Crime, inflation and homelessness: Here are the TNT’s picks for 2 big state House races
Readers likely don’t need a reminder, but there is no shortage of challenges facing Washingtonians as the 2022 primary election arrives. From stark increases in crime and the cost of living to our continued recovery from COVID-19 and the state’s ongoing crisis of homelessness, there are an alarming number of issues that will demand quick attention from lawmakers next legislative session.
The fact is, nowhere is immune to the problems of the day. And if the state’s 28th District — which includes parts of Tacoma and Lakewood as well as the suburban enclaves of Fircrest, University Place, Steilacoom and DuPont — has felt somewhat removed from stereotypically big-city problems like crime and poverty in the past, that illusion has certainly been shattered in recent years.
To best represent the 28th in the state House of Representatives candidates will need experience, policy chops and the backbone to buck boilerplate party politics when necessary.
That’s why The News Tribune Editorial Board is sticking with the incumbents this year, and recommending that voters re-elect Mari Leavitt for House Position 1 and Dan Bronoske for House Position 2.
First elected to the state House of Representatives in 2018, Democrat Mari Leavitt, 53, is a Lincoln High School and Tacoma Community College grad who now lives in University Place and, like many in this area, first arrived in the South Sound as a child in a military family. As the former deputy director of Pierce County’s human service department, Leavitt understands the behavioral health and addiction recovery support needs of the area. As a former college administrator, she’s keenly familiar with the balance between post-secondary education and the local labor force. And as the co-owner of a small family orthodontics practice along with her husband, Leavitt knows the challenges facing our economy and the local entrepreneurs who power it.
To her credit, during her time in office Leavitt has waged battles that truly matter to residents of the 28th District. Some of her first legislative victories included securing a pay increase for National Guard members fighting wildfires and commercial driver licenses waivers for veterans transitioning out of the military. More recently, Leavitt has championed the cause of military spouses struggling with unemployment and a lack of support resources.
In 2021, Leavitt also broke with her party when she voted against the state’s controversial capital gains tax, which was struck down earlier this year by a Douglas County Superior Court Judge and is now pending appeal before the state Supreme Court. At the time Leavitt told The News Tribune that the tax — while well-intentioned — didn’t address the underlying unfairness of the state’s sales tax and business and occupation tax. It was a principled stand that likely represented the sentiments of her district, even if it put her at odds with many of her fellow Democrats.
Leavitt, who has lived in the 28th District for more than 30 years, told The News Tribune Editorial Board that her priorities include providing more resources and training for law enforcement, improving behavioral health support services and supporting crime victims and survivors. While her challengers, Republicans Victor Hogan, a Steilacoom school board member; Dre Le Blanc, a retired United States Army JAG officer; and Gabriel Sachwitz, an adjunct professor at Pierce College and a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, cite similar motivations, we believe Leavitt stands the best chance of delivering.
Democrat Dan Bronoske, 42, is a firefighter-turned-legislator from Lakewood who clearly understands both the issues and complexities of representing a district that’s home to a diverse, purple-hued constituency. A first responder by training, he’s at home discussing public safety and related issues, like the region’s unacceptable lack of behavioral health services. And like Leavitt, Bronoske also has a track record of independence, joining his seatmate in voting against the state’s capital gains tax.
Bronoske, who has also served as Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore and on the House Transportation Committee, told The News Tribune’s Editorial Board that he’s spent his adult life “compelled to serve the community and now I’m honored to serve our state and serve the 28th Legislative District.”
In our opinion, he’s earned the right to do so for another term.
In the primary, Bronoske has drawn two Republican challengers:
Chris Nye is a former Army Special Forces team leader and two-term UP City Council member who unsuccessfully ran in the 28th District in 2020. Though Nye’s background in local government and experience in the private sector as a Realtor are intriguing, his answers to problems like crime and homelessness lack nuance and substance, largely relying on well-trodden conservative talking points that leave much to be desired.
Susanna Keilman, meanwhile, is a relative political newcomer who also has a military background and experience in the private sector. Keilman has also raised more than $40,000 toward her election efforts while garnering support from the state and local Republican parties, likely making her a formidable candidate.
Unfortunately, while voters and the TNT’s Editorial Board would have benefitted from a spirited conversation amongst all three candidates in this race, Keilman declined an invitation to participate in the endorsement process.
If Keilman moves on to the general election this fall, we hope she’ll rethink her strategy and realize the importance of the public exchange of ideas and the responsibility to reach beyond one’s base.
News Tribune election endorsements reflect the views of our Editorial Board and are written by opinion editor Matt Driscoll. Other board members are: Stephanie Pedersen, News Tribune president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; and Pamela Transue, a community representative who serves during election season. The Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom and does not influence the work of news reporting and editing staffs. We do not endorse any candidates who do not interview with us. For questions, email matt.driscoll@thenewstribune.com.