Primary election outcomes and shaping the future of policy in Olympia

Results of the primary election point to Democrats picking up a handful of additional seats, which gets the party closer to gaining a supermajority in the Legislature. Democrats would need to gain seven seats in the House and three in the Senate to reach this threshold. Races being watched that could tip the balance include the Senate race in the 42nd legislative district (LD), House Position 2 in 26th LD, House Position 1 in the 12th LD, and all four House races in the 17th and 18th LDs. 

WSNA’s legislative priorities are nonpartisan. Passing safe staffing ratios legislation, commonsense workplace violence prevention measures, and other worker protections cuts across party lines. WSNA will continue to work with legislators from both parties to pass legislation that improves the working lives of nurses and outcomes for patients. 

Want to know how your legislators have voted on WSNA issues in the past? View WSNA’s Legislator Voting Records.  

Nurses running for office 

This year, we have more nurses stepping up to run for office. Nurse Ben Christly is running for House Position 1, in the 17th LD in Southwest Washington. He officially received the most votes in his race with 52% of the vote and will face Republican incumbent Rep. Kevin Waters this November. Waters received 43% of the vote in August. In the 11th LD, which covers parts of South Seattle and King County, nurse Ashley Fedan is challenging incumbent Rep. David Hackney in House Position 2. 

Supporting candidates who support nurses 

In addition to running for office, WSNA nurses are turning out for more campaign-related activities with the goal of electing more nurse- and labor-friendly candidates. In partnership with the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) Labor Neighbor Program, WSNA President Justin Gill and Labor Executive Council Chair Edna Cortes knocked on doors for Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen in Seattle’s 43rd LD. Sen. Pedersen, who has been endorsed by both WSNA PAC and WSLC, had a strong primary, finishing comfortably in first place with roughly 67% of the vote. Sen. Pedersen has been a champion for labor and was critical to winning the fight for unemployment insurance for striking workers and passing the Millionaire’s Tax.

In the 17th LD, WSNA members Didi Gray and Rosa Potts showed up for fellow nurse candidate Ben Christly by knocking on doors and talking to voters on his behalf. They will do so again on Sunday, Oct. 25, before the general election.  

No on Initiative 645 

There’s another big fight ahead on the November ballot: Initiative 645. WSNA is backing the No on 645 campaign and is working in coalition with other unions and advocacy organizations to defeat the initiative. If passed, I-645 would blow a huge hole in our state’s budget to the tune of $16 billion and make less funding available to support healthcare and education by calling into question the Capital Gains Tax. It also threatens popular programs including paid family and medical leave, unemployment insurance, and WA Cares.  Read this article about the dire consequences if investments in our families and communities are gutted.

Jessica Hauffe, director of government affairs at WSNA, recently sat down with April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council, to discuss the impacts on working families if Initiative 645 passes. There’s plenty of work left to do to get the message out to vote NO on 645. Stay tuned for updates and learn more or get involved by visiting No645.com.

Policy change requires political engagement 

Nurses take action at the bedside and in the community that changes their patients’ lives every day. Similarly, changing public policy to improve the lives of nurses and the profession of nursing requires engagement and action in politics. Political engagement is so much more than running for office. It can be as simple as joining the WSNA Political Action Committee (WSNA PAC) and donating just $5 a month, registering voters, volunteering to help get out the vote (GOTV), talking with your neighbors, writing to your legislators, or showing up when issues affecting our patients and profession are on the line. There’s no “right way” to get involved, just opportunities to use the skills you already have in ways that fit your time, interests, and comfort level.  

On the job, nurses volunteer, advocate, organize, and inspire. You already have the skills and the passion. Civic engagement and voting influence health outcomes for our patients and our communities. Let’s use them to help shape the world we live in.