The Urbanist Elections Committee expanded our scope in Pierce County this year, just in time for an exciting race for Pierce County Executive featuring urbanist Ryan Mello. Spoiler: We endorsed Mello. His leadership on a whole host of issues that touch not just Pierce County, but the whole region is truly exciting.
County executives in Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties are guaranteed a seat on the Sound Transit Board of Directors and get to appoint replacements to their respective county delegations on the board. All indications are Mello would be a great leader on the Sound Transit board, focused on transit outcomes and willing to creatively problem solve to overcome the inevitable hurdles that crop up when dealing with massive infrastructure projects. Mello has pushed the agency to invest in and accelerate bus rapid transit plans while Pierce County waits on a delayed Tacoma Dome Link light rail extension.
We’ve also endorsed a slate of leaders that can support Mello’s vision at the Pierce County Council. After a long run of Republican and Republican-lite leadership that has meant unchecked sprawl, divestment from transit, and cutting social services, Pierce County sorely needs an era of progress and investing in the future. The Urbanist’s 2024 slate offers that.
We have endorsements across the Puget Sound Region and in statewide races. It’s a politically fraught and anxious time, but we have singled out leaders that you can rely on to carry forward real solutions on housing, climate, transit, and economic justice. We can forge a better future by growing together and taking care of one another — not by burying our heads in the sand to ignore real problems and ripping each other apart over invented ones.
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The Urbanist’s 2024 Primary Slate Cheat Sheet
| Governor: No Endorsement | Seattle City Council 8: Alexis Mercedes Rinck |
| Attorney General: Nick Brown | LD01-1: Davina Duerr |
| Lands Commissioner: Patrick DePoe | LD05-1: Kristiana de Leon |
| 2nd Congressional District: No Endorsement | LD22 Senate: Jessica Bateman |
| 8th Congressional District: Imraan Siddiqi | LD34-1: Emily Alvarado |
| Pierce County Executive: Ryan Mello | LD34-2: Joe Fitzgibbon |
| Pierce County Council D2: Davida Haygood | LD36-1: Julia Reed |
| Pierce County Council D3: John Linboe | LD36-2: Liz Berry |
| Pierce County Council D6: Jani Hitchen | LD37-2: Chipalo Street |
| LD-27-2: Devin Rydel Kelly | LD38-1: Julio Cortez |
| LD27 Senate: Yasmin Trudeau | LD41-2: My-Linh Thai |
| LD29, Position 1: No Endorsement | LD43-1: Nicole Macri |
| LD29-2: Sharlett Mena | LD43-2: Shaun Scott |
| LD33-2: Mia Su-Ling Gregerson | LD45-2: Melissa Demyan |
| LD46-2: Darya Farivar |
Governor: No endorsement
Attorney General Bob Ferguson, the most substantial Democrat running for Governor, declined to participate in our endorsement process during the primary. We would have loved to talk to him, because we have concerns about his record on transit and urbanism, and perhaps he could put them to bed.
Ferguson launched his political career in 2003 by taking down King County Councilmember Cynthia Sullivan, a pioneering urbanist and Sound Transit supporter. Ferguson argued Sound Transit was out of control and mismanaged during his campaign, but hardly took a leadership role in addressing those issues in his three subsequent terms on county council.
As Attorney General, Ferguson defended Tim Eyman’s 2019 ballot initiative, which gutted transit funding, more vigorously than warranted. State law obligates attorney generals to defend citizen initiatives once they’ve passed, but they have discretion in the vigor and resources they pour into that defense. Ferguson boasted at the time that he was making his staff work over Thanksgiving to file an injunction seeking to ensure Eyman’s measure went into effect, despite a challenge that ultimately proved its unconstitutionality (due to the multiple subjects and misleading ballot title, which Attorney General Ferguson had approved). Eyman’s car tab measure would have put transportation budgets across the state into chaos, imperiling progress on transit and road safety.
Given the opportunity to speak with Ferguson about concerns like these prior to the general election endorsements, we might be able to get our endorsement pens out. But by skipping our process, all we can do is shrug, continue to have reservations about his transit stances, and comment on his opponents. Lucky for Ferguson, we were not impressed by the competition.
Mark Mullet made his name as a roadblock to progressive legislation in the state senate, and has big business support to animate an otherwise listless corpse of a campaign, which is polling in the low single digits. Mullet fought to expand highways (including a costly SR 18 expansion pet project), water down climate legislation, kill rent stabilization, and obstruct a capital gains tax while in office. That’s not a train we’re trying to board. His platform is short on viable solutions, with his homelessness policy centers around hiring more cops and criminalizing homeless people, which has not worked, even if you can get past the moral qualms. Mullet told us that he agreed with the recent Grants Pass Supreme Court ruling, permitting cities to sweep people sleeping outside without first offering shelter and services.
We do have to hand it to Mullet for talking to us, despite the criticism this publication leveled at him in the past. He was not afraid to speak his mind and tried to identify places where we do agree, albeit not with much success. For us, being the owner of the first Tesla in Washington state is not the flex he thinks it is. We’re looking for leaders who understand the importance of transit and breaking free of car dependency, but we’re struggling to find them in this race.
Andre Stackhouse is a young, idealistic Green party candidate, and much of his platform sounds promising. Universal health care, a housing guarantee, tuition-free college, and fare-free transit sound great in theory, but difficult to implement in practice. Stackhouse was not pleased with our initial writeup, arguing his extensive list of policy ideas deserved more attention, and clarifying he does not propose Cascadia secession, but more incremental political “sovereignty” steps, like a state public bank and increasing voter rights. Overall, we were looking for more than a laundry list of ideas and the swagger to trumpet them (and berate any election committees that may stand in the way). We were hoping to be inspired with faith in the candidate’s ability to effectuate his ideas — to no avail.
Fred Grant has volunteered at homeless shelters, but unfortunately this has not left him with a grasp of the issue, or apparently much compassion for people who are experiencing homelessness. Grant not only agreed with the Supreme Court on ramping up homeless sweeps (even without offering shelter first) but also provided muddled thoughts about drug use and forced treatment. He told us that he believes drug users should not go to jail, but something like a jail where they can’t leave and are forced into treatment. We’ll spend the rest of the election trying to figure that one out. Yikes.
- Bob Ferguson didn’t return a questionnaire.
- Mark Mullet Questionnaire
- Andre Stackhouse Questionnaire
- Fred Grant Questionnaire
Attorney General: Nick Brown
The role of Attorney General is a complicated one. The office oversees an array of civil litigation across a number of divisions, with mandates as wide-ranging (and sometimes seemingly contradictory) as defending the state prison system from Washingtonians with civil rights complaints and advancing affirmative civil rights litigation on behalf of Washingtonians. The right person for the role needs a variety of experience to grapple with this wide-ranging work. This is ultimately why The Urbanist chose to endorse Nick Brown.
While both candidates we considered for this role, Manka Dhingra and Nick Brown, have experience as prosecutors, Brown brings additional experience as a civil litigator with a variety of roles and perspectives, including recently serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington and as general counsel for Governor Jay Inslee. (Also, notably, a Survivor alum, which might not qualify one for office but is a fun fact.)
Both candidates had strong interviews. Dhingra had a particularly strong answer to how she would hold client agencies accountable, including the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Similarly, she explained that she would use her discretion so as to not defend a misleading Tim Eyman-style initiative that would kneecap Sound Transit as vigorously as Bob Ferguson did. (Dhingra later clarified that “as the people’s attorney, I will always ensure the integrity of the initiative process and the voice of the people are heard and defended.”) Meanwhile, Brown touted his plan to consolidate the workers’ rights work at the office into a Labor & Worker Rights Division. Both of their plans would contribute to building stronger, safer, healthier communities.
In the end, we determined that Brown’s breadth of experience, including executive branch background, made him the survivor. Vote Nick Brown.
Lands Commissioner: Patrick DePoe
The open lands commissioner seat drew a surprisingly broad field this year, with some big names, from Democratic King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove of Des Moines to Republican former US Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Clark County. Patrick DePoe stood out in our interviews as the most prepared leader with the clearest vision for managing state-owned lands, which at nearly 6 million acres account for about 13% of all land in Washington. Those state holdings include extensive forests and watersheds supporting threatened salmon runs.
DePoe, who is former vice chair of the Makah Tribe and the Department of Natural Resources’ current tribal relations director, had the clearest answers for how state land management could further forest health and salmon recovery, while also providing needed resources for local communities. DePoe’s run was inspired in part by a desire to carry the torch after the passing of Indigenous rights legend Billie Frank Jr., an activist and Nisqually Tribe leader who helped Pacific Northwest tribes secure fishing rights guaranteed in their treaties, but blatantly ignored by state officials for much of the 20th century.
Activism by Frank and others helped secure the 1974 Boldt decision from a federal judge, providing the tribes the right to co-manage fisheries and take 50% of the annual fish harvest. With the ruling, the state DNR went from a key actor in abusing tribal fishing rights and impoverishing Indigenous communities, to (eventually) a key actor in protecting those rights and co-managing fish runs. This history, recently recounted in the SIFF-screened 2024 documentary Fish Wars, should be required reading for Washingtonians, taught in school curriculum.
The further application of Indigenous treaty rights have pushed the state to improve environmental practices, such as removing road culverts that block fish runs. Likewise, adopting the Indigenous practice of controlled burns has improved the management of state forest lands in an era when wildfire risk is skyhigh. It’s clear that state ecosystems would be in worse shape without Indigenous leadership, but much work remains as a warming climate and the buildup of pollutants like toxic tire particles continue to hit salmon runs hard. Electing DePoe as lands commissioner would take the concept of co-management with Indigenous leaders to improve environmental stewardship and economic justice a step further.
Upthegrove has an impressive array of endorsements, including several major environmental groups, but he displayed less expertise specific to the job compared to DePoe. We were less convinced Upthegrove could effectively balance preservation goals with other goals around environmental justice and rural economic vitality.
With so many primary candidates, the general election dynamic is hard to predict. Herrera Beutler hopes to break the Washington GOP’s drought in winning statewide offices, which she could use as a springboard to higher office. However, conservative-leaning Democrat Kevin Van De Wege, a State Representative from Sequim, will also be vying for conservative votes. Likewise, DePoe and Upthegrove could split progressive and mainstream Democrat votes. Buoyed by his endorsement by the Seattle Times, we believe DePoe can unite a strong coalition to prevail in November and put his inspiring agenda into action.
2nd Congressional District: No Endorsement
The 2nd Congressional District needs a serious progressive challenger to long-time incumbent Rick Larsen, who has been a comfortable centrist and consistent vote for sending weapons to Israel for his 23 years in office. Larsen declined to participate in The Urbanist endorsement process. Unfortunately, none of the progressive challengers appear serious.
Jason Call has challenged Larsen twice before and finished a respectable 3rd place in the 2022 primary with 14.6% of the vote, but seems fully engrossed by his role as manager of Jill Stein’s presidential campaign, leaving much of the field work to his team. Call did vow to draw back from those responsibilities if he made it through the primary. While we appreciated his stance on fare-free mass transit to the rural areas of his district, Call unfortunately isn’t able to convey how he’d move beyond organizing to pursue his priorities as a legislator.
Devin Hermanson has some interesting policy proposals like a universal guaranteed income program but doesn’t demonstrate a firm grasp of the nuances of transportation and infrastructure needs for the district.
Lynnwood City Council Member Josh Binda bailed on his interview, and though his questionnaire answers were strong, he likely needs more time in his current position to become a serious challenger. We may revisit this race in our General Election endorsements, assuming a candidate clears the bar to win our endorsement.
8th Congressional District: Imraan Siddiqi
For the most part, The Urbanist’s focus is on domestic issues, but some global context is necessary to understand this race. Imraan Siddiqi’s platform centers on ending US financial support of Israel’s war on Gaza. We spoke to a number of candidates challenging warhawk incumbents but none articulated the connection between this stance and the domestic policy priorities for their district quite so well as Siddiqi. A civil rights leader and organizer, Siddiqi said he was inspired to challenge incumbent Kim Schrier due to her votes to censure Rep. Rashida Talib based on her expression of support for Palestinian freedom and to continue sending weapons to Israel.
But he’s not a single-issue candidate, and displayed strong urbanist credentials with firm support for transit, affordable housing, zoning reform, and reducing pollution. Siddiqi clearly explained how reimagining our foreign policy priorities might make federal funding possible for the infrastructure and social services we badly need right here in Washington. Siddiqi has put in the work to understand the specific and somewhat eccentric housing needs of the diverse cities in his district, which includes Issaquah, Granite Falls, and Leavenworth.
Siddiqi invited us to imagine what might be possible if our taxpayer dollars were spent building connected, equitable, and flourishing communities at home. We’re proud to endorse him to represent Washington’s 8th district.
Pierce County Executive: Ryan Mello
Voters in Pierce County have a golden opportunity to take their county leadership in a new direction, after eight years under Republican Bruce Dammeier. County Council Chair Ryan Mello is the perfect fit. During his time on both the county council and the Tacoma City Council, Mello has proven himself to be a dogged policy wonk who is willing to collaborate to get things done, while holding firm to a bold vision for a better South Sound.
We’re particularly excited that Mello would step in to fill Dammeier’s shoes on the Sound Transit board. In that role, Dammeier has regularly been a bad vote, both in kneecapping transit revenue and undermining the quality of service for riders. He has pushed for the agency to prioritize expensive structured parking over transit trips, argued that Sound Transit should ramp up punitive fare enforcement to bring in more revenue, and voted against a central transit hub in the Chinatown-International District.
Mello, particularly in his role on the Pierce Transit board and at the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), has been a transit champion, arguing against counterproductive regional road expansion projects and fighting to get Pierce County’s first bus rapid transit line completed, despite intense resistance from nearly all nearby levels of government.
Mello has also become a standout advocate for reversing Washington’s traffic safety crisis, an emergency that is felt even more acutely in Pierce County, home to some of the deadliest roads in the entire state, like State Route 7. At PSRC, Mello collaborated with other regional leaders to beef up the Regional Transportation Plan to actually get closer to meeting the moment when it comes to saving lives lost due to the design of our transportation system.
To say that Mello would be a breath of fresh air for leadership in Pierce County is an understatement. Vote Mello.
Pierce County Council District 2: Davida Haygood
Davida Haygood is passionate about making housing more affordable, empowering young people, and promoting economic justice. With her background as an educator and her active involvement with state legislators, she definitely brings the skills needed to be effective on the Pierce County Council. She’s committed to coming up with a smart plan for growth in unincorporated Pierce County, improving transportation, and approaching homelessness with kindness and impact. Haygood is a big supporter of creating more union jobs and promoting sustainable growth. Davida has a proven ability to build partnerships and make meaningful progress, which makes her the perfect candidate. We are excited about the leadership that Davida Haygood could bring to Pierce County Council, and we encourage you to vote for her.
Pierce County Council District 3: John Linboe
John Linboe is a standout candidate for Pierce County Commissioner Board District 3, Linboe is focused on empowering labor and economic opportunity, and his forward-thinking vision for transit that supports all Pierce County residents, both rural and urban, resonates with us. His big dream for a rail line that connects Tacoma and all the communities in between with the majesty of Mt. Tahoma made us swoon. Linboe pointed out effective transit systems can liberate rural residents and elders from being beholden to personal vehicles to get around.
With a diverse background in union machinist work, building, farming, and fire commissioning, John brings a wealth of hands-on experience and community leadership. His advocacy for thoughtful regional solutions to homelessness, robust renter protections, and sustainable development closely aligns with the goals of creating a vibrant and equitable Pierce County. We were struck by Linboe’s ability to convey much in few words, succinctly boiling down big issues and making them relatable. Linboe said more in two minutes than we’ve heard more loquacious, silver-tongued politicians say in whole speeches.
Linboe’s progressive populist platform centers on economic justice, comprehensive school funding, and transportation infrastructure underscores his dedication to improving the quality of life for all residents. Pierce County voters should support John Linboe for his visionary leadership and commitment to creating a thriving, inclusive community where everyone can prosper and perhaps someday be able to take the train to a trailhead.
Pierce County Council District 6: Jani Hitchen
Running for a second term on the County Council, Jani Hitchen impressed us with her views on economic justice and supporting students within Pierce County. A former educator who has worked in both the Clover Park and Bethel School Districts, Hitchen has creative ideas for better supporting military families, including addressing food insecurity and learning from youth-created care programs across the country. A supporter of increasing affordable housing, she believes that families should be able to live and thrive in the community they want to call home. Hitchen is an advocate for creating dense housing in accessible and transit-ruch parts of her district, and expressed the need for the County to work with federal partners to alleviate housing pressures on communities by creating more housing on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Hitchen is a down-to-earth, pragmatic candidate who is an excellent choice for urbanist voters. Our conversation with her felt both warm and deeply informative, as it is clear Councilmember Hitchen recognizes the needs of her constituents, while also understanding the steps she needs to take to work with a diversely aligned County Council. We enthusiastically endorse Hitchen for Council District 6.
Seattle City Council Seat 8: Alexis Mercedes Rinck
Some good news for urbanist Seattle voters: you only have one Seattle municipal election to pay attention to this cycle. The bad news is that the stakes of this one election are high. (But then again, when are they not?)
Quick review of what’s happening here. The citywide position 8 seat is currently held by Councilmember Tanya Woo, who lost her 2023 election to unseat Councilmember Tammy Morales, a champion for progressive revenue, social housing, and safe streets, and was instead appointed by the newly majority-centrist city council to fill an open seat. Woo, propelled onto the council by big corporate spenders, did not participate in our endorsement process this year. But her three primary challengers all did – Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Saunatina Sanchez, and Tariq Yusuf – and Rinck came to the fore.
There were elements of Sanchez’s and Yusuf’s approach to policymaking and values that the Committee appreciated. Sanchez in particular demonstrated an impressive grasp of the council’s current challenges and gave thoughtful answers in clear alignment with building safer, better-connected communities. And her organizing with the Transit Riders Union demonstrates a real commitment to these issues. But Rinck has the housing and homelessness policy expertise, the clear vision for a robust multi-modal transportation system, and – crucially – the ability to win this election and govern effectively that we’re looking for.
Rinck is uniquely experienced with building effective coalitions across disparate viewpoints and advancing broad solutions to our housing affordability challenges. She also articulated a clear need for and path toward progressive revenue options that adequately fund the city programs and development that Seattle needs. She’s ready to throw her weight behind an ambitious comprehensive plan that actually meets our city’s future housing requirements. And Rinck is prepared to bring pragmatic problem-solving to filling Seattle’s looming budget deficit, making the city safe and affordable, and doing the work of governing as directed by voters, not corporations. We need her experience, her vision, and her grit. Vote Alexis Mercedes Rinck.
Washington State Legislature
LD1, Position 1: Davina Duerr
Rep. Davina Duerr has been a stalwart vote on housing and climate issues and a real asset in the state house. She holds the distinction of being recognized in The Urbanist’s annual legislative hero roundup four straight years thanks to her tireless work on these issues. Some lawmakers are all talk, little action, but Duerr’s legislative successes show she is, in fact, a doer.
As an architect, she brings a depth of knowledge to housing policy, which has aided in drafting housing bills that are actionable and effective. She supports rent stabilization and a state income tax, seeing it as a way to lower the burden on low-income households and enact progressive tax reform.
With her background advocating with Bothellites for People-Oriented Places (BoPOP), Duerr has been fighting for urbanist causes for a long time — and grappling with how to calibrate those ideas to resonate with a suburban audience. That experience is invaluable in the legislature, where many lawmakers are not always well-versed in urbanism. The legislature is much better with Duerr in it.
LD5, Position 1: Kristiana de Leon
Kristiana de Leon’s journey to elected leadership began with a bold move — flipping a seat on the Black Diamond City Council from a white nationalist. Her infectious positive energy and commitment to listening to the community have made de Leon a standout candidate in LD 5 race with two strong pro-housing candidates. Both de Leon and Issaquah City Councilmember Victoria Hunt support progressive tax reform, rent stabilization, removing restrictions on transit-oriented development while mandating affordability, and fully funding public schools.
De Leon is an advocate for smart growth and improving transit to underserved outlying cities like Black Diamond, and contended that LD5 cities other than Issaquah often get overlooked. She aims to rectify that. As she seeks this role, de Leon embodies a fresh perspective and proactive approach to governance, aligned with urbanist values of inclusive urban development and sustainable transit solutions. Her time in local government has been marked by advocacy for affordable housing, equitable education, and environmental sustainability, where she has consistently partnered with Futurewise. We also hold Hunt in high regard, and appreciate her vote to increase housing in Central Issaquah. However, the Elections Committee unanimously leaned toward endorsing de Leon.
LD5 voters should support Kristiana de Leon for her proven ability to catalyze change and her unwavering dedication to creating a more livable and equitable community.
LD22, Senate: Jessica Bateman
Electing Jessica Bateman to the state senate is a slam dunk in our book. Before Bateman came around, statewide housing action had long been stalled out. To her credit, Bateman united a strong coalition that passed a spate of major housing wins during her time in the state house, highlighted by her signature statewide missing middle zoning legislation, House Bill 1110. Those wins earned her the distinction as top hero billing in The Urbanist’s 2023 legislative recap.
By moving over to the Senate, Bateman aims to continue building on her wins. High on the list would be passing the transit-oriented development (TOD) bill that eluded the legislature the last two sessions. Having another housing coalition ringleader to pair with Trudeau could help put several housing bills over the top in the Senate, including the TOD bill. Bateman also has a builders’ remedy bill that could ensure more accountability from local jurisdictions that look for loopholes and race to the bottom to produce the least new housing. She has also been a stalwart vote on progressive tax reform, rent stabilization, labor protections, education funding, and just about every progressive cause that comes her way. Vote Jessica Bateman.
LD27, Senate: Yasmin Trudeau
Sen. Yasmin Trudeau has been a progressive leader and powerhouse of a housing champion and deserves another term. She supported the push to end exclusionary zoning and promote denser sustainable housing in transit-rich areas and has been leading the charge on the rent stabilization bill in the Senate. Trudueau introduced a transit-oriented development bill that mandated the inclusion of affordable housing, and supported the 2023 version without an affordability mandate. “There are pros and cons to each,” Trudeau told us. “But it is imperative that we proceed with that intention in mind. I am a part of these ongoing policy discussions because we have a lot of development potential around transit but I also need to be sure, based on the experiences of communities like mine, that we are not adding to the displacement of current lower income residents.”
Trudeau has been an advocate for increasing police accountability and advancing upstream solutions to public safety. She noted she has family members who are disabled and some who prefer not to drive, so she understands the need for improving transit and multimodal options at a personal level. This is a no-brainer. Vote Yasmin Trudeau.
LD27, Position 2: Devin Rydel Kelly
Devin Rydel Kelly is a progressive running against incumbent Representative Jake Fey, a career politician and chair of the House Transportation Committee. Fey is a car-centric, middle-of-the-road politician who has pushed highway expansion over wiser, climate-friendly investments. Rydel Kelly seeks to bring a fresh approach, prioritizing middle housing, transit, and community-centered activism. Rydel Kelly experienced housing instability as a child and turned to grassroots activism in college. He supported the Tacoma Tenant Bill of Rights and believes the legislature has an obligation to remove housing barriers by enacting rent stabilization and creating a department of housing at the state level.
It will be a tough race to defeat a 12-year incumbent, but Rydel Kelly is the answer many Tacoma urbanists have been asking for. He is strongly aligned with progressive tax reform, which he believes is a fix for our current regressive and racist tax structure. Rydel Kelly believes we need a state-income tax and is actively campaigning against rollbacks to the capital gains and climate tax provisions. He has diverse ideas for transit alternatives, including bus rapid transit and rail. We are excited about the fresh perspective Rydel Kelly brings to this race, and hope he can help advocate in Olympia on behalf of Tacoma’s urbanist voters.
LD28, State Senate: T’wina Nobles
Senator T’wina Nobles is up for re-election and deserves a second term. Nobles quickly became a legend after unseating Republican Steve O’Ban in 2020, and solidifying Democratic majorities in the Washington State Senate, clearing the way for major wins like the Climate Commitment Act, the capital gains tax, and greater investment in affordable housing. Nobles’ extensive background as a community leader, educator, University Place School Board director, head of the Tacoma Urban League and co-founder of the Black Future Co-op Fund, demonstrates her deep commitment to inclusivity and economic justice. Her advocacy for educational equity, support for small businesses, and personal experiences deeply inform her policy perspectives and dedication to community service.
As a renter herself, Nobles understands the need for removing barriers to homeownership as well as creating protections for renters. She has co-sponsored urbanist legislation including rent-stabilization and even-year election bills and continues to advocate for progressive tax reforms in our state. In Senator T’wina Nobles, we see a leader who envisions a better future with vibrant, equitable communities and actively works towards making it a reality for all Washingtonians. Vote Nobles.
LD29, Position 1: No Endorsement
Unfortunately, in the 29th District’s Position 1 race, both candidates we interviewed fell flat. Richard Miller is running as a Democrat and community advocate. He holds the endorsements of some heavy hitters in Pierce County including the Franklin-Pierce School Board President, as well as members of the Tacoma City Council and the Pierce County Young Democrats. However, his responses to our questionnaire were lackluster at best. We worry that Miller does not have more than a surface level understanding of most urbanist issues, let alone any issue for that matter. Miller’s credentials don’t stand up against the incumbent in the race, Representative Melanie Morgan.
However, we found our interview with Morgan to be even more concerning. She was first elected in 2018, defeating a serial harasser in the height of the Me Too Movement. While she brings a lot of perspective to the table, sharing her experience with homelessness and being a military veteran, it was abundantly clear that Morgan has yet to understand the dangers of holding the kind of power one gets as an elected official. Morgan has come under fire for two separate ethics investigations regarding her mistreatment of legislative staff since taking office. These complaints concern us, and they have cost her access to staff at the State Capitol.
When we asked for Morgan’s response to these mistreatment claims, she used the time to skirt accountability, blaming the hiring process of staff and the inability for new employees to get the hang of working the legislative session. We agree with Morgan that due to structural racism, systems in place often villainize women of color like Morgan. But this does not mean anyone – including Morgan – is above the responsibility of respecting her staff, the backbone of legislation in Olympia, and responding to allegations thoughtfully rather than lashing out defensively.
As the interview wore on, we grew concerned about Morgan’s policy platform. Throwing a staffer who filled out her questionnaire under the bus, she clarified in her interview that she does not support a state income tax, despite backing it in our questionnaire. She claimed a state income tax would make the state tax code (already ranked one of the most regressive in the nation) even more regressive, which doesn’t add up for us. The wealthy clearly pay more under an income tax, particularly a progressive one. She also expressed opposition to approving even-year elections. Her reasoning again fell back on (dare we say) selfish reasons, as even-year elections would not allow her to run for school board again, a position she would like to hold in tandem with her title as state legislator. Morgan claimed this change would be viewed as a “conspiracy” by Black voters in her district. We wish we had a better answer for the 29th district, but unfortunately, we don’t.
LD29 Position 2: Sharlett Mena
Rep. Sharlett Mena has had an impressive first term. As Vice-Chair of the Environment & Energy Committee, many of her wins focus on environmental justice, including banning dangerous chemicals from personal care products, aiming to prevent microplastics from getting into our water, and protecting communities from utility cutoffs during extreme heat events. Mena came to the legislature as a voting rights advocate and has continued to fight for fair elections and equitable representation. Further, her top priorities for her next term are rent stabilization and transit-oriented development – and we could not agree more. The legislature is a better place with her in it. Vote for Mena.
LD33-2: Mia Su-Ling Gregerson
Rep. Mia Gregerson told us she’s all for building the bridges connecting local and legislative government so that we can start really addressing “housing affordability, wealth building, and efficient use of tax dollars” with a multifaceted approach, and we are all in. She has been a leader on housing and homelessness, and we also appreciated her introducing even year elections reform in the last few sessions. She’s unabashedly for implementing a state income tax and other forms of progressive tax reform. On transit she recommends that we should be spending more of our transportation budget on alternatives to cars. She is critical of criminalizing poverty, supports rent stabilization, backs reducing transit fares, and overall she’s been a great progressive voice. Vote Mia Gregerson.
LD34, Position 1: Emily Alvarado
During her first two sessions in the legislature, Rep. Alvarado has punched well above her weight class as a first-term legislator. She took the lead in the House on a bill that would finally repeal Washington’s antediluvian “jaywalking” laws, introduced numerous bills dealing with the minutiae of affordable housing production, and spearheaded the chamber’s ambitious rent stabilization and tenant’s rights bill, HB 2114, that ultimately died in the State Senate. With significant turnover coming to the Senate next year, we’re hopeful that Alvarado will be right back at it next year, fighting for tenants and affordable housing. Vote Alvardo.
LD34, Position 2: Joe Fitzgibbon
House Majority leader Joe Fitzgibbon continues to be a reliable leader on climate, housing affordability, and transportation – all of the core urbanist policy issues. His only challenger is a Republican Precinct Committee Officer who really loves fracked gas. In contrast, Fitzgibbon was a key negotiator in major climate legislation that holds big polluters accountable to the costs they offload onto society and future generations. Endorsing Fitzgibbon is an easy call and we hope that if voters give him another term, we’ll see the realization of his hope that rent stabilization (he was a co-sponsor of HB2114 in 2023) could come to pass in the next session.
LD36, Position 1: Julia Reed
Representative Julia Reed is an e-bike commuter and verified urbanista who has quickly hit her stride in her first term. She was unafraid to call out the lack of Democratic support that caused the failure of the missing middle housing bill before she arrived in the House. Pressure against holdouts finally breached the dam holding back statewide zoning reform in 2023. Since taking office, she has kept up that energy as one of the most active and forthright legislators, who is not afraid to reveal what is happening to stall bills and why. Reed keeps a close eye on policy implementation, and she has criticized Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s bare minimum approach to the missing middle reform she helped pass and attended a rally pushing the City of Seattle to go further to expand housing opportunities.
As lead sponsor, Reed shepherded a transit-oriented development bill, and aims to get the bill over the top in her next term. She knows that the key to safe communities is uplifting those in need through housing, social services, and care. When asked about her priorities next session, she said “rent stabilization and passing the transit-oriented development bill. But I also want to work on increased accountability for implementation of housing reform laws, speed up permit times, manage local fees, and eventually establish a Department of Housing for the state.” We’re thrilled to keep working with her on these priorities next session. Vote Julia Reed!
LD36, Position 2: Liz Berry
Two-term Representative Liz Berry is a powerhouse who has done a fabulous job representing the 36th District by introducing major progressive legislation. Berry has backed the progressive tax reform efforts led by Senator Noel Frame, signing on to legislation for wealth tax and guaranteed basic income. She has passed critical protections for ridehailing drivers. Plus, she serves on the transportation committee and helped broker multimodal improvements to the Move Ahead Washington that included $50 million to improve safety on crash-prone Aurora Avenue in North Seattle.
We are delighted to support her for re-election this year and as Chair of the House Labor Committee we love that her strong labor credentials will continue to build bridges between the urbanist and labor movements that are beneficial to both. She also has an opponent who did not fill out our questionnaire this year, but last year was diametrically opposed to our values. Vote Liz Berry!
LD37, Position 2: Chipalo Street
We admit: when we first met Rep. Chipalo Street in our endorsement interviews during his first run in 2022 and found out he was a landlord? Some of us were sus. But in the last two years, Street has proven to be a dogged champion of ambitious renter protections like essential rent stabilization policy and has shown no signs of relenting. In his first term, he brought a sharpened understanding of creative ways in which to boost housing production, and he has used that expertise to deliver. Street pushed to make the state’s real estate excise tax more progressive to establish a stronger recurring stream of revenue to build affordable housing. Overall, this one’s an easy choice. We look forward to Street’s second term.
LD38, Position 1: Julio Cortez
Incumbent Julio Cortez has shown real enthusiasm for the work of legislating. Cortez’s support for progressive revenue sources and co-sponsorship of rent stabilization bill HB 2114 are just a few of the highlights from his policy priorities. He’s served one term and we’re eager to see what he can do with a second.
His primary opponent, Annie Fitzgerald, also impressed us with her support for progressive priorities like increased transit funding, Universal Health Care, and Universal Guaranteed Income. Fitzgerald, a disability rights activist and a person with disabilities, also emphasized the importance of accessibility in transit and housing, bringing a necessary and too often overlooked perspective to these issues. We could also see how, as a wheelchair user, Fitzgerald has to work even harder in our current campaign system to reach voters with her message. We hope that her candidacy raises awareness about the inaccessibility of our current system and leads to real change that will allow more candidates with disabilities to participate.
Ultimately, while both Cortez and Fitzgerald bring strong progressive values, Cortez has the experience of legislating and we think he’s earned another term.
LD41, Position 2: My-Linh Thai
Incumbent My-Linh Thai continues to impress us and deserves another term in Olympia. She shared bold plans to work on progressive tax reform, reduce corporate loopholes, and pursue a wealth tax. As a Vietnamese refugee, Thai has been an outspoken advocate for immigrant rights and investments in working families. She supports rent stabilization and a transit-oriented development bill with an affordability mandate. She has shown a penchant to take a stand and fight for what’s right. Vote Thai.
LD43, Position 1: Nicole Macri
The Urbanist loves Nicole Macri because she’s as laser-focused on the issue of housing as we are. One of the most stalwart members of the House caucus on the issue of renter protections, Macri went to the mat on a rental stabilization bill this year, even as it was blocked by conservative Democrats in the State Senate. She’s also a big supply hawk, standing strong behind bills to force local governments to allow more housing within their borders. As vice-chair of the House Appropriations committee, she’s fought for essential funding to combat homelessness. Fewer lawmakers understand the direct link between housing and homelessness like Rep. Macri and the legislature is better with her in it.
LD43, Position 2: Shaun Scott
Regular readers of the Urbanist are likely familiar with Shaun Scott, an anti-poverty policy advocate, historian, former city council candidate, and occasional contributor at The Urbanist. Scott is running for the open seat (the incumbent, longtime Representative Frank Chopp, is retiring) with a progressive policy platform, focused largely on economic and climate justice. Scott is in alignment with The Urbanist on the issues most important to us – he is supportive of efforts to advance affordable housing and invest in mass transit. Scott’s plans are detailed and thoughtful, and while his vision is ambitious, it is clear that he is familiar with the practical work of getting things done.
Running against Scott is Andrea Suarez. Suarez is the founder and executive director of We Heart Seattle, the controversial volunteer trash “clean up” group that has been accused of throwing away the belongings of unhoused people and engaging in abusive behaviors. Suarez, for her part, denies these accusations. Suarez clearly recognizes that housing affordability and homelessness are critical issues in our community, but does not offer meaningful structural solutions. Suarez’s statements about people experiencing homelessness – such as this interview provided to Mike Solan, in which Suarez suggests that some people living in permanent supportive housing should not be allowed to leave their apartments – suggest that her primary interest is in sweeping the problem under the rug, rather than building a world where poverty and homelessness do not exist. We believe this is wrong, both morally and tactically. We cannot disappear our problems by disappearing people.
Our choice in this race is clear: we are endorsing the only candidate in the race who is aligned with our values, and the only candidate in the race with the policy chops to make meaningful accomplishments in Olympia. Vote Scott.
LD45, Position 2: Melissa Demyan
Often, candidates who describe the origins of their campaigns against long-time incumbents as a reaction to a specific vote or issue present more as protest campaigns than serious challengers. Not Melissa Demyan. Though she cited incumbent Larry Springer’s vote against unemployment benefits for striking workers as the impetus for her campaign, Demyan is anything but a protest candidate. An experienced organizer and campaign manager, Demyan led with her labor credentials and detailed policy knowledge, impressing us with her thoughtful approach to the complexity of affordability mandates in pending transit-oriented development legislation, unequivocal opposition to the criminalization of homelessness, and clear-eyed strategy for victory in November.
Springer, a 20-year incumbent and the current Deputy Majority Leader, was mealy-mouthed about criminalizing sleeping outside and he did not vote in support of the Keep Our Cares Act, which would ensure hospital mergers and acquisitions don’t restrict patients’ access to critical health care. Holdouts like Springers stalled the bill even after it cleared the senate. Though Springer had solid answers to our questionnaire and the experience of his many years in the role, we’re ready to see what a new voice can do in LD 45. Vote Demyan.
*Hannah Sabio-Howell recused in this race.
LD46, Position 2: Darya Farivar
Rep. Darya Farivar, who we endorsed in 2022, is seeking reelection. We have no complaints, which is rare for us. In her first term, Farivar has supported affordable housing, and sponsored bills for even year elections and allowing certain misdemeanors to be resolved with mental health treatment instead of jail time. She’s voted for rent stabilization, zoning reform, and progressive tax reform. She has also been unafraid to stand up for her values, even when she stands alone – in 2023, she was the only representative to vote against loosening restrictions on dangerous police car chases. We look forward to seeing what she does in her second term. Vote Darya Farivar.
Correction: An earlier version incorrectly listed Jessica Bateman as a state house candidate, she’s running for a promotion to the state senate. We endorse that wholeheartedly!
The Urbanist Elections Committee consists of Angela Compton, Kacie Masten, Ryan Packer, Maya Ramakrishnan, Christopher Randels, Hannah Sabio-Howell, Jazmine Smith, Doug Trumm, Kelsey Vanhee, and Anita Yandle.
Elections Committee
The Urbanist was founded in 2014 to examine and influence urban policies. We believe cities provide unique opportunities for addressing many of the most challenging social, environmental, and economic problems. We serve as a resource for promoting urbanism, increasing political participation, and improving the places we live. The Elections Committee consists of community volunteers and staff members of The Urbanist and is a standing body representing the political values of our organization.