En español 🇪🇸

I am running for Congress because here in Washington state, a supposed bastion of progressivism, it's high time that our district be represented by someone who values people and planet over profit.

I served as an elected representative to the Washington State Democratic Central Committee from 2016 to 2020, elected as part of the “Bernie-wing” by fellow local progressives.  I introduced — and passed — progressive resolutions and platform amendments on reasonable firearms control, rejection of health insurance and pharmaceutical PAC money, opposition to Democratic Party blacklisting of progressive vendors, and housing justice. I was a founding member of the Separation of Church and State Caucus and the Economic Justice Caucus, and was a member of the Environment and Climate Caucus and the Progressive Caucus.

I learned quickly how the established leadership of the Washington State Democrats moved to silence and stymie the growing progressive movement within the party. Indeed, many newly-joined progressives inspired by Bernie Sanders left after realizing the same. The sad truth is that the Democratic Party, like the Republicans, is owned and controlled by Wall Street and the War Machine, no matter how progressive they claim their values to be.

I previously ran for this office in both 2020 and 2022. In 2020, I earned almost 36,000 votes — three times the number garnered by any prior progressive challenger to the sitting incumbent since he was elected in 2000. We did this with no corporate money, no access to Democratic Party voter data, no organizational endorsements to speak of aside from Our Revolution and a handful of local Democratic Party dual endorsements from County and Legislative Districts. Just a dedicated team of volunteers and a shoestring budget of barely $50,000. We came within striking distance of second place.

In 2022, we were better organized, better funded (over triple that of 2020), had more volunteers, and more endorsements that included two sole endorsements from the Island County and San Juan County Democrats. While we came in third place again, we actually increased the progressive share of the Democratic and left-wing vote, even though we earned fewer total votes! If we had had the same share of the left-wing vote in 2020 that we had in 2022, we would have made the general ballot. Unfortunately, redistricting made the electorate more conservative with the addition of the whole of Skagit and Whatcom counties including rural, Republican-dominated areas.

In this election cycle let’s see what progressives can make happen with a seasoned candidate who has already had some success with the electoral system in Washington’s Second Congressional District. We ran on a solid platform of environmentalism, labor, healthcare, anti-war, education, and supporting the rights of all historically marginalized people. A platform that aligned then, as it does now, with the Ten Key Values that define the Green Party. Our message resonated strongly as a message of justice. The transition is an easy one. 

Will those Democrats who supported me in 2020 and 2022 still support me in 2024?

Will my transition to the Green Party give people who do not feel represented by the corporate duopoly a reason to show up?

Will the youth vote be inspired by a candidate who truly speaks to preserving a livable and just future for them?

It all remains to be seen. A Republican will not win this seat. And an establishment Democrat will not challenge the incumbent. Change in Washington state can only come from the left.

I have always believed that good government is possible, and I truly believe the adage that we do not inherit this planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. The Four Pillars of the Green Party — Peace, Ecology, Social Justice, and Democracy — are what we must continue to focus on for a brighter future for all humanity.

Solidarity!