With four key legislative races underway in western Washington, Democrats are doing everything they can to make the election about Donald Trump—because talking about their own record might remind voters of the $9.4 billion in tax hikes, the new gas tax, and a slew of costly social experiments passed this year.

The Democratic machine, powered by unions and the New Direction PAC, has flooded mailboxes with attack ads labeling any Republican—or even moderate Democrat—an “extremist.” Their message? Don’t worry about inflation, housing, or taxes; just picture Trump and vote blue.

Republicans like Rep. Michelle Caldier and Chad Magendanz are trying to talk about actual issues—runaway spending, rent caps, and overregulation—but can’t get a word in over the constant Trump alarm bells. Even Democrats fighting each other, like Kevin Schilling vs. Edwin Obras and Amy Walen vs. Vandana Slatter, are turning their own primaries into purity tests over who hates Trump more.

So while voters groan under higher prices and heavier taxes, Washington Democrats are banking on one strategy to save their seats: shout “Trump!” loud enough, and hope no one notices who actually runs Olympia. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

Running a business in Washington is starting to feel like an endurance test. In a commentary for the Washington State Standard, Kris Johnson, president of the Association of Washington Business, and Jeff Roe, incoming chair of the Washington Roundtable and CEO of Premera Blue Cross, warn that rising health care costs, record-high taxes, and endless regulation are putting employers in a chokehold.

Nearly half of Washington employers now cite health care affordability as a top concern, right alongside inflation and taxes. With 52% of residents getting insurance through their employer, those rising costs are draining budgets and forcing tough choices between raises, hiring, or just staying afloat.

Then came the knockout punch: Olympia’s $9.4 billion in new and higher taxes — the biggest in state history. Expanding sales and B&O taxes has slammed everyone from small contractors to major firms. A tree service expects an $80,000 annual increase, an engineering company up to $400,000, and even nonprofit Premera will owe millions moreon top of the $75 million it already pays.

Add shrinking Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and the result is predictable: higher costs for employers and families. If federal ACA tax credits vanish, as many as 80,000 Washingtonians could lose coverage.

Johnson and Roe say the path forward is clear — rein in the tax-and-regulate reflex, focus on health care affordability, and create a predictable, competitive environment that lets businesses grow instead of just survive.

Because as Washington’s top business voices point out, innovation and prosperity don’t come from government micromanagement — they come from getting Olympia out of the way. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

The Seattle City Council has declared a “food emergency” and rushed through an ordinance banning restrictive covenants that prevent new grocery stores or pharmacies from opening in former retail spaces. On paper, that sounds fine—but the city’s next move says it all. Mayor Bruce Harrell now wants Seattle to buy shuttered grocery properties and even explore city-owned or “public-option” grocery stores to fight so-called “food deserts.”

Council President Sara Nelson co-sponsored the emergency measure, citing recent store closures like Whole Foods in Capitol Hill and Fred Meyer in Lake City. Meanwhile, Harrell’s mayoral challenger Katie Wilson wants to double down on the idea—pushing for city-backed stores run with union “partners.”

Critics warn the plan reeks of inefficiency, bloated costs, and political meddling. But in Seattle, where every failed policy gets rebranded as “equity,” the idea of government-run grocery stores is apparently the next big thing. Because if there’s one thing Seattle Democrats know how to do, it’s drive private business away—then blame capitalism for the mess. Read more at Center Square.

After Governor Bob Ferguson’s photo-op with Wenatchee growers, Sen. Keith Goehner (R-Dryden) didn’t mince words—he told Olympia to stop pretending it’s helping farmers while strangling them with red tape. Goehner, himself a former orchardist, said the state’s endless “helpful” programs and regulations have done more harm than good. He blasted Ferguson’s beloved Climate Commitment Act for jacking up costs and punishing farmers who already lead in environmental stewardship. Washington’s agricultural strength, he said, comes from “innovation, stewardship, and hard work”—three things Democrats wouldn’t recognize if they tripped over them in a field. Read more at Seattle Red.

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