The AFT Washington COPE committee made endorsements in many of the races in Washington this election season. You can review the full list here (and if you aren't sure of your legislative district, you can find it at the Washington State Legislature District Finder). Many of the endorsements we made are familiar faces that members know and have spoken with before. But we are highlighting a few who are, typically, newcomers to their seats, and/or in very tight races. We believe these candidates have strong, clear visions in line with our values, and would serve well in their districts.
LD 3: Natasha Hill
Natasha Hill is a civil rights advocate with an impressive resume of work as a lawyer and in other roles. She is currently the editor of Black Lens, a newsletter focused on Spokane’s Black community and local justice issues, and served recently on the Spokane County Commissioner Redistricting Committee, which was tasked with creating five equitable voting districts in Spokane County; the historic bipartisan effort of the commission resulted in Democratic representation at the county level for the first time, with 2 of the 5 commissioners now being Democrats. In 2022, she ran against Cathy McMorris Rodgers as the first woman of color to run in the 5th, and got over 40% of the vote. Her campaign’s priorities resonate with Washingtonians.
In the race for the 3rd, Natasha is running to be a true champion for Spokane’s working families. We agree with this and with her vision for the future. She is committed to public safety and particularly to addressing the fentanyl crisis in Spokane, to relieving the overburdened middle class by putting working families at the center of economic policy, to strengthening public education so that every child receives a quality education and education professionals are well paid for the work they do. She will protect access to abortion, and is dedicated to a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels – one where workers are not simply left behind but transition into the jobs a clean economy needs.
We share Hill’s vision of a stronger Washington, and are pleased to endorse her. You can learn more about her at https://www.hilltothehouse.org/.
LD 5: Victoria Hunt
Victoria Hunt is a third-term Issaquah City Council member and environmental scientist with a track record of championing initiatives for environmental stewardship, affordable housing, and improved public safety. Her vision for Washington reflects this; she is prioritizing increasing affordable housing in balance with protecting communities and the environment. She also plans to advocate for a strong public school system and for improved early-learning and childcare opportunities for families. Improved public safety, improved transit and accessibility, and improved access to healthcare are also key goals for Hunt, along with strengthened and improved environmental stewardship for Washington state. We agree with her about these needs and her intended remedies will build a stronger Washington that is resilient for the future.
You can learn more about Victoria Hunt at https://victoriahunt.com/.
LD 10: Janet St. Clair, Clyde Shavers, Dave Paul
Janet St. Clair - State Senate
For the 10th LD’s Senate seat, AFT Washington has endorsed Janet St. Clair. A former teacher, St. Clair knows the importance of education for students, and not merely education but safe, fully funded education. She has identified several priorities around improving education, and notes – as we all know – that funding education is the state’s paramount duty and one that it is falling behind on. Our schools, teachers, and students bear the burden of that failure and St. Clair seeks to change direction on this. She also supports career and technical education; children deserve a full panoply of career pathways, including those that are pursued through trade school or apprenticeship programs. We agree with her on all these points.
We are pleased to endorse Janet St. Clair for LD 10’s Senate seat; we share her values of community, mutual respect, and common purpose as we build a strong Washington that is inclusive of all its residents. We like her vision of the future – you can learn more about Janet St. Clair at https://www.janetforsenate.org/.
Clyde Shavers - House of Representatives
In the 10th LD, AFT Washington has endorsed Clyde Shavers for the state House of Representatives. Shavers has served very capably in the House and we are excited to see him return. He has a strong vision for the future that aligns with our own: the future will bring us new challenges and opportunities, and the decisions we make in how we handle them are crucial. He is eager to face the future’s challenges head on, working to create a future where every child has access to quality education, every worker earns a fair wage, and every family feels safe and financially secure. We like Shavers’s enthusiasm for this work, and we particularly like his goals for tackling affordable housing, environmental protection, and improving healthcare – all important goals that strengthen and protect Washingtonians.
We are enthusiastic about Clyde Shavers’s vision of tackling tomorrow’s challenges today, to get a head start on making sure we’re ready for the future before we get there, and we are pleased to endorse him for LD 10’s 1st House of Representatives seat. You can learn more about Clyde Shavers at https://clydeshavers.com/
Dave Paul - House of Representatives
Also in the 10th LD, voters have the opportunity to return Dave Paul to the state legislature. AFT Washington endorsed Paul in part because of his commitment to both higher education and educational opportunities. As a Skagit Valley College administrator and educator, Paul knows the value of giving all members of our community the opportunity to achieve their dreams. He has worked with students, including veterans, first-generation students, DREAMers, students with disabilities, and non-traditional students, to further their education and find living-wage jobs. In addition, Paul understands the value of the entire education system, and the roles that preK-12, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and 2- and 4- year colleges play in building a well-educated community, prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
We believe that Dave Paul is a champion for the kind of strong, successful state community we know is possible. His track record, particularly on education, living-wage jobs, and the environment, bear this out, and we are pleased to endorse him for LD 10’s 2nd House of Representatives seat. You can learn more about Dave Paul at https://votedavepaul.com/.
LD 43: Shaun Scott
Shaun Scott is running for State Representative in the 43rd LD on a very progressive platform that supports working people. He is currently the policy lead at the Statewide Poverty Action Network, and his past roles include working as a campaign staffer for US Representative Pramila Jayapal and as a field director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign.
AFT Washington gave Scott the endorsement in this race because of the components of his vision for Washington: he wants to build a fair, inclusive, sustainable, and accessible Washington. He is prioritizing progressive revenue, labor rights, affordable housing, a stronger social safety net, green jobs and a just transition, and policies that improve access in Washington state. Along with those, he sees a robust education system that ticks a lot of the needs we know our state has: free school meals for all students, expansion of the Workforce Education Investment Act, a removal of the SPED funding cap, and refining Washington’s regionalization formula to ensure equitable funding for all state schools. These are crucial needs that will make significant improvements to Washington’s schools and the communities of our future, and we share this vision wholeheartedly.
You can learn more about Shaun Scott at https://www.betterwashington.org/.