Leading up the 2022 midterm elections, we here at Shift WA interviewed state and local candidates across Washington and gathered background information on races of interest to us to help identify the most rational ones that we think deserve support.
Obviously, we didn’t talk to candidates in every race (and no federal ones for this guide), and in some we just decided it best to leave them alone.
We hope you’ll take a moment to review those candidates of interest to you as well, vote, and share this page with your friends and family by clicking here.
Thank you for your support of Shift WA.
Secretary of State
Julie Anderson
Pierce County Auditor (2010-current), past President of the Washington Association of County Auditors, past Tacoma City Council member, former Executive Director, YWCA of Tacoma-Pierce County.
Running as a non-partisan, because she believes that “Elections might be partisan, but the Secretary of State shouldn’t be”, differentiates her from the incumbent, as does her extensive experience in elections governance. Steve Hobbs had no experience for the job before he was appointed by Jay Inslee, primarily to remove him from the State Senate. Republicans in Washington State have won every Secretary of State election since 1964, but no GOP candidate survived the Top Two primary.
Opponent: Appointed incumbent Steve Hobbs
Campaign Website
5th Legislative District
State Representative Position 1: Ken Moninski
Moninski is a Republican PCO who owns two small aviation services businesses, and has been active with the National Scleroderma Foundation and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Puget Sound.
Running because he believes Washington’s elected officials must focus on policies that bring safety back to our neighborhoods, allow small businesses to thrive and hire more employees, and provide a quality education for our children. His stated support for providing tax relief to struggling families and reversing laws hindering law enforcement stand in stark contrast to the incumbent.
Campaign website
Opponent: Incumbent Bill Ramos
State Representative Position 2: Chad Magendanz
A former State Representative, 5th LD (2013-17), and former Issaquah School Board President, Magendanz was a US Navy Submarine officer who has also worked as Computer Sciences teacher on the Eastside and as a software developer for companies like Microsoft and Nike.
Running because the legacy he wants to leave our children is a world class education, not a burdensome government debt. The Seattle Times highlighted his ability to get things done in the legislature when it endorsed him over his liberal opponent, writing “Magendanz’s experience and grasp of the issues remains sharp and forward-looking.”
Read Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Lisa Callan
10th Legislative District
State Representative Position 1: Greg Gilday
First term State Representative, small business owner and community volunteer
Running to provide good jobs and allow parents to have a say in their children’s education. He strongly supports law enforcement and seeks to repeal the Democrats’ anti-police legislation. He was recently endorsed by the Everett Herald, due to serious campaign lies by opponent being broken by Shift.
Shift Interview | Campaign website
Opponent: Clyde Shavers
State Representative Position 2: Karen Lesetmoe
First generation American, Navy veteran, and real estate professional
Running because she believes the Democrats one-party rule “has made our lives more expensive and more dangerous.” Wants to bring common sense to state government.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Dave Paul
18th Legislative District
State Representative Position 1: Stephanie McClintock
Public relations specialist for a grain exporter and former Battle Ground school board member
Running to combat skyrocketing crime rate by supporting law enforcement and to bring her education experience to Olympia.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Joe Zingale
State Representative Position 1: Greg Cheney
Small business owner, attorney, and community volunteer
Running on three issues, (1) Increasing local job opportunities; (2) making sure families can keep their hard-earned money; and (3) ensuring safe, livable communities while improving access to mental health resources.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Duncan Camacho
21st Legislative District
State Senate: Janelle Cass
Small business owner, Air Force veteran, and mother of two children
Running because the incumbent is “a firehouse of bad ideas,” to reduce crime, and to keep zoning decisions local.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Marco Liias
26th Legislative District
State Senate: Jesse Young
A State Representative for the 26th district since 2015, Young is a software engineer and business owner. His community service includes the being a Navy League member, Rotarian, and serving on the board of Harbor Hope Center fighting teenage homelessness on the peninsula.
Running to continue his focused support of first responders – which is why he’s endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and WACOPS. Jesse is known as a strong advocate for for individual liberty and the conviction that everyone has an opportunity to succeed.
Campaign Website
Opponent: Emily Randall
State Representative Position 1: Spencer Hutchins
The co-owner of a three-city local real estate company and member of the Gig Harbor City Council (2017-19). A lifelong Kitsap Peninsula resident, he has worked in the community with Campfire Boys and Girls, serving as an elder in his church, and Young Life.
Running to restore a sense of balance of in the legislature. He is focused on fiscal responsibility and fighting against tax increases. Hutchins also wants to restore the necessary tools for police to do their jobs.
Read Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Adison Richards
State Representative Position 2: Michelle Caldier
Has represented the 26th district in the State House since 2015, and her dental career has allowed her to contribute over $1 million in dental care at the Key Free Clinic and to veterans. She is also a foster mother.
Running to make sure that common sense solutions triumph over partisanship in the legislature. She will continue to be a leading voice in Olympia for the most vulnerable in our society, including foster children and sexual assault survivors.
Campaign Website
Opponent: Matt Macklin
28th Legislative District
State Representative Position 1: Gabe Sachwitz
College instructor, firefighter and Marine veteran
Running to improve public safety, provide tax relief to struggling households, and provide choice in education.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Mari Leavitt
State Representative Position 2: Susanna Keilman
Clinical Health Care researcher and former Air Force medic
Running to repeal Democrat anti-police laws, provide tax relief to Washington workers, and conduct meaningful performance audits on expensive stat programs.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Dan Bronoske
30th Legislative District
State Senate: Linda Kochmar
Represented the district in the State House from 2013-16, with service on the Federal Way City Council (including a stint as mayor) before and after her time in Olympia. She is currently Council President. Professionally she is a Certified Risk Manager (ARM).
Running because liberal public safety policies have failed, and believes her opponent’s votes for these partisan laws have contributed to the problem – not made the district’s citizens safer. She has been a long-time fighter against tax increases, and forcing government to live within its means.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Claire Wilson
State Representative Position 1: Casey Jones
A current police commander, his law enforcement career has included service as a police lietenant, detective SWAT team member, and school resource officer. He is active in the community as an assistant baseball coach, volunteering in the Federal Way public schools, and formerly as a volunteer firefighter.
Running because he’s not a career politician and, from his perspective as a police officer, radical groups “have taken over policy development in Olympia”. He says it’s time to “send a first responder to Olympia to fix this mess”.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Jamila Taylor
State Representative Position 2: Ashli Tagoai
A lifelong resident of the 30th District, this is her first run for political office. She is an attorney, with a practice focused on estates and business transactions.
Running out of concern that “decisions made in Olympia have made life less affordable and less safe” has earned her the endorsement of Stand Up Federal Way. She is particularly focused on reversing the Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies which have reduced consequences for breaking the law.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Kristine Reeves
31st Legislative District
State Senate – Phil Fortunato
Has served the 31st District as Senator since 2017, after previously being a State Representative in the 47th LD. Owns a small contracting business.
Running to eliminate barriers for law enforcement to fight crime and protect communities. Will fight for a return to fiscal sanity, rolling back irresponsible tax increases and expensive regulations.
Campaign Website
Opponent: Chris Vance
35th Legislative District
State Senate: Drew MacEwan
Financial investor and five-term State Representative, 35th LD
Running to improve government accountability, improve education, and create public safety jobs.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Julianne Gale
State Representative Position 1: Dan Griffey
He has served the community in a wide variety of ways, as State Representative since 2015, as a firefighter, and as an Emergency Training Instructor at local schools.
Running because he is passionate about serving his community, and ensuring that rural residents have a voice in state government. Streamlining government and more accountability for politicians are at the top of his to-do list.
Campaign Website
Opponent: James DeHart
State Representative Position 2: Travis Couture
A former Navy submariner, Travis now works as a senior employee for a large defense contractor at Naval Submarine Base Kitsap. He has long been active in GOP politics in the district, and currently serves as Chairman for Mason County Republican Party.
Running out of concerns for what one-party Democrat rule is bringing our state – underperforming public schools, ever-increasing taxes, deteriorating public safety.
Campaign Website
Opponent: Sandy Kaiser
42nd Legislative District
State Senate: Simon Sefzik
Appointed to WA State Senate in January 2022, grew up on Ferndale farm
Running to provide tax relief, especially with his proposal to suspend the state’s 49-cent-per-gallon gas tax. He also wants to improve housing affordability and repeal the Democrats’ anti-police legislation.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: State Rep. Sharon Shewmake
State Representative Position 2: Tawsha Dykstra Thompson
Recently retired Bellingham police officer and grew up on a farm
Running to remove the Democrats’ disastrous anti-police package, improve housing affordability, and bring more choice to education.
Shift Interview | Campaign website
Opponent: Incumbent Alicia Rule
State Representative Position 2: Ron Johnson
Former small business owner, activist on improving drunk driving laws
Running to reverse the eroding condition of many Washington state communities due to the Democrats’ anti-police legislation and decriminalizing lethal drugs.
Shift Interview | Campaign website
44th Legislative District
State Senate: Jeb Brewer
A project leader, not a politician, with over 30 years working in operations and retail construction.
Running out of dissatisfaction with “politics as usual”, and due to a strong belief we should expect more out of government. We need to root out waste and operate leaner, as he has done for businesses throughout his career, to save taxpayer dollars.
Campaign Website
Opponent: Appointed incumbent John Lovick
State Representative Position 1: Mark Harmsworth
A 30-year technology industry veteran who now owns his own IT services company, he served two terms representing the 44th District, and also on the Mill Creek City Council .
Running to restore public safety as a top priority, and make accountability a focus across state government. Fixing our broken transportation was a priority when he served in the House before, and he will insist on spending that reduces congestion and moves goods – not fits a partisan agenda.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Appointed incumbent Brandy Donaghy
State Representative Position 2: Dr. Ryne Rohla
A PhD economist, not a politician – fighting to save us money as the primary antitrust enforcement economist in the State Attorney General’s Office. His work has helped win millions of dollars for Washington consumers, a chief reason former AG Rob McKenna has endorsed him.
Running to represent the middle class, “the underdog.” He is concerned at the isolation caused by COVID, and wants to advance the values most needed now – like competition. Community service, and freedom.
Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent April Berg
45th Legislative District
State Senate: Rykia Hooshangi
Small business owner, attorney, President of PTSA, and Water Commissioner
Running to repeal the extreme anti-police package supported by her opponent, bring more choices to education, and provide tax relief to struggling families. Her potential earned her the Seattle Times’ endorsement, which wrote “Voters in the 45th Legislative District should make a change in who represents them in the state Senate… (Ryika) Hooshangi’s impressive résumé shows the former diplomat has the chops.”
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Manka Dhingra
47th Legislative District
State Senate: Bill Boyce
Current Kent City Council President, former school board member, and Army veteran
Running to repeal Democrats’ disastrous anti-police legislation, improve housing affordability, and provide tax relief to struggling workers.
Shift Interview | Campaign Website
Opponent: Claudia Kauffman
48th Legislative District
State Senate: Michelle Darnell
A longtime concerned citizen, who started working over a decade ago on foreclosure issues, and has since run several times for office. To help others step into the campaign process, she co-founded a political marketing agency to help new candidates.
Running to restore balance in Olympia, since it seems Seattle-style radicalism has too much power in the legislature. It is most crucial to reverse the policies which have led to our surge in crime, and to fix our broken housing laws which to contribute to homelessness.
Campaign Website
Opponent: Incumbent Patty Kuderer