Senator Maria Cantwell (D) and Representative Kim Schrier (D, WA-8) made a stop in East Wenatchee on Monday during a statewide get-out-the-vote push ahead of Election Day. They spoke to a crowd of Democratic party volunteers at the Eastmont Community Center before many headed out for a final round of canvassing.
The two talked about how former President Donald Trump’s plan to stimulate the economy rested on tariffs, which hurt growers in North Central Washington. Cantwell spoke about how she went to India and negotiated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s finance minister to get tariffs that hurt local growers removed or reduced. She also said that 100 years from now people will look back and judge us on how we respond to fascism, which is on the rise not just at home but also abroad.
“I hope they are going to say we fought like hell,” Cantwell said.
Jim Mayhew, a Democrat running against Republican Keith Goehner for Washington’s 12th District State Senate seat to replace Brad Hawkins (R), said he has spoken with Republicans who told him they are voting blue this year.
“Yesterday I was talking with a lifelong Republican in Manson,” Mayhew said. “He said he’s voting Democrat for the first time in his life – and straight down the ballot.”
Mayhew and Democrat Heather Koellen (D), who is running against former Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett for one of the two 12th District legislative seats, spoke before Schrier and Cantwell. The pair decided to challenge GOP candidates in the 12th, which has been considered a Republican stronghold for decades, because of a court case that resulted in big changes to the geographic boundaries and demographics of the 12th.
For an in-depth look at the changes to Washington’s 12th Legislative District, you can check out this article I recently wrote for Cascade PBS about it.
Rep. Schrier is a medical doctor, a pediatrician, and she told a story about speaking with a local father of four girls about the issue of abortion. He had answered the door while she was out canvassing and he said he couldn’t vote for her because he’s “pro life.”
But after she walked him through what the end to legal abortion in some states means for women in the military who have been sexually assaulted but can’t leave the state, or to prevent dangerous miscarriages, he started to see things in a different light.
Here she relates that story:
After the candidates had spoken and folks got their photos with Sen. Cantwell and Rep. Schrier, many left the community center for a final round of door-belling before Election Day.
If you would like more information about Washington State elections you can find that on the Secretary of State’s website here. Washington state residents are able to register to vote up until Election Day.
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