Benton County Democratic Central Committee

Friends –

It’s with so much gratitude to you — my community, supporters, family, friends, and team — that I am suspending my campaign to become Washington State’s next Commissioner of Public Lands (CPL). 

I decided to run for CPL because I care so deeply about this beautiful place I get to call home. I believe that our greatest resources are the people of Washington. I was called and recruited by environmentalists who know me and know my work — which held the “grand bargain” together in the state senate and gave Washington the Climate Commitment Act, the Healthy Environment for All Act, the Clean Fuels policy, Move Ahead Washington and revenue to support natural climate solutions and clean energy investments.

I know that when we center racial, social, environmental, and economic justice and create organized space for the voices of historically and presently excluded communities — we can find innovative solutions that expand what is possible for all of us. I want to uplift endorsements from organizations and labor unions that truly act on their values, including the Latino Victory Fund, Progreso: Latino Progress, Washington CAN, OneAmerica Votes, Washington Machinists Council, and Win With Women. I wholly believe I am still the best candidate in the CPL race to take on the Republican candidate, win, and govern for long-term success. However, I had cancer, underwent six months of chemotherapy while serving all Washingtonians in the state legislature, and faced a three-month fundraising freeze. These hurdles impacted our campaign in finances only. I’ve never felt stronger or more clear-headed about my priorities and mission. At the end of the day, money in the hands of too few people continues to undermine representative democracy in Washington.

It doesn’t matter who is the next CPL: If we don’t beat the initiatives on the ballot, we won’t have the revenue to fight climate change with natural climate solutions. Motivating people to participate in an unraveling democracy that continues to overlook people of color, Tribal Nations, and other overburdened communities in favor of the status quo is a tall ask. People’s livelihoods depend on us taking bold, fearless action; and it’s discouraging that despite our work, we have to fight twice as hard and still not get the support our communities need in the face of a climate crisis. So, I will be the leader who will put my ego aside to focus on what I believe is most important right now:

• My health and well-being: giving my body the time to celebrate and recover from overcoming cancer and completing chemo;
• Leading the Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus Kennedy Fund and partnering to defend voting rights and a truly representative democracy;
• Defeating the initiatives — with No’s on I-2109, I-2117, and I-2124 — and being part of the state legislature that will hold the next CPL, corporations, and big timber accountable.

What I’ve heard from campaigning across the state is people are frustrated. Frustrated by the lack of investments in community organizations doing wildfire resilience and preparedness work as we face worsening wildfires; by not having access to clean groundwater as communities across Yakima County continue to have water contaminated by “forever chemicals”; by a lack of support in the office of Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which has found themselves beholden to big monied interests; and so much more. The work ahead of us all is intersectional, and DNR needs a leader who can take on those challenges with integrity. 

Whoever is elected to the office of CPL needs to

• Elevate the Environmental Justice Director and Tribal Relations Director to the executive level to successfully exert their full authority to manage our natural resources for the public benefit of all Washingtonians;
• Run a campaign centered in community and putting resources back into community, so CPL has more accountability to people who work the land and build the public support necessary to resist and stand up to big timber;
• Run a campaign that does not take immigrants, Tribal Nations, Eastern Washington, and Central Washington communities for granted;
• Run a campaign that inspires people to vote no on the initiatives and yes for a future that includes them;
• Remove barriers to grants, including the application process, delays, and unreasonable expectations of small community organizations;
• Be a collaborative leader who will partner with other state agencies, and not be an impediment to climate-based science and common sense implementation.

The future of our state’s natural resources has national and global impacts. Out-of-control wildfires, heat waves, and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic have reminded us all that every one of us depends on each other and Mother Earth. Modernizing and right-sizing our relationship with one another and our land is essential to strengthen and preserve our natural resources and environment for the wealth, health, and well-being of Washingtonians today and for the generations to come. 

I will continue to take my work to the next level to have a bigger impact on building an environmental justice-centered, clean-fueled, and fairer economy that supports healthy communities, including holding the next CPL accountable. I will strengthen my rootedness in community by connecting deeper with Tribal Nations, people across our state, and Washington’s beautiful lands, forests, and waters. These times require a theologian turned organizer, an intuitive person, a community builder, and someone who will listen and advocate for the needs of all Washingtonians; I will continue to be that leader.

Adelante,

Team Rebecca Saldaña (D)

PO Box 20776
Seattle, WA 98102
United States

I’m Wellesley Daniels— No on 2117’s new Campaign Manager. I decided to join the team because I can think of no fight more important or exciting than this one. An unprecedented coalition of environmental and business leaders, Tribal nations, labor unions, and community organizations from across the state are coming together to fight I-2117 and its rollback of protections for our air and water, forests and farmlands, jobs and transportation system. 

The early support we’ve received is unprecedented. We just filed our latest report with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), and we’re proud to already have raised $4.8 million from over 1,000 grassroots donors. And we haven’t even launched our campaign yet. 

Meanwhile, Let’s Go Washington — the group funding I-2117 — is already millions of dollars in debt, to one man. A conservative megadonor, who moved to Washington to avoid paying taxes, gave a $4.6 million loan to the organization to get his pet initiatives on the ballot. His name is Brian Heywood, but we prefer The Seattle Times’ moniker, “Tim Eyman with a gigantic bank account.”

There’s more good news: Concerned Taxpayers for Washington — a conservative group funded by Brian Heywood, the same Republican megadonor funding this year’s slate of extremist ballot initiatives — polled a conservative-leaning sample of voters on I-2117. They used language painting the initiative in the best possible light, and received support from only 53% of Washingtonians. And that’s before any spending on our side to explain I-2117’s devastating consequences and costs for workers, families, and communities. 

This poll isn’t the first sign of trouble for Heywood and I-2117. Previously released public opinion research showed when voters read the actual ballot question, only 40% support repeal. As a general rule, backers of an initiative want to start with at least 60% support. Neither of these surveys gets them there.  

If approved, I-2117 would cut billions in investments in key projects and programs in every county in the state. It would mean cuts to:

• Programs that lower costs for Washingtonians
• Clean air and water
• Forest health, land management, and preventing wildfires
• Transportation investments, putting transit service, ferries, and road projects all at risk
• Programs that support Tribal nations
• Programs for farmland and agricultural producers
• Programs that protect fish habitat and support salmon recovery

We’re gearing up to launch this campaign very soon — be on the lookout for more info. And feel free to reach out with any questions.

For more coverage of the battle on the ballot, check out the clips below.

Wellesley

E&E News: “Cash rolls in for campaign to protect Washington state carbon market”

“Money is pouring into the campaign to defeat a Washington ballot measure that would repeal the state’s new carbon market, with supporters of the climate program now holding a large financial edge over their opponents. The effort to stop ballot initiative 2117 has raised $2.5 million, Washington state data released Monday shows. The campaign holds $920,000 cash on hand, according to its latest filing last month. Meanwhile, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, which funded voter signature collections to get the measure on the ballot, had just $69 on hand in July, the last time the group has filed a spending report. It opposes the state carbon market because of the program’s cost, including a fleeting period last summer when Washington gasoline prices soared to the highest levels in the nation.”

The Peninsula Daily News: “Port Townsend awarded grants for urban forestry”

“DNR is allocating $8 million statewide to plant trees, remove invasive species and work to improve tree canopy cover in urban areas using funds from the state Climate Commitment Act and the federal Inflation Reduction Act.”

The Kitsap Sun: “Sunday bus expansion back on for June”

“The Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Silverdale routes were supposed to begin on March 10 as phase two of the Kitsap Transit’s Sunday bus plan, but were paused when its funding became uncertain due to a citizen initiative that could repeal the Legislature’s 2021 Climate Commitment Act. If the Act is repealed in November through Initiative 2117, Kitsap Transit would lose $5 million in funding, Kitsap Transit Executive Director John Clauson said. “We need to really figure out, if that is successful in November, how are we positioned to be able to deal with that loss of revenue,” Clauson said. “I didn’t want to start something that we would potentially be faced with rolling back. We didn’t have enough time to really determine that impact.”

KNKX: “New food forest will bring year-round foraging to Tacoma’s South End”

“The proposal was one of five in Tacoma that won big grants last week for urban forestry from the state Department of Natural Resources. The five grants total more than $1.3 million dollars, to improve tree equity and enhance urban tree canopy in the largest city in Pierce County….The money comes from a combination of federal and state funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.”

The Yakima Herald: Opinion: “GOP’s strategy tilts initiative debate in their favor”

“If Washington’s Republicans can come up with better solutions for statewide problems than the existing programs they’re hoping to harpoon with these three initiatives, then yes, it was a successful session for all of us. If not, then all they’ve done is cost us more money — and time.”

Crosscut: “WA’s carbon pricing system may fund $200M for new electric ferries”

“This year, the Washington State Ferries system has guaranteed money from the program to revamp two of its biggest ferries from purely diesel vessels to electric/diesel hybrids that would be more efficient and pollute less, said Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, at a briefing earlier this year. Additionally, there is a chance that the initial bidders this year might offer to convert three – instead of two – diesel ferries into hybrids. Liias said the cap-and-invest program could provide as much as an extra $200 million to ensure that a three-vessel overhaul contract could be signed, depending on what the final bids turn out to be. Washington’s cap-and-invest program, which raises money by limiting the amount of statewide emissions and selling extra capacity to fossil-fuel-burning companies, has been criticized by opponents who, debatably, link the program to increases in gas prices and utility rates. But the money raised also finances numerous climate change programs across the state that include building bike lanes, replacing old buses and ferries with new electric ones and other projects that mitigate the impact of pollution on local communities.”

The Seattle Times: “Brian Heywood’s dream would be a nightmare for WA’s economy”

“For Heywood — who elides his support for Trump — the question isn’t merely what he’s against but what constructive policies he favors. For Heywood and other self-described conservatives, the difference between posturing and governing is immense. What do they want to conserve? Not the planet. Not Washington’s environmental quality. And not the needs of urban regions that provide most of Washington’s jobs, tax revenues and trade connections with the world. These include the Amtrak Cascades, abundant transit and well-funded public schools and universities, along with high-quality public spaces such as parks and hiking trails.”

The Seattle Times: “6 initiatives head to WA ballot with $6M support of Brian Heywood”

“Think Tim Eyman with a gigantic bank account….‘I don’t crave — I don’t need my name to be in the spotlight,’ Heywood said in a recent interview at his Redmond ranch.”

With Donald Trump being the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee, Washingtonians deserve to have an Attorney General who will stand up to whatever extremism Trump and his cronies attempt to throw our way. Before we get any further, will you chip in today to support Nick, a proven defender of our democracy and freedom? 

Trump’s record shows just how dangerous of a threat he is even to states like Washington that have worked hard to be champions of democracy, equality, and personal freedoms. He is proud of the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade, and he’s continued to dehumanize migrants and spread election conspiracy theories. 

Trump’s agenda is being pushed by extremists across all levels of government. Nick is the only person in this race who has what it takes to protect Washingtonians from this extremism. 

As general counsel to Governor Jay Inslee, Nick stood up to Donald Trump’s early attacks on our rights, including his hateful Muslim ban in 2017. And as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, Nick’s office took extremism and hate crimes head-on. 

As Attorney General, Nick will be committed and ready to fight any repressive forces that threaten our democracy or attempt to turn back progress on gender, race, and equality for all communities. 

Will you make a contribution of $10 or more today to help grow Nick’s people-powered campaign and ensure he’s fighting to protect all Washingtonians as your next Attorney General?

Thank you for stepping up today! 

— Team Nick

Nick Brown for Attorney General
401 2nd Ave S STE 303
Seattle, WA 98104
United States

INFO@NICKBROWNFORAG.COM

What if we told you that every purchase from the Official Biden-Harris store helps defeat Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans?

It’s true! Every penny goes to strengthening the Biden-Harris campaign and holding the GOP accountable ahead of November’s election.

What better way to take a stand against Republicans than with these Biden-Harris Mug Boxes:

Get your American-made, union-printed mugs (in our custom collector’s edition box!) today and say no to Republican extremism with every sip of your morning coffee…it’s a package deal!

Happy shopping,
Biden-Harris Merch Team

+We sincerely thank you for your help and support.

By now you’ve heard that the Arizona Supreme Court has upheld a pre-statehood law from more than 100 years ago which makes abortion illegal in nearly all circumstances.

This decision is disastrous, and it will jeopardize the health and lives of Arizonans.

Ben, every time a conservative-led court or state government enacts abortion restrictions or a ban, it becomes more dangerous to access reproductive care in our country.

This isn’t how health care should work.

The only way to ensure we can protect reproductive care across the nation is to protect and expand our majority in the Senate, flip the House and re-elect President Biden. Will you donate $10 right now so we can fight back against abortion bans by building a pro-choice majority?

What we’re seeing in Arizona is another example of extremist conservatives doing everything in their power to dismantle abortion rights. They won’t stop until they achieve a nationwide ban.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, I have worked with my Democratic colleagues to introduce legislation to mitigate the impact of these dangerous changes on reproductive care. From shielding health care providers to protecting personal reproductive health data to fighting for access to medication abortion – I am not backing down.

This is the fight of our generation. We can’t lose.

Will you donate $10, $20, or whatever you can today to help secure a pro-choice majority who will defend access to reproductive care to all Americans?

Thank you for always standing with me on this –

Maria

FIRST: Yesterday, a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge ruled that Washington’s public safety law to ban the sale of high capacity magazines is unconstitutional. 

THEN: We immediately filed an emergency motion to the State Supreme Court to keep this life-saving law in effect. Good news! The court granted our request so the law will stay in place while our case proceeds.

NOW: I will continue to defend this public safety law in court. Banning the sale of high-capacity magazines is essential to addressing mass shootings in our communities. Courts across the country agree — it is also constitutional. 

Matt, I won’t stop fighting to stop gun violence and protect our communities — no matter how much it angers the gun lobby. But the harder we fight back, the more determined they’ll be to outspend our campaign for Governor. The gun lobby has an ally in our opponent, anti-choice Republican Dave Reichert. Reichert opposes the bans on the sale of high capacity magazines and assault weapons.

Dave Reichert lacks the political courage to stand up to the gun lobby. The stakes in this race are clear. If you care about preserving these important public safety measures, please make a donation today.

The story of this law begins in 2016, when a gunman opened fire at a house party of young people in Mukilteo. Using a military-style assault rifle and a high-capacity magazine, the shooter took the lives of three individuals and injured others.

I met with parents impacted by this tragedy and promised I would do everything I could to honor their loved ones with meaningful gun safety reform.

I proposed two bills: a ban on the sale of assault weapons and a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines. These proposals went nowhere for years—but we did not quit. We persisted until these bills finally became law over the last two legislative sessions.

The sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and assault weapons are banned in Washington state — and we’re going to keep it that way. 

We will defend the law against every court challenge. We will keep our communities safe, no matter what it takes.

Thank you,

Bob Ferguson

Email us: info@electbobferguson.com

BOB FERGUSON FOR GOVERNOR (D)
PO Box 22169 Seattle, WA 98122

Instead of working to find common ground as we defend our future from the climate crisis, right-wing megadonors are lying about climate change and fighting to upend existing climate laws.

We can’t ignore the threat they pose. They have the funds to make their initiative, which will dismantle our climate progress and allow for more pollution, a reality. We must build a strong campaign to vote NO on 2117 to protect our landmark Climate Commitment Act and defend the foundation we’ve built for future progress. Can you support our efforts?

The Climate Commitment Act set Washington state on the right track. We’re a national and global model for decarbonization and clean energy.

Now, it’s time to accelerate the transition to reduce pollutants and support all workers and communities through that transition. We can do this – but first, we need to stop right-wing interests from dragging us backward.

Chip in to help build the grassroots power we need to beat those trying to overturn our climate law. We must defend what we’ve accomplished and fight even harder for the future.

Together,

NO on 2117

We’ve got a quick request on this Monday afternoon.

Can you take a few moments to fill out a quick survey about the issues that matter most to you this month?

Nick’s favorite part of the campaign trail is hearing from Washingtonians from all walks of life about what is most important to them, their families, and their communities. Whether Nick is chatting with someone about medication abortion access, addressing the climate crisis, or solutions to gun violence and crime, he doesn’t want to miss a beat.

That’s why we’re asking you to complete this short survey. Because Nick can’t meet with each and every one of you — even though he’d like to! — hearing your honest opinions about your priorities for Washington state is critical to him.

With less than four months to go until Nick’s primary, your response is more crucial than ever. Let Nick know what matters most to you by taking our April Issues Survey — it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!

— Team Nick

Nick Brown for Attorney General
401 2nd Ave S STE 303
Seattle, WA 98104
United States

INFO@NICKBROWNFORAG.COM

We sincerely thank you for your help and support.