The Seattle Times has an editorial page. Apparently, somebody keeps forgetting to tell the newsroom.
Seattle Times: News or Campaign Collateral?
Let’s Go Washington founder Brian Heywood is taking aim at The Seattle Times over its coverage of Initiative 638, accusing the paper of presenting the opposition’s talking points as straight news.
The controversy centers on a story highlighting Gov. Bob Ferguson’s opposition to I-638 while citing a poll from the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center — a group that describes itself as a progressive source for ballot-measure intelligence and supports progressive causes.
Heywood questioned why the Times presented the poll without providing basic details such as polling dates, margin of error or sufficient context about the organization behind it.
The story also prominently featured Ferguson and a long list of Democratic officials and organizations opposing I-638, while supporters appeared much later in the article.
The Times has already editorially opposed the initiative, and the paper faced criticism earlier this year after sports columnist Matt Calkins resigned following the decision to spike a column about girls objecting to competing against biological males.
Whatever your position on I-638, voters deserve to know who is conducting a poll, who is funding the research and where the numbers came from. Calling out those details isn’t partisan — it’s Journalism 101.
And if a newspaper wants to campaign against an initiative, it has an editorial page for that. Readers shouldn’t have to play detective to figure out where the news ends and the advocacy begins. Read more at Seattle Red.
Checking In on Our Neighbors Down South
A new OPB/DHM Research poll for Oregon’s race for governor has Republican Christine Drazan narrowly leading Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek 46% to 44%, with the race essentially tied within the 3.24% margin of error.
But the bigger story is how unhappy Oregonians are with the status quo. Just 30% think the state is headed in the right direction, while 58% say it’s on the wrong track. Cost of living, housing, taxes and jobs rank among voters’ biggest concerns.
And when it comes to the economy, voters prefer a conservative approach 44% to 32%.
Kotek’s answer? Talk about Trump and federal overreach.
Because when voters are worried about what things cost, where they can afford to live and whether their state is headed in the right direction, apparently the best Democratic strategy is to talk about someone 3,000 miles away.
This is the second straight DHM poll showing Drazan with a slight edge. The race remains extremely close, but our neighbors south of the Columbia clearly aren’t giving Oregon’s Democratic leadership a glowing review. Read more at Seattle Red.
WA-3: Voters Aren’t Exactly Thrilled
A new OPB/DHM Research poll shows Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican John Braun locked in a statistical dead heat in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.
Braun leads 46% to 44%, while the race is 48% to 47% among voters who lean toward a candidate. The poll has a 4.2% margin of error.
But the bigger story is why voters are unhappy. The economy and cost of living matter to 100% of likely voters, while 91% say finding affordable housing is difficult. Eighty percent believe Washington kids will be worse off than today’s adults, and 88% have little or no confidence Congress will make progress on the issues they care about.
And Democrats wonder why this is a competitive race.
The district is one of just 22 House toss-ups nationwide. Braun is campaigning on lower taxes, law enforcement and domestic energy, while Gluesenkamp Perez is emphasizing healthcare, small businesses and trades.
For Democrats, the problem is pretty straightforward: voters are feeling the consequences of an increasingly expensive state—and they’re not convinced government is making their lives better. Read more at The Washington State Standard.
Washington’s Minimum Wage Keeps Climbing — So Does the Cost of Doing Business
Washington’s already nation-leading minimum wage is going up again. Starting Jan. 1, workers will make $17.73 an hour, a 60-cent increase from the current $17.13 rate.
That’s more than double the federal minimum wage — and Seattle is taking it even further, with its minimum wage hitting $22.14 an hour next year.
The increases are tied to inflation, but that creates a familiar Washington problem: higher wages mean higher labor costs, which businesses have to absorb somehow. That can mean higher prices, reduced hours, fewer entry-level opportunities or simply making it harder for small businesses to hire.
And the mandates don’t stop there. Salaried workers will face higher thresholds for overtime exemptions, with larger employers needing to pay nearly $92,200 a year to classify certain workers as exempt.
Washington lawmakers keep piling on mandates while families and businesses keep paying the bill. Read more at The Washington State Standard.
Even Jayapal Wondered If Seattle’s Mayor Knew What She Was Doing
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s handling of the Bite of Seattle triple-fatal shooting continues to look worse as more records come out.
In a text to Gov. Bob Ferguson at 10:12 p.m. that night, Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal bluntly wrote: “I don’t think she knows what she is doing.”
The concern came amid confusion over when the city would brief the public and media about the shooting. Police Chief Shon Barnes had flown back to Seattle, yet the briefing was repeatedly delayed. At one point, officials were reportedly waiting for “dignitaries” — including Jayapal and Ferguson.
A KOMO reporter later blasted the delay as “outrageous,” accusing politicians of wanting to be present when the cameras rolled while the public waited for information about a mass shooting.
Wilson eventually apologized for the lack of a timely response and later requested Barnes’ resignation.
Wilson’s office now says the mayor has been focused on improving public safety communications. But that doesn’t erase what happened that night — or the fact that one of Seattle’s most prominent Democratic politicians privately questioned whether the mayor knew what she was doing.
For an administration that came into office promising competent city government, that’s a pretty brutal review — and it came from inside the Democratic family. Read more at The Center Square.
Rude Is Leaving — But His Ballot Spot Isn’t
State Rep. Skyler Rude is resigning Oct. 31 to take a position with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, just three days before voters head to the polls. His name, however, will remain on the Nov. 3 ballot.
That creates an unusual situation in the 16th Legislative District. If Rude wins, the seat becomes vacant and Washington Republicans would select nominees for the appointment process, meaning the election result could determine which party gets to fill the seat.
If Democrat Derek Sarley wins, he would take office for the next two-year term.
So while Rude won’t be returning to the House himself, the Republican-versus-Democrat control of the seat remains directly tied to what happens on Election Day. Read more at The Center Square.
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