PROGRESSIVE DONOR GUIDE 2017 GENERAL ELECTION

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1 PROGRESSIVE DONOR GUIDE 2017 GENERAL ELECTION Supported by 1

2 YOUR PROGRESSIVE DONOR GUIDE The Progressive Donor Guide is designed to let you know about the most important races in Washington, and help you invest your campaign contributions as effectively as possible. Our goal is to help you support good progressives in the closest races where your contribution can make the biggest difference is an off year with almost entirely local races, so this Guide is much shorter and has far fewer races than last year. Our recommendations are based on each candidate s track record on progressive issues, the competitiveness of their race, their campaign s need for funds, and their specific opponent. Because we don t have extensive voting records and a broad base of lobbyist assessments to draw from with local races, we are not rating candidates progressive performance with a letter grade in this year s Guide. However, we are confident that the candidates we recommend are progressive. We give candidates one of three recommendations this year: Must Give, Strongly Recommended, or Recommended. Our Must Give recommendation is reserved for races that are critical to the future of Washington. Our Strongly Recommended and Recommended categories are reserved for interesting and important races across the state. We ve also included a brief description of other interesting races and ballot measures. If you have questions about these races, or any race in Washington, please feel free to contact Aaron Ostrom ( , aaron@fusewashington.org) or Lauren Currin ( , lauren@fusewashington.org). TABLE OF CONTENTS Political Landscape Recommendations Must Give Strongly Recommended Recommended Other Interesting Races Initiative Review Why to Give How and When to Give Sample Budget

3 POLITICAL LANDSCAPE 2017 is an off year election and most of the action is at the city level. It s also the first time in 34 years that there hasn t been a statewide ballot measure. There is only one really big state level race this year the 45th Legislative District (Redmond/ Kirkland) special election for a state Senate seat. There are seven other legislative races to fill seats opened by death or resignation, but none of them are competitive. The 45th Legislative District (LD) race is an opportunity to reclaim a Democratic majority in the state Senate. As the first real chance to flip a legislative body in the Trump era, it is a nationally targeted race. Retaking the Senate would send a message to the country and open the door to passing a host of progressive legislation that has been bottled up under Republican control since Advocates on both sides will spend millions of dollars on this race. Voter turnout was low in the primary about 27% statewide and nearly 34% in King County and a robust get out the vote program will be essential in targeted races. On the positive side, Manka Dhingra won the 45th LD primary election with a strong performance, and many other local races have good progressive candidates. The election of President Trump has inspired a more diverse and progressive cohort of candidates to run for office. And in Seattle, City Council candidates can qualify for a firstin-the-nation democracy voucher program to help them raise money from a more diverse pool of small-dollar donors. 3

4 RECOMMENDATIONS TOP RACES MUST GIVE Manka Dhingra, State Senate, 45th LD (Kirkland/Redmond) Manka Dhingra is the progressive candidate running for this open Senate seat in the 45th LD, previously held by the late Sen. Andy Hill. She is a strong candidate with broad progressive values, and her primary election results were impressive. Dhingra is a King County Prosecutor focused on mental health courts and helped to start API Chaya, a nonprofit focused on ending domestic violence in the South Asian community. After Donald Trump s election, Manka decided it was time to fight for her values and run for office. If elected, she will work to invest in schools, expand transit, close corporate tax loopholes, and reform the criminal justice system. Her opponent, Jinyoung Englund, has spent most of her career as a Republican Party operative and Washington D.C. lobbyist. Unlike the conservative-leaning districts we ve fought to flip in recent special elections, the voters in the 45th LD lean Democratic and voted heavily against Donald Trump in last year s election. Manka is in a strong position after winning the primary election by 10 points. Republicans are taking a blank check, noholds-barred approach to the general, however, and we have to follow through to make sure we win this race. They will spend record-setting amounts of money to defend their majority in the state Senate. If we keep the heat on and turn voters out, Manka is in a good position to win this race. Friends of Manka PO Box 2467, Redmond, WA electmanka.com 4

5 STRONGLY RECOMMENDED #OurVotesCount RECOMMENDED Our Votes Count Campaign The Our Votes Count (OVC) campaign is an independent expenditure project supporting the top races this year and in Beginning in 2016, OVC is a three-year coalition campaign designed to rebuild legislative majorities by engaging and mobilizing progressive infrequent voters in swing districts. We are pioneering new approaches to targeting and mobilizing voters to pick up the margin of victory in our most important races. Progressives have consistently lost ground in the state House and Senate each year since 2007, primarily by losing a steady stream of off year and special elections in swing districts. Our biggest problem is turnout -- thousands of likely progressive voters are failing to show up and vote. Our Votes Count is designed to solve this problem and build a better path to victory in swing races. In 2016, OVC made a critical difference in the 30th House races and the 41st LD Senate race that helped ensure Democrats maintained a one-seat majority in the state House and picked up one seat in the state Senate. In 2017, we are focused on engaging infrequent voters in the 45th LD Senate special election to support Manka Dhingra. We are also building on last year s work in the 30th (Federal Way) and 28th (Lakewood/University Place). Those will be critical districts in 2018 and future years, and we are maintaining our presence and work there in the off year. Our Votes Count / Fuse Votes 1402 Third Ave #406, Seattle, WA fusewashington.actionkit.com Janice Zahn, Bellevue City Council Janice Zahn is running to fill the Bellevue City Council seat vacated by Rep. Vandana Slatter s appointment to the state House. Zahn is an engineer with the Port of Seattle and serves as the Chair of the Bellevue Transportation Commission. She is prioritizing transportation, affordable housing, and diversity. Her vision is to make the City of Bellevue more strategic and innovative, become even more regional in the city s thinking, and commit to timely and effective communication with Bellevue residents. Her opponent, Phillip Yin, challenged Cyrus Habib in the Lt. Governor race last year. Zahn is leading in fundraising and endorsements, but Yin has some name recognition after his Lt. Governor campaign. Because there were only two candidates, this race did not appear on the ballot in the primary election, and there s no reliable way to gauge where they currently stand. Maintaining a progressive-leaning balance on the council is critical to anchor East King County and ensure a progressive vision for the region. In order to do so, we need to win at least one of the two open seats this year. Winning both would make the council significantly more reliable. Friends for Janice Zahn NE 1st St #300, Bellevue, WA janicezahn.org 5

6 Karol Brown, Bellevue City Council Karol Brown is the progressive candidate running to fill the seat opened by Kevin Wallace s retirement from the Bellevue City Council. Brown is the founder of World One Law Group, a law practice that helps businesses and families handle their immigration affairs. She chaired the 41st District Democrats and is also the former Policy and Advocacy Director at OneAmerica. Her campaign is focused on keeping Bellevue affordable for working families, improving transit, and public safety. Her opponent is Jared Nieuwenhuis, the Republican choice in this race. Karol trailed Nieuwenhuis in a three-way primary with another Democratic candidate, however Nieuwenhuis didn t clear fifty percent. Karol has a good chance to consolidate the progressive vote and make up the vote margin in the general election. Friends of Karol Brown SE 36th St, Ste 310 Bellevue, WA karolbrown.nationbuilder.com Chris Beale, Tacoma City Council Chris Beale is a progressive candidate running for Tacoma City Council, District 5. This race is an opportunity to pick up a seat on the Tacoma City Council and make it more progressive. Joe Lonergan, who currently holds the seat, is termed out. Beale is the Chair of the Tacoma Planning Commission and works as a Senior Planner with the City of Puyallup. He is running on a platform that advocates for more aggressive affordable housing, storm water quality maintenance, support for Safe Routes to Schools, and equitable road improvements. He is leading in fundraising and endorsements. Business and fossil fuel interests that dislike Beale s opposition to fossil fuel expansion at the Port of Tacoma are actively opposing Beale and supporting his more conservative opponent. Beale won a plurality of the vote in five-way primary, but his general election opponent Brian Arnold was just a few points behind him. The business and fossil fuel interests that backed Arnold in the primary will spend heavily in the general election. Elect Chris Beale PO Box 9295, Tacoma, WA electchrisbeale.com 6

7 RECOMMENDED Barry Buchanan, Whatcom County Council There are two interesting races in Whatcom County this year. Progressives and environmental advocates successfully elected a supermajority to the County Council in recent years, inspired by opposing coal export facilities in Whatcom County. Conservatives then backed a redistricting measure that has created a bit of a complicated mess. We need to win one of the following two contested races in order to reliably maintain our majority. The best chance to win is to re-elect Barry Buchanan, a solid progressive currently in his first term on the Whatcom County Council. He formerly represented District 1 and is now running for the at-large position in the newly redistricted map. In his first term, Buchanan has worked on banning fracking and fighting the massive coal export terminal proposed in Whatcom County. His campaign is focused on the environment and protecting human rights. Buchanan is Chair of the County Council, a veteran of the Navy, and a former councilmember on the Bellingham City Council. He faces a strong challenge from real estate broker Mary Kay Robinson, who seeks to cut regulations on business and agriculture. Rebecca Boonstra has a tougher race in the newly established, conservative leaning District 3. She is the Executive Director of the Mt. Baker Chamber of Commerce, and was elected to the Board of Commissioners of the Columbia Valley Parks and Recreation District. Boonstra is facing a tough race for this open seat against Tyler Byrd in the general election. If you are only going to give to one race in Whatcom County, we recommend targeting Buchanan as the more winnable race. The Committee to Elect Barry Buchanan 2317 D Street, Bellingham, WA electbarry.com 7

8 OTHER INTERESTING RACES Mayor of Seattle In the race for Seattle s Mayor, former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan will face urban planner Cary Moon in the general election. Cary Moon is an urban planner, engineer, and civic activist who is best known for her leadership in the People s Waterfront Coalition that opposed the deep-bore tunnel. She laid out a vibrant alternative vision for Seattle s waterfront and was named 2009 Citizen of the Year by the Municipal League. She was also Real Change s Change Agent of the Year in Moon is campaigning to improve housing affordability by cracking down on real estate speculators, bolstering renters rights, and expanding alternative housing options for working people. She is campaigning on her experience with and ability to address urban problems. Durkan was the first openly gay U.S. Attorney in our country s history. At the U.S. Department of Justice, she pushed to improve accountability for the Seattle Police Department, created a civil rights unit, and was an advocate for criminal justice reform. She is running for mayor on a platform of police accountability, housing affordability, and justice for all. With a long track record of working on complex issues and fighting for civil rights, Durkan is campaigning on her executive experience and positioning herself as a consensus-building candidate who can work with advocates on all sides. Durkan is the insider in this race and has stronger support from within Seattle s political establishment, including labor unions, business, and elected officials. Moon is the outsider in this race and is backed by The Stranger, some low wage worker unions, and others pushing for change. Both candidates are quite progressive by any reasonable standard. We are not recommending that people focus resources on this race unless you have a personal connection or affinity for one of the candidates. Seattle City Council, Pos. 8 Seattle s new Democracy Voucher program is playing a significant role in this race. Both candidates on the general election ballot have opted into the system. Teresa Mosqueda is the Political and Strategic Campaign Director at the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO and a former Fuse board member. She has virtually unanimous support from our partners in the progressive community. She was a leader in the statewide campaign to raise the minimum wage in 2016 and has also worked to expand health care access and promote environmental justice. She is running for City Council to improve housing affordability and support workers. Her experience advocating for working families at the state and local level has given her an impressive depth of knowledge about both policy details and the legislative process. Teresa s general election opponent is Jon Grant, the former Director of the Seattle Tenants Union. He is prioritizing housing affordability and emphasizing a grassroots approach to campaigning and policy development. Grant is running as a Democratic Socialist with a very bold platform and has earned the sole endorsement of The Stranger newspaper. Fuse and our partners are supporting Teresa Mosqueda in this race. We believe she is in a good position to win and aren t prioritizing a contribution to her in our recommended list. However, if you want to support progressive leaders, she is a good choice. 8

9 Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma Victoria Woodards resigned her seat on the Tacoma City Council to run for Mayor in late She s a U.S. Army veteran and the president of Tacoma Urban League. Her campaign priorities are family-wage jobs, public safety, responsible budgets, and the homelessness and mental health crisis. She leads in endorsements and fundraising. Her opponent, Jim Merritt, is a local architect who ran against current Mayor Strickland in Both are fairly progressive, and have room for improvement. We have found Woodards to be more substantive and have a stronger understanding of how government works. We believe that her experience in government and broad base of support make her the best choice for this position. Woodards came in second place in a three-way primary, two points and about 500 votes behind Merritt. While we aren t prioritizing a contribution for Woodards, if you want to support progressive leaders in the South Sound, she is a good choice. Kate Burke, Spokane City Council Kate Burke is a progressive candidate running for Spokane City Council Position 1. She s running to improve infrastructure and increase investments in Northeast Spokane. Burke is also a strong supporter of increasing racial equity and anti-bias training for the Spokane Police Department. She is the founder of the Spokane Edible Tree Project, which donates extra fruit from local trees to food banks, and currently works as a Legislative Aide for state Senator Andy Billig. Burke is an up-and-coming progressive leader. We need to win her race to maintain a progressive supermajority on the council that can override a veto from the city s conservative mayor. Burke performed well in the primary, and she s running a strong campaign. We believe she is in a good position to win and aren t prioritizing a contribution for Burke in our recommended list. However, if you want to support progressive leaders in Eastern Washington, Burke is a good choice. 9

10 OTHER INTERESTING RACES Congressional District 8 Many progressive stakeholders and activists are looking at the 8th Congressional District as an opportunity to pick up a seat in the U.S. House in The 8th Congressional District is one of a small number of districts that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 that is currently being held by a Republican. Rep. Reichert just announced that he won t run for re-election in 2018, throwing a major curve ball into the race and substantially improving Democrats chances of flipping this seat. It s generally significantly easier to win an open seat than to defeat an incumbent. There is a strong and growing field of Democratic candidates that have filed to run. Kim Schrier and Jason Rittereiser are both making positive impressions on people. Schrier is a pediatrician from Issaquah. Rittereiser is attorney who lives in Issaquah and grew up in Ellensburg. Tola Marts was the first to declare against Reichert; he s a two-term Issaquah City Councilmember and has a modest lead in early fundraising. The Republican field is wide open, and Reichert s retirement may lure more Democrats into the race as well. The landscape of candidates is still developing and their campaigns are still forming, and we recommend waiting to invest in any candidate at this point unless you have a personal connection with one of them. We definitely need the strongest candidate we can get, and will do our best to identify who has the best chance of winning in this race as the field unfolds. Lisa Brown, 5th Congressional District With the surge of grassroots resistance to the Trump administration, many in Eastern Washington are looking to challenge Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in McMorris Rogers holds the number four position in House leadership, and she is extremely conservative. Lisa Brown, the former state Senate Majority leader and chancellor at WSU Spokane, recently launched her campaign for the 5th Congressional District seat. The 5th CD is a tough district. It s a more conservative district than Reichert s 8th CD, and Rep. McMorris Rodgers has never gotten less than 56 percent of the vote. However, Brown is a strong candidate and frustration with McMorris Rodgers is high. Fuse is working to mobilize progressive voters and expand our base in the 5th CD to support a potential upset. 10

11 INITIATIVE REVIEW De-Escalate Washington De-Escalate Washington, or Initiative 940, is a coalition campaign that believes police should use deadly force only when unavoidable and as a last resort. This campaign is currently gathering signatures for an initiative to the state legislature that focuses on de-escalation as a strategy to reduce these violent interactions, including requirements for training on deescalation, mental health, and first aid. It also changes standards for the use of deadly force, establishing a good faith standard. It is virtually impossible to prosecute police officers for inappropriate use of deadly force under current Washington law. De-Escalate Washington is a high priority for communities of color in Washington and an important step towards police accountability. Although they will need to continue growing their campaign to generate the resources to complete signature gathering, we believe it s an important cause and are supporting their efforts. We recommend contributing to their signature gathering campaign. Burien Represent, Campaign Against Burien Sanctuary City Repeal Voters in Burien will decide this November whether to repeal the city s sanctuary city ordinance aimed to protect immigrant community members. The City Council passed the sanctuary city ordinance in January, and received a petition from the group Respect Washington this spring asking that the sanctuary city ordinance be submitted to a vote of registered voters in Burien. The City Council put the decision to the voters this November. The conservative Freedom Foundation is behind the petition aimed at repealing the city s sanctuary status. A community group called Burien Represent is organizing resistance to the initiative, but it s not clear yet if they are able to accept contributions. De-Escalate Washington PO Box 27447, Federal Way, WA deescalatewashington.nationbuilder.com 11

12 WHY TO GIVE We believe there are five basic reasons to make campaign contributions: Help good people win We believe the top priority is to support good progressives in close races who need your contribution to win. Reward progressive leadership Good people who provide strong leadership and take political risks deserve our support. They generate enemies and opposition with good votes, and if we don t support them it sends a powerful negative message to other legislators. Build relationships Contributions can build personal political capital with your elected officials, making you a more effective lobbyist for progressive causes. Defeat conservative leaders Take out incumbents or challengers who are obstacles to progress. HOW AND WHEN TO GIVE In-person: We recommend making contributions at events or in person where you can make a personal connection with the candidate. This way, you can communicate your concerns and priorities to a candidate when you make a contribution. By mail: If you can t contribute in person, we recommend that you mail them a check with a note, telling them you are supporting them because they were recommended in the Fuse Progressive Donor Guide. Sending them a check eliminates the credit card company s cut (which adds up) and allows you to add a message to your contribution. Independent Expenditures: Most local races do not include significant independent expenditures. Independent Expenditures cannot be coordinated with the candidate, and are not subject to contributions limits. Achieve policy goals Whether you are trying to prevent coal exports in Whatcom County or support a progressive agenda in the state Legislature, investing in the races that are the key to building a majority that supports your goals is the key to our success. We don t recommend contributing more than a nominal amount to a non-competitive race unless you are working to strengthen or maintain a relationship with the candidate. 12

13 SAMPLE BUDGET Manka Dhingra for State Senate Friends of Manka PO Box 2467, Redmond, WA electmanka.com Our Votes Count Our Votes Count / Fuse Votes 1402 Third Ave #406, Seattle, WA fusewashington.actionkit.com De-Escalate Washington PO Box 27447, Federal Way, WA deescalatewashington.nationbuilder.com Other Recommended Candidates Janice Zahn Friends for Janice Zahn NE 1st St #300, Bellevue, WA janicezahn.org $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $2,000 Karol Brown Friends of Karol Brown SE 36th St, Ste 310 Bellevue, WA karolbrown.nationbuilder.com Chris Beale Elect Chris Beale PO Box 9295, Tacoma, WA electchrisbeale.com Barry Buchanan The Committee to Elect Barry Buchanan 2317 D Street, Bellingham, WA electbarry.com Total: $5,000 13