in their races for Mayor and City Council president! Kitty Klitzke and Paul Dillon have commanding leads of 59.4% and 53.3% respectively too, suggesting likely paths to victory. Lindsey Shaw is still down substantially and looks unlikely to carry the day.
In Pierce County – Jamie Smith still faces an uphill battle, holding 44.8% of the vote, but it’s not over until it’s over and we are working hard to make sure every vote is counted! We’re so excited that Jamika Scott and Olgy Diaz (former WA Dems staff) have secured victory on the Tacoma City Council!
In Snohomish County – Susanna Johnson appears poised for victory over her MAGA opponent in the Sheriff’s race, with 51.5% of total votes
In SW Washington – Most of our targeted Democratic candidates are coming up ahead in school board and other municipal elections, with Democratic stalwart Don Orange bringing in a particularly strong 68.8% in his race for re-election for Port of Vancouver. Democratic enthusiasm is alive and well in Clark County and we are ready to utilize every ounce of momentum in next year’s contest for CD 3!
And In Central WA – the fight for Yakima City Council is looking like a tough one for Dulce Gutierrez who is currently down substantially, but in Sunnyside we have two bright spots with Keren Vazquez and Julie Hart both ahead by over 100 votes. While this may not sound like much, races in this city frequently come down to margins in the single digits – these are huge victories for our Democrats!
At the end of the day we’re proud to say that most of our Democratic candidates are holding fast. We’ll keep you apprised of any major changes, but we think we have a solid picture of where races are landing across Washington.
Once more – I want to say a massive thank you to every single person who helped get out the vote leading up to election day. Whether you helped friends and family complete and turn in their ballots, made calls in support of terrific candidates, or pounded the pavement and knocked on doors to ensure every vote was counted, your work made a huge difference and we couldn’t have achieved what we did without you!
WORKING FOR WASHINGTON
I was so excited to join the Spokane County Democrats for Election Night this past Tuesday – they sure know how to put on a Party! I was so inspired to see hundreds of Democrats show up and bring the excitement and energy for soon-to-be mayor (I hope we can drop the “soon-to-be” ASAP) Lisa Brown and so many other great Democrats!
I’ll be taking a short break from most statewide travel for the remainder of the year – to rest and recharge in advance of what is sure to be a packed 2024. But I look forward to visiting Democrats everywhere in Washington next year. Chances are, I’ll be at a meeting near you in the coming months, so keep an eye on your local party’s calendar!
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection to a second term Tuesday, notching another significant statewide victory in an increasingly red state that could serve as a model for other Democrats on how to thrive politically heading into next year’s defining presidential election.
The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now.
Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!
Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States
Can you believe we are just 4 days out from Election Day? That means we have just over 100 hours left to do everything in our power to get out the Democratic vote statewide.
Want to know how you can make the biggest impact for Democratic candidates between now and next Tuesday? Please consider taking one or more of the following three actions:
First and foremost, if you haven’t done so already, PLEASE VOTE (find a drop box near you using this link). If, for any reason, there is an issue with your ballot, we can help you correct it and get your vote counted – call our voter hotline for any concerns at 206-309-VOTE. And please do make certain your friends and family VOTE too – again, we need every vote this cycle. Help us! Use social media, dinnertime conversations, whatever it takes to make certain that folks know they need to vote!
Please reach out to your local Democratic Party organization and sign up for at least one GOTV-focused activity between now and Election Day. Democrats will be knocking doors, making calls, and sending texts across Washington State this weekend and we need all hands on deck!
Last, but not least, please consider one more donation to support last-minute GOTV pushes in key turf statewide. We are still investing in targeted voter contact efforts in our closest races and any support you can provide will help us reach even more low-propensity, likely Democratic individuals. The best way to donate is online here.
We need your help in this critical final sprint and we can’t miss any opportunity to help push our candidates across the finish line!
Thank you for standing with us, today and every day. Below, we wanted to share some information we thought you would find helpful and informative in advance of Election Day.
TARGET RACES
We are working hard to support hundreds of Democratic candidates running for local office statewide – but we wanted to share details on a few races we’re watching especially closely:
In Spokane – the largest Washington city with a Republican Mayor, Democrat Lisa Brown could flip the city’s top office back to blue! She finished the Primary with a nearly 9% advantage over her Republican incumbent opponent (and associate of accused domestic terrorist and white nationalist Matt Shea) Nadine Woodward. This is our top opportunity in 2023 and we won’t stop until we win!
We’re also pulling hard for Betsy Wilkerson in her race for Council President (she also finished the Primary with a strong advantage over her opponents) and Democrats Lindsey Shaw, Paul Dillon, and Kitty Klitzke!
In Central Washington — Yakima and Sunnyside have county and municipal races that routinely come down to one hundred or fewer votes and we are working tirelessly to engage a diverse community of voters and ensure Democrats win. We’re especially focused on the competition to maintain our narrow Democratic majority on the Yakima City Council where union leader Dulce Gutierrez (who won her primary by only 7 votes) must carry the day! We also can’t afford to leave a single vote on the table in Sunnyside, where Democrat Keren Vazquez finished the primary election just 21 votes ahead and needs all the help we can give!
In Southwest Washington — We have key Port Commission and School Board races that we must win in order to get out the Democratic vote early and often and help ensure we can hold CD 3 next year!
In Pierce County — Jamie Smith could flip a red seat blue by defeating incumbent Paul Herrera, widening our narrow Democratic majority on the County Council!
And in Snohomish County – we’re fighting hard for Susanna Johnson who’s running for Sheriff to unseat far-right incumbent Adam Fortney and reaffirm a commitment to fairness and justice in Washington’s third largest county!
And this barely scratches the surface of the long list of critical local races we’re fighting hard for in 2023! Tuesday’s Election is a tremendous opportunity to make our Democratic power resonate statewide and send the message loud and clear that when people vote, Democrats win.
Please join us in making sure we don’t leave a single Democratic vote on the table!
Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez is a breath of fresh air in Washington, D.C. She is a working-class mom who understands the struggles that her constituents face.
The work we do today wins elections tomorrow. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now.
Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!
Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States
Paste link into browser or click heading to go to meeting.
Reminder [CD 3: Let’s hear from a winner] [CD 4: Different strategy for Eastern v Central Washington?] [CD 5: This is us!] [CD 1,2,6,7,8,9,10: My, there a lot of you -need advice]
Better Practices Ann Marie Danimus is running for Congress in CD 5. Meet her. Hear her ideas. Give her advice. Learn her election plan. Talk policy. Share campaign stories.
Carmela Conroy, Spokane County chair, is also running in CD 5. Meet Carmela in the new year.
Don 31 October 2023
Policy Briefing 6:30 pm Thursday 16 November Climate Change, Insurance and Reinsurance David Forte Senior Property and Casualty Advisor Insurance Commission
Paste link into browser or click heading to go to meeting.
Manage Risk? …Mitigate
Climate change is real, and the insurers are early to know just how expensive it can be to fix the damage. The problem is straight forward: Risk of property damage from natural catastrophe is increasing. And ultimately it is us who pays. The answer is not for the insurance commissioner somehow to make someone else pay or to make the climate-induced risk go away. One answer, though, is straight forward – mitigate the risk.
Mitigation may actually be one way to make the risk go away. Wildfire is an important climate-accelerated risk for us in Washington state. Lightning from an extreme weather event may spark ignition. Strong dry wind working on drought-stressed vegetation will speed a fire’s spread. These factors are not unique to climate change but climate change increases their coincidence and spikes their amplitude. Dave Forte, our presenter last Thursday, knows all this. He knows, too, that mitigation works to reduce the risk of fire to property. It is his business to know.
Severe wildfire certainly happens but the damage to homes, shops and barns depends on how well the owner is able to “harden” their property. This is familiar territory. A lot of us are familiar with Fire Wise programs from their local fire departments, county emergency services, conservation districts, or DNR. Usually what is offered is information. .
Fire Wise is public policy light. There is a community feel to it because the message is delivered at neighborhood meetings. Uptake is voluntary, though, and your success may depend on what your neighbor does. Dave was insistent that we need a community approach. He used that language.
We did talk about several “heavier” public policies. Paying contractors directly to harden property in exposed zones can increase program effectiveness. Building codes for the wildland-urban interface (WUI) could require building design and materials to resist ignition. Land-use planning changes could discourage WUI residences. Washington State this year did pass disaster resilience legislation (HB 1728) but handicapped it by housing it in Washington State Military Department, Emergency Management Division which lacks the tools and culture to work with individuals. There is that community approach again.
David did report to us on the specific question of whether Washington State property owners are being denied insurance. The short answer is “no”. We are not seeing the same problems as California.
In the event that Washington property owners are denied insurance the Insurance Commission can refer applicants to Washington Fair, a reinsurance plan financed by all licensed insurance companies in the state. Currently, WA Fair covers 130 properties and, of these, only a minority are the consequence of a natural disaster.
Let me know if you would like a link to the recording. There is much more to David’s presentation.
Don 20 November 2023
Reinsurance: Backstop drooping?
Reinsurance is what makes the (insurance) world go around. Primary insurance writers go to re-insurers to hedge the risks that keep them up at night. And what might that be? Well, climate change. Climate change pushes up the amplitude of natural catastrophes, moves them around to unsuspecting regions, and simply makes more of them. Nat CAT (natural catastrophes) translate rather directly into losses for home owners, businesses, and farmers who turn to their insurance agents to make them whole, or mostly so, after a flood, fire, wind.
The fickleness and power of climate-induced natural catastrophes throws a curve at risk modeling and the hedging of those risks. The whole system works pretty smoothly when risks are predictable: property owners pay premiums, primary insurers off-loan a portion of their liability to reinsurers just in case, and reinsurers go to the financial markets to invest their share and get extra cash when needed.
Natural catastrophes stress the system and nothing stresses like wildfires east and west of the Cascades or summer flooding in Nova Scotia or sudden hurricanes in Acapulco. The smooth system of premiums paid and risk shared is shaken. It is too much. Losses exceed the pile of money stocked up to cover. The system responds by increasing the price of sharing risk and, in some cases, backing out of issuing insurance at all.
What can we do to insure against Nat CAT risk? The underlying problem is that our property losses exceed our ability to pay. What role do we want for our elected governments and just what can they do to make risk go away? Or at least make hedging our risk affordable?
Don 8 November
Uncertain about Climate Change? Ask your Insurance Agent
Last evening, I asked our guest, Ann Marie Danimus, about how to persuade a climate skeptic that climate change is real. She said, “Ask a farmer.” She added, “and ask your insurance agent” (or words to that effect). The point is that our economy is adjusting to the risks of floods and drought, wind and fire. Professional managers are hedging their bets faster – and more air-tight – than most of us. And insurance companies are densely populated with professional managers. That leaves the rest of us playing catch up.
Where are we now? Are we in rural Washington finding it more difficult to insure our homes, shops and farms? Are our premiums simply higher to reflect the increased risk of wildfire, or rising sea levels? How does our economy work to hedge the enormous risks of a disruptive climate? Is there anything we can do?
Questions. We may not have the answers but the Insurance Commission can give us information and context.
Don 3 November 2023
Climate Change, Insurance and Reinsurance
It is reported that Allstate and State Farm have stopped writing new insurance policies in California. Climate change – and insurance losses – are the culprits. Wildfires and floods are causing major losses of property.
November’s policy briefing informs us on an emerging issue. We will look at the incidence of property insurance pull back in Washington. Is it currently a fact or just a fear? Either way, climate change poses serious challenges to the viability of the insurance and reinsurance industry. You may at first yawn at the prospect of a profit squeeze on the insurance industry. Remind yourself, though, about how your bank manages its risk by requiring you to provide proof of property insurance to back up your mortgage.
Our economy works on allocating risk, and typically risk allocation replicates the distribution of political power. The vulnerable ultimately bear more than their share of risk, whether paid in dollars or not.
In the State of Washington, the vulnerable have a champion, The Insurance Commission. Staff from the Insurance Commission will help us understand how climate change feeds pretty much directly through to private homeowners and our ability to manage our own risk. Along the way, they will assess what role the state can play in helping us buffer the financial consequences of fires and floods in our neighborhoods.
So, our goals are to get a report on whether insurance denial is happening in Washington and, if not now, when. We will learn about insurance and reinsurance and why climate change (heat, rain, fire, flood) is challenging these fundaments of our economy. And we will learn to what extent state policy (Insurance Commission, Legislature) can buffer the financial burden of climate change for rural home and business owners.
Happy Halloween.
Don 31 October 2023
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2023.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2023.
Encourage your Democratic friends and family to do the same – make sure they know ballots in WA are postage paid (no stamp required) and be sure to share that link to dropbox locations!
Reach out to your local Democratic Party organization and sign up for at least one GOTV-focused activity between now and Election Day.
Without everyone on board, we risk leaving valuable votes and victories on the table – I hope you will help us maximize our opportunities statewide!
I’m thrilled to say I’ll be hitting the road for GOTV (Get Out The Vote) events across Washington almost every day between now and November 7th and I look forward to seeing many of you out in the field!
Thanks for all you do – let’s finish this year strong and start ramping up for 2024!
WORKING FOR WASHINGTON
Last Friday, we were proud to celebrate our first ever AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) Celebration and Gala! We wanted to bid a huge thank you to the 250+ terrific Democrats (including 40+ of our amazing elected officials) who attended and made the night a huge success!
I also wanted to wish a personal, special thanks to our speakers, sponsors, and co-hosts, without whom this event would have never been possible!
As the first Asian American woman to lead a major State Party in the contiguous U.S., I was especially proud to convene this celebration – and build power and community for this critical constituency of our Democratic big tent! I can’t stress enough how much it meant to me and how excited I am to see how we can scale up these efforts and build an even bigger, more impactful celebration in 2024!
More than 100 House Democrats are marking the anniversary of the nation’s landmark water law with a push to restore wetlands protections in the aftermath of a landmark Supreme Court decision.
Planned Parenthood recognized the Honorable Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA 10th District), recipient of the Congressional Champion of Reproductive Health.
Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!
With gratitude,
Chair Shasti Conrad
Washington State Democratic Party
The work we do today wins elections this November. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now.
Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!
Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States
Police Blotter, Obituaries, and Letters to the Editor
Hyperlocal does it. Colleen Smith (The Islands’ Sounder) and Michelle Nedved (The Miner) explained what it takes to make a local newspaper a success…hyperlocal plus a lot of hard work. Hyperlocal means not just the police blotter and obituaries. It means the relationships behind them. A local paper is a community paper. The people responsible for the papers (Michelle and Colleen) meet their readers and advertisers on the street, in the grocery store, and in the local café. They are your neighbors and they know where you live.
Sometimes they meet in the courtroom. Because that, too, means being part of the community. Sometimes people are not happy with you. Litigation aside, Colleen lives and works in an accepting community where her private views jive pretty well with the community. Michelle, though, is in a community that can be tough politically. This is not all bad. It reinforces honesty and accountability. Here, again, hyperlocal comes into play. Many of the issues of local concern, even when controversial, do not fall along party lines. Much of local government can be technical and not easily politicized, and the genuinely divisive issues in the community may divide neighbors in ways unrelated to party.
Hyperlocal can fray along the edges. Michelle talked about the West Bonner school district across the river in Idaho that is imploding. We have seen the politicization of the Dayton Library and of about everything else in Columbia County. More and more decisions that we assigned professionals in the past are being subjected to a political test. This is not a naïve questioning of the status quo but studied efforts to control the political agenda.
Responsible local papers such as The Miner and the Islands’ Sounder stand in the path of these challenges to community. These attempts to seize control and impose choices on citizens do, indeed, challenge the community. These local papers dampen the waves of populism by standing up for community values of truth-telling. They have confidence in their communities and that confidence is reflected back. Michelle pointed to an old-fashioned habit that a story is not credited until it is printed in the paper.
We talked about “truth” and how our society is schooling itself away from science, “logical empiricism”, scrutiny and analysis, and our older generations’ other ways of distinguishing fact from fiction. There are no easy answers of how to respond to deeply-felt fiction. Colleen during COVID actually resorted to fact checking LTE’s. She would insert correcting data in a box above a published letter asserting mistruths. Michelle has made the occasional tough choice of not printing LTE’s that cross the line.
When asked whether “potholes” or “big issues” moved their readers, Colleen and Michelle agreed that potholes drive elections. Nothing, actually, could be more encouraging for the health of democracy.
We talked about community. Only incidentally did we talk about how local newspapers are crucial to upholding the constitution. The grand political role ascribed to local newspapers comes as a consequence of professional reporting of community affairs, with the emphasis on “community”. Hyperlocal.
The professional part is equally important. It relies on the integrity of people like Michelle and Colleen. We need to do everything we can to support their commitment to transparent and accountable reporting of the news. This leaves “transparent” and “accountable to whom” undefined. This is why Colleen and Michelle are so important.
As for future readers, comics are key. For many of us, our introduction to reading the newspaper were most often comics. The Miner is bringing back comics in January.
Don 20 October 2023
Newspapers – News Websites
From the same Washington Post editorial, “Compared to 2008 there are 34,000 fewer local newspaper journalists in the United States today. How many journalists are there for local news websites compared to 2008? Ca 10,000.”
Don 18 October 2023
Ask Someone Who Knows
“’There’s ‘probably more people trying to help the newspaper business than in the newspaper business.’” (Washington Post, 22 September 2023)
Let’s actually hear from people who know.
Don 16 October 2023
Rural Newspaper: Secret Sauce
Rural newspapers are the secret sauce to making our democracy work. Well, if that is the case, maybe we should know more about them. And maybe we should care more.
Usually, I try to spike your interest in advance of our policy briefings. I cite some data that are counter-intuitive. I pose hypotheticals that may pique your interest. I turn the politically correct into a straw man and light a match. You get the idea.
In the case of rural newspapers, you know everything you need to be engaged. Just think about it for a minute.
And then jot the time and date on your calendar. I am sure that Colleen and Michelle will politely listen to our solutions for saving democracy.
Don 10 October 2023
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2023.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2023.
Last evening’s conversation (Stop the Killing) was both passionate and respectful. I thank all you who elected to participate. Unfortunately, we were only a handful. That alone says something. My problem statement calling for redirecting of our policy from more effective gun control to robust social measures to stop the violence apparently does not resonate.
I had teased that we were obsessive not about guns but about making rural Washington competitive for Democrats. Even obsessions, though, have their limits. It is apparent that the personal and moral pain surrounding guns offsets our electoral ambitions. There are limits to how far we choose to compromise.
We had scant convergence last evening. People left the meeting with pretty much the same position they had when they joined the meeting. Several participants were pleased we were taking a fresh look at guns. Others rejected the idea, with passion.
Guns will continue to part of the conversation in rural Washington, with or without us. Will we engage that conversation anticipating necessary compromise to reach constructive agreement? Will we seek convergence? Some of us will; some of us will choose not to. Each choice is respected.
Don 6 October 2023
Addendum Suicide, Homicide, and Mass Killings
We all respond with horror to school shootings or killings in shopping malls or churches. We should. The victims are innocent, often children. They have done nothing to place themselves in harm’s way. Their daily routine is interrupted – forever. And we pay attention.
Nearly 50,000 people die by firearms each year. Too many. And too many die by their own hand with guns. Suicides account for 54 percent of deaths by firearm. Homicides are 43 percent. That leaves 3 percent who die by “active shooters” in mass killings.
Pistols – not rifles – are the firearm of choice in suicides, homicides, and active shooter events. The last category may surprise. The FBI reports that last year active shooters used more handguns than rifles.
So, handguns used in suicide and homicide should grab our attention more than active shooters and assault rifles. The opposite is true. Why? Drama makes a difference, of course. And active shootings are increasing. That makes a difference too.
A friend suggests that our heightened sensitivity to active shooter events also may have something to do with our sense that we should be able to manage our own risk of suicide and homicide, not perfectly but pretty much. With active shootings, all our notions of personal agency are violated. There is no rhyme or reason for why we survive or die. It is the perfect prescription for terror.
Obsessed?
Are we obsessed with guns? No. We are obsessed with making Democrats competitive in rural Washington.
We are about shifting the narrative on guns. Our candidates need this; our party needs this; our democracy needs this. “This” is re-making “gun control” into “stop the killing”.
This is part strategy. Democrats cannot be heard in rural Washington. Because we are distrusted on guns, we are shut out talking about women’s rights or equitable health care or Washington’s regressive tax structure. Democrats are shut out of talking about jobs because we are “soft” on guns. The strategy is to neutralize guns, take them away as a valence issue, an issue that divides us and them . The other part is policy. We cannot pretend to gain trust on firearms without making concessions. We have to internalize that our interest is to stop the killing, not remove firearms from American society. And we have to be careful about our language.
Policy around “stop the killing” is not just concession. There is opportunity. The opportunity is to build larger coalitions around the health of our communities. If we focus on the act and the actor, we in Washington need to invest in that actor, that person. Investing in the person means support for mental health therapy. It means early childhood intervention. It means building our families. It means investing in our communities. We can mobilize support for investing in our human resources around the reduction of violence. Even Democrats who resist a shift from removing guns to reducing violence, can welcome Republicans in advocating robust child and family programs.
Opening conversation about guns is a proxy for being worth talking to in rural Washington. Our candidates need this opportunity.
See you Thursday.
Don 1 October 2023
Stop the Killing – Start the Talk
Our next step? Conversation with “the other side.”
We left our last meeting a little unsure of what to do next in re-casting the “gun control” rhetoric into a “stop the killing” narrative, into a narrative that we rural Democrats can use to engage our neighbors. In retrospect, the answer was clear. We have to talk to someone from the gun community . Bob Bloch is from my home town. We graduated from Whitman College a year apart. We share friends, though we have not been in touch for some thirty years. And he has been active in the Walla Walla Gun Club since 1965. He is committed to firearm safety, and to firearms.
I would like to say that I had to work hard to get Bob to talk with us. Truth is, Bob wants to break down the divides as much as we do. He was an easy sale. I didn’t cheat though – Bob is not a ringer. Bob, rather, is the sort of skeptical citizen whose trust we eventually need to earn.
Bob concedes that the gun lobby has its crazies. Without quite conceding that we have crazies in our own ranks, we do come to this discussion with different viewpoints. Some of us reject guns wholesale, having seen gun violence first hand. Others of us are more comfortable with firearms, having been taught firearm safety early on by our fathers. Starting with a “stop the killing” objective, maybe we can approach common ground among ourselves, just as we explore common ground with Bob.
Join us next Thursday, 5 October. Bring your good humor along with your thoughts and values.
Don 27 September 2023
October Schedule
6:30 pm Thursday 5 October
Stop the Killing…Start the Talk Bob Bloch Walla Walla Gun Club
The State Party is spotlighting the constituency caucuses Friday evening at five o’clock. The Ag and Rural Caucus will have a table. Please come and join me at the table. We can use the time to chat among ourselves if traffic is light.
We will not have a formal session at the State Committee. We will try to squeeze in a social gathering.
I am working on a Better Practices program for 5 October. I will have more information later in the week.
Our Policy Series on 19 October takes up community newspapers, their role and viability.
Don 25 September 2023
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2023.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2023.
