Legislative Candidates on the Mid-Term Ballot

Because the President isn’t on the ballot, some voters consider the midterms to be less important. If the list of initiatives described in an earlier part of this series doesn’t argue convincingly that’s not the case, the number of legislative representatives on this November’s ballot just might.

The Griffin area is contained within a portion of the 35th Legislative District. This district covers parts of Kitsap and Thurston counties and all of Mason County. For this election, all three of our representatives in the state Legislature are being decided. These are our State Senator and two State Representatives.

As we have noted in the prior pieces of this series, a good starting place to familiarize yourself with the candidates is the online voter’s guide. There you will find biographical information and statements from each candidate. Among the links below are those to each candidate’s campaign website. The key votes of incumbents can be reviewed online at VoteSmart.org and elsewhere.

State Senator

State Senators serve 4-year terms of office.

The incumbent is Tim Sheldon who was first elected to this office in 1998. From 1991 to 1997 he was one of the District’s representatives in the House. These are only two of the several elected offices in which he’s served, sometimes simultaneously. He runs as “prefers Democratic Party,” but his top two contributors are the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Click here to see his key votes. In his voter’s guide statement, his campaign wrote, “He is known as a legislator who works with members of all political parties to find common sense solutions without new taxes.”

The challenger is Irene Bowling, who unsuccessfully ran against Sheldon in 2014. Like Sheldon, she is also running as “prefers Democratic Party.” However, her top single contributor is the 35th Legislative District Democrats. In her official statement she writes, “I know how frustrating it is to see Washington State’s economy flourish while our own district has struggled.” “As a small business owner, I understand the struggles people face every day with red tape, paperwork, and government inefficiency.”

State Representative, Position 1

State Representatives serve 2-year terms.

The incumbent in Position 1 is Dan Griffey, a Republican. Griffey was elected to this position in 2014. “I work shoulder to shoulder with Republicans and Democrats alike and voted to protect our elderly, process all rape kits collected, protect Social Security numbers from disclosure on public documents, provided training opportunities for firefighters while saving local dollars and am committed to ending the Statute of Limitations on felony sex crimes.”

James Thomas, a Democrat, is running against Griffey. In some instances, the campaign’s website can be more illuminating than the statements filed for the voter’s guide. That seems especially true for Thomas. There he describes his goals for economic development and improving the educational system in our legislative district.

State Representative, Position 2

Drew C. MacEwen, a Republican, was elected to this seat in 2012. “I have a strong bipartisan track record of improving our K12 education, our higher education system, state government reforms, and reducing the tax burden on our citizens. As the assistant ranking member on Appropriations I have consistently advocated for better budgeting and living within our means.”

David Daggett, a Democrat, is running against MacEwen. Daggett was previously an engineer with Boeing and Rolls Royce who created a startup on Harstine Island to develop clean energy solutions. “Let’s make changes by: Developing new high-paying jobs including biofuel, manufacturing, technology. Lowering property taxes, more fiscal responsibility. Creating smarter funding for education, mental health, and rehab.”

Voter Registration

The deadline for registering to vote, online, is October 8. That’s very soon! You can register to vote on this website. After October 8th (and up to October 29th), you can only register in-person at the County’s election department. To check your current voter registration, click this link.

Posted in 2018 Midterm, Elections.