Unfortunately, Democrat Dave Upthegrove narrowly secured his spot in the general election after recounts confirmed his second-place finish in the primary for Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands. He edged out Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson by just 49 votes, despite both candidates gaining a handful of additional votes during the recount. Upthegrove, a far-left King County Council member, will now face Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, who led the primary. Though Upthegrove lost some ground in King County, his small gains in other counties were enough to keep him in the race. The recount results were certified, validating the close, yet decisive, outcome. Read more at the Olympian.

Workers Strike Back, a far-left group led by self-proclaimed socialist Kshama Sawant—someone who has never created a single job—has once again stirred up Seattle politics with their extreme demands. The group is vehemently opposing a proposed bill to extend the city’s $2.72 tip credit, which allows small businesses to pay a lower minimum wage if certain conditions are met. Despite Seattle’s already high minimum wage of $19.97 per hour, Workers Strike Back insists on eliminating any flexibility for small businesses, pushing instead for an unsustainable $25 minimum wage.

Sawant, who made her name pushing for the $15 minimum wage and the so-called “Amazon tax,” seems more interested in grandstanding than practical solutions. Her group’s demands are disconnected from economic realities, particularly for small business owners struggling with inflation and rising costs. The bill, proposed by Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth, aimed to provide some financial relief to small employers while ensuring fair compensation for workers. However, thanks to pressure from Sawant’s group, the bill has been shelved for now.

During a Seattle City Council meeting, Workers Strike Back supporters monopolized the public comment period, parroting the rhetoric that businesses unable to pay exorbitant wages shouldn’t exist. This simplistic and antagonistic stance ignores the complex challenges faced by small business owners, whom Sawant and her followers seem to disdain. Once again, Seattle’s policymaking is held hostage by those more interested in ideological purity than practical governance. Read more at Center Square.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released a report that its left-wing community partners produced, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as KTTH’s Jason Rantz points out, the document is deeply unserious and divisive, particularly for its claim that white people disengaged when people of color needed help, painting an entire race with a broad and negative brush. It also suggests using COVID-19 as an opportunity to invest in marginalized youth, including incarcerated individuals, and promotes unconventional methods like flash mobs and collaboration with artists from marginalized communities to disseminate health information.

The report also demands that DOH “center” marginalized groups, including illegal immigrants and prison inmates, in its materials and decision-making processes. In other words, as Rantz describes, the language used in the report is empty, far-left jargon that does little to address real public health issues. It’s a highly polarizing, nonsensical document that does nothing to help you, the taxpayer. And, of course, you, the taxpayer paid for it all. Read more at KTTH.

Shocker… the mainstream media is helping Ferguson cover up his failed record.

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