TNT Ed Board endorsements: Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula and Port Orchard WA House races | Opinion

In a place known for trees, water and general serenity, high-stakes political battles have been strangely common in Washington’s 26th Legislative District. Spanning Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsula, Port Orchard and other parts of Pierce and Kitsap counties, voters have been witness to several knockdown, drag-out electoral fights in recent years.

For better or worse, the 2024 primary election is no exception.

In the contest for state House, Position 1, a promising young Democrat is making his second bid for office. To do it, he’ll have to fend off a historically hot-tempered right winger who’s familiar with the position but has earned a reputation for all the wrong reasons.

Meanwhile, in the race for state House, Position 2, an accomplished conservative is vying to hold onto a seat she’s held since 2014. While the field of challengers appears to be no match, accusations related to workplace conduct and inane GOP infighting — including a dubious power struggle over what it means to be a Republican — hang over her candidacy.

Below you’ll find The News Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements in both races.

State House, Pos. 1 — District 26

Two years ago, when Republican Spencer Hutchins was elected to the state House in District 26, it felt like the start of a long and promising political career.

Needless to say, when Hutchins announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection — explaining that the responsibility of serving had “taken a heavy toll on my livelihood and my ability to provide for my family” — it came as a shock to many area residents and observers.

Starting with the August primary election, District 26 voters will be tasked with filling the seat Hutchins won by a slim margin two years ago — in an area that defies partisan labels.

The good news for voters and the TNT Ed Board?

The candidate Hutchins barely bested in 2022, Adison Richards, is back for another crack at the job.

Richards impressed the TNT Board two years ago, even as we gave our endorsement to Hutchins.

This year, the Peninsula High School grad and nonprofit attorney is clearly the best choice for District 26 voters.

The son of a teacher and a small landscaping-business owner, Richards has a long history of serving the community he’s running to represent in Olympia, from his time as a volunteer cross-country coach to his work with the local NAACP. He’s also lived in nearly every corner of the suburban and rural District 26, from Fox Island to Bremerton.

Richards told the TNT Ed Board he’s not your average party politician; his views and policy ideas trend progressive, but he’s spent his life reaching across party lines, whether it’s community organizing or attending potlucks with neighbors.

That’s the thing about tight-knit communities, Richards suggested, and what’s prepared him for the responsibility of serving in the state House.

We agree. Richards earned the TNT Ed Board’s endorsement hands down.

Republican Jesse Young, a candidate voters in District 26 know well, presents the starkest electoral alternative for voters.

In our view, they’d be wise to steer clear.

Where Richards is level-headed and pragmatic, Young has a record as an ideologue and firebrand who made a career by seeding division and employing scorched-earth tactics.

Young was first appointed to the state House in 2014 and represented District 26 there for nearly a decade, winning reelection four times. During that span, he increasingly courted controversy and his actions raised numerous red flags.

In the past, Young has been prone to ethics violations, humiliating his staff and helping to spread COVID conspiracy theories, among other problematic transgressions.

Two years ago, in a race for the District 26 state Senate seat, voters wisely rejected Young’s brand of culture-war politics when they elected Democrat Emily Randall instead.

During this year’s candidate endorsement interview, Young told the TNT Ed Board that the time off gave him time to reflect. He vowed to return to the state House as a better lawmaker, promising to be less combative and more constructive if voters bestow their faith in him again.

While it was encouraging to hear, we remain skeptical.

Elected leaders are judged by their actions — and Young’s have spoken loud and clear over the years.

The final name on the primary ballot belongs to Jim Henderson, a Gig Harbor Republican and small business owner.

Henderson is no stranger to Olympia, having worked as a lobbyist for landlords and residential property owners.

Like many conservatives, Henderson’s top concern is public safety. He told the TNT Ed Board that his candidacy is personal. In February, he was beaten and held at gunpoint by armed intruders at his office. The experience inspired him to run.

Unfortunately, many District 26 residents probably know Henderson best by the slimy political attacks he’s been subjected to in this race. Most notable: a website created by the Pierce County Republican Party that portrays Henderson as a liberal posing as conservative to deceive voters.

Among other outlandish claims and troubling insinuations, the website suggests that Henderson’s past support of the Rainbow Center in Tacoma, which provides education, advocacy and resources for the LGBTQ+ community, makes him unfit to be a Republican.

Henderson is openly gay.

The Pierce County Republican Party has thrown its full weight behind Young, who did not repudiate the website or its inexcusable assertions when contacted by a News Tribune reporter and provided a chance to comment.

Consider it one more reason the TNT Ed Board isn’t convinced voters should give Young a return ticket to the state House this year.

State House, Pos. 2 — District 26

Michelle Caldier, the Republican lawmaker and former dentist who has held down the other District 26 state House seat for the last decade, knows a thing or two about the GOP’s identity crisis.

A fiscal conservative, moderate and fourth-generation district resident, Caldier’s politics often seem like a perfect match for the community she serves. She has effectively fought for Narrows toll relief, helped to expand dental care to people who need it and taken what conservatives often describe as a “common-sense” approach to public safety, including the recent debate over police pursuits.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped members of Caldier’s party from attacking her integrity and character. She’s also been forced to do battle with the Republican House Republican Caucus, standing alone to fight for accommodations that allow her to serve as a legally blind legislator.

Vying for a sixth term in 2024, Caldier once again earns The News Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsement this primary season. She has a track record of independence and a firm understanding of District 26, and both qualities serve constituents well.

Her record isn’t spotless; allegations of bullying Caldier has faced, for instance, give the board pause.

Still, in a field of challengers that fails to provide a more qualified or promising alternative, the decision wasn’t difficult to reach.

Democrat Tiffiny Mitchell is new to District 26, having moved to the area in recent years from Astoria, Oregon. She previously served one term in the Oregon House of Representatives, including surviving a recall effort led by opponents of cap-and-trade taxes.

While Mitchell’s progressive colleagues lauded her work when she announced her departure from Oregon politics, she lacks history in District 26 and a strong connection to the community she now calls home. In the TNT Ed Board’s view, Mitchell needs more experience before voters can trust her to represent them in Olympia.

Josh Smith is running as an independent in District 26. A former meteorologist who recently pursued a graduate degree in public policy, his top priority is reforming the state’s political system, and in particular the inherent flaws of our two-party system. It’s an admirable cause — and Smith’s dedication is impressive — but he would benefit from experience at lower levels of government before being elected to state office, in our estimation.

Finally, Rachel Harter, a Republican with a background in pharmaceutical sales, is running in District 26.

Lori McPherson is running as a Democrat in District 26.

Harter and McPherson failed to respond to repeated invitations from the TNT Editorial Board to participate in this year’s endorsement process.

We do not endorse candidates who decline to meet with us.

The News Tribune Editorial Board is: Matt Driscoll, opinion editor; Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; Amanda Figueroa, community representative; Justin Evans, community representative; J. Manny Santiago, community representative; Bart Hayes, community representative.

This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 12:06 PM.