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I’m spending July focusing on some of my key platform points. So far, I’ve covered an accountable Sheriff’s office and expanded access to the county council for working class candidates. Today I’m covering protecting vulnerable residents, something on all our minds amidst Trump and co’s attacks on immigrants, the unhoused, and our LGBTQI family and friends.

A sign I saw at a protest for Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino, the farmworker organizer who was detained at the Northwest Detention Center for four months before stopping his fight against deportation.

There are several ways we can commit to protecting vulnerable residents. Some of them are symbolic but important, some have more legal enforcement power, and some are just common-sense language cleanup and modernization. With your support, I believe we can achieve them all!

Our charter is a living, dynamic constitution that needs updating to reflect our diverse community. Our approach should be expansive and inclusive and -whenever legally possible- it should focus on “residents” rather than “citizens.” Let’s add language in the charter’s preamble or an attached Bill of Rights recognizing all residents’ rights regardless of their country of origin, their gender identity and their physical and mental abilities, along with more traditionally recognized categories like race, ethnicity, and religion. 

We must also add explicit language on non-discrimination in hiring, policing, and access to public services, creating legal mechanisms for enforcing these rights that align with our State and Federal Constitutions. This is crucial right now, as anti-democratic forces are undermining protections at all levels of government. And while adding such language to our county charter is a small step in a bigger struggle, it’s also a necessary one.  Other counties have done similar, including King County during a recent charter review.

 But we must be even bolder in the face of Trumpism and billionaire attacks on our diverse working class. We must democratize our workplaces and public spaces. Let’s enshrine rights for local workers to organize unions and collectively bargain without intimidation. Let’s ensure good jobs through Project Labor Agreements and Targeted Local Hire. Let’s commit to the future through apprenticeship, youth commissions, and youth voice in government. Let’s work across local agencies to ensure schools, parks and public spaces are safe and accessible for all. Let’s Trump-proof Pierce County.

I’m spending July focusing on some of my key platform points. Last week, I discussed accountability and oversight for our Sheriff’s office. This week focuses on the expanding access to county council seats, which I believe is essential for working class access to power, but others see as a highly polarizing and risky move. Please read on for why, then remember to vote in the primary and support truly progressive candidates however you can.

Our Current County District Map

Learn about RCV in this quick video

I’ve long believed in an expansive definition of democracy that goes far beyond voting for your next oppressor, and must include meaningful access to power and debate for working people of all backgrounds. I support democratizing workplaces, housing, public safety, and more. Much of that can be achieved through powerful working class social movements, but it will always rely on -or be constrained by- local, state and federal policy. That’s why it’s essential that we make it easier to elect working class people and movement leaders.

Expanding council districts means that there are smaller voting populations and districts can better represent diverse constituencies. Ranked-Choice Voting with proportional representation encourages voters to “vote their conscience,” rather than supporting someone they don’t like out of fear of a worse option. Both options make it less expensive for working class and less traditional candidates to run and elevate the voices and interests of often neglected minorities. 

There’s tons of historical political science evidence suggesting expanding council districts (and, similarly moving from “at large” to districted positions) creates more representative government. Our current council districts are huge both geographically and by population size, and more similar to state legislative districts than districts in other counties. Expanding districts makes sense. And Ranked-Choice voting was a major contributor to Zohran Mamdami’s people-powered, progressive win in the New York City Democratic Primary.

Some local politicians are understandably anxious about Ranked-Choice Voting, after a short-lived experiment with RCV occurred alongside the election of the notoriously terrible Dale Washam to Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer. But as a wonderful Sightline piece from a few years ago notes, RCV actually helped democratize access in other races and was not what decided Washam’s win (he won in the “first round”, meaning name recognition and being a perennial candidate led him to win, not RCV). Sightline also notes that the Auditor at the time was anti-RCV and implemented it in problematic and expensive ways. We can do it much better this time, and I support a “Single Transferable Vote” model over the “Instant Runoff” model Pierce County briefly used. Wonky, I know! But I promise to explain more in the fall.

By now, you should have your ballot in hand, or possibly already even returned. You’ve likely also noticed I’m not in the Voter’s Guide or on your ballot. As a reminder, that’s because there are only two people in my race, meaning we don’t have a primary. But there are tons of great candidates running in different races and folks throughout the county get (and shockingly read) my emails. I shared about the other great District 4 candidates last week, and I’m listing all my preferred charter candidates below. They mostly align with recommendations from Indivisible Tacoma. Bolded candidates are in particularly important races or folks I’m working hard to support. I encourage you to donate or volunteer. 

District 1, Pos 1    Kelsey Barrans        
District 1, Pos 2    Nathanial Downes        
District 1, Pos 3    Tamara Stramel    

District 2, Pos 1    Billy Jo Hetherington
District 2, Pos 2    Marianna Hyke
District 2, Pos 3    Teresa Maston

District 3, Pos 3    John Linboe    

District 4, Pos 1    Kate Ginn (Maricres Castro and Thai Vo are great, too)
District 4, Pos 2    Devin Rydel Kelly (DUH!)
District 4, Pos 3    Jake Hunter 

District 5, Pos 1    Giovanni Vendetti        
District 5, Pos 2    Troy Serad 
District 5, Pos 3    Jenn Strickling         

District 6, Pos 1    George Conzuelo
District 6, Pos 2    Lisa Boyd
District 6, Pos 3    Jeremy Kamel

District 7, Pos 1    Justin Leighton        
District 7, Pos 2    Brenda Lykins
District 7, Pos 3    Martha Lantz

Please remember to vote by August 5th, and voting earlier makes things easier for candidates and our County Elections department. And please sign up to be a volunteer or donor with my campaign today! We’ll be starting our own door knocking shortly after the primary.