Democrat Joy Stanford of Gig Harbor plans second run for state house seat

Joy Stanford, a Gig Harbor substitute teacher and housing activist, announced last week that she will run again for the state Legislature in the 26th District.

Stanford, a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully in 2018 against Rep. Michelle Caldier, the Republican incumbent. She entered the race late, in March.

This time, she said, she will have an earlier start in a presidential election year expected to produce lots of passion and a high voter turnout.

Stanford is a longtime Gig Harbor resident, a substitute teacher for the Peninsula School District, and a community outreach worker for a Tacoma nonprofit, Shared Housing Services, which arranges housing for homeless people.

In 2018, she was defeated soundly by Caldier, who won 55.1 percent of the vote. But despite a late start, she still managed to raise $200,000 and make some waves in the campaign, her supporters point out.

This time around, she said, she’s got a head start.

“I learned a lot from my first campaign, and I’m excited to put those lessons into action,” she said in her announcement. “I’ll have the time and the team to reach every voter.”

Stanford announced her candidacy at a gathering of supporters Dec. 8.

“People are tired of ideological partisanship and power-hungry politicians putting their own interests before the needs of seniors, veterans and today’s working families,” she said at the event, according to her campaign.

“The issues facing our community transcend party lines,” she added. “Keeping the cost of living affordable for renters and homeowners alike, ensuring economic opportunity for workers of all ages ... finding real solutions to the complicated challenges of homelessness, addiction and mental illness.”

Both House seats in the 26th Legislative District are held by Republicans — Caldier and her colleague, Rep. Jesse Young. But the district is increasingly “purple,” as young professionals pour into Gig Harbor.

“Flipping the House seats in the 26th from Republican to Democratic control is within reach,” said Pierce County Council Member Derek Young, a Democrat, quoted in Sanford’s campaign announcement. “We’re seeing swing districts in our region trend away from hardline conservatives and party loyalists.”

Neither of those labels, however, applies to Caldier, a moderate Republican who has taken flak from her own party for being too cooperative with Democrats. Caldier was traveling in Mexico yesterday and unavailable for comment.

Stanford and her husband, David, have three adult children. They live in Gig Harbor with their dog, Dexter.

This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 12:00 AM.