Washington voters sent a clear message: They want Democrats to lead | Opinion

After Election Day, one headline captured the moment: “Democrats poised for clean sweep of 9 legislative races in WA.”

It’s true. In every race where powerful special interests attempted to unseat a Democratic legislator this year, they failed.

Despite millions of dollars from companies like Koch Industries and Chevron, my colleagues Sens. Deb Krishnadasan and Victoria Hunt prevailed, and in the end, neither race was particularly close.

Since my special election victory in 2017, which returned the state Senate to Democratic control, this marks the fifth consecutive election cycle in which Democrats have expanded or maintained our majority. In districts that were once highly competitive, Democrats now consistently win by substantial margins. In some cases, Republicans are no longer able to field competitive candidates at all.

It’s time to say what voters have been signaling for years: They share the values and vision of the Democratic legislative majority. While they may not always agree with every action in Olympia, they have trusted us to be the leaders making tough decisions about the direction of our state.

And the evidence is overwhelming. Since 2018, Democrats have taken a forward-looking, comprehensive approach to governing, focused on long-term solutions rather than short-term politics.

We have expanded support for our schools, increased special education funding and made long-term investments in early learning and childcare.

We have protected reproductive freedom, passing the Reproductive Parity Act, safeguarding access to abortion and contraception, and ensuring Washington remains a safe state for people seeking abortion care.

We have strengthened economic security for workers, expanding and funding Paid Family and Medical Leave, raising workplace standards, and advancing equal pay protections so Washington remains a national leader for working families.

We have taken a holistic approach to addressing the housing crisis by investing historic sums in affordable housing, reforming zoning to increase supply and enacting protections like caps on unreasonable rent increases to keep families in their homes.

We have taken bold action on climate, enacting the Climate Commitment Act, committing Washington to 100% clean electricity, and making major investments to modernize our infrastructure and protect our environment for future generations.

We have maintained our infrastructure, including the 2022 Move Ahead Washington package, one of the largest transportation and green mobility investments in state history.

And critically, we have kept our state on solid financial footing, maintaining a four-yearyear balanced, sustainable budget, earning a AAA bond rating, the highest bond rating a state can get, and ensuring Washington remains an attractive and stable place to live and do business.

Voters have affirmed these policies not only through candidate elections but also at the ballot box. Since 2020, we have won five of seven statewide ballot measures challenging our work, clear proof that Washingtonians support the progress we’re making.

We’ve continued moving the state forward even within the constraints of one of the most regressive tax systems in the country. Decades of reliance on sales and property taxes have strained families and limited the state’s flexibility. That’s why Democrats passed the state’s first-ever capital gains excise tax, a modest but essential step toward balancing our tax code while funding early learning and childcare.

Next year will bring a challenging budget for our caucus and for Gov. Bob Ferguson. In the Senate, we remain committed to protecting our most vulnerable communities from painful cuts to programs that low-income families rely on, and to addressing our upside-down tax structure.

Some critics like to claim that Democratic success since 2017 is due only to Donald Trump, that Trump is a “trick” that convinces voters to choose Democrats.

To that I say: talk to an actual voter. They trust Democrats to govern.

Voters understand the stakes. Trump is not an abstraction. He is a reality whose actions undermine constitutional norms, destabilize the economy, and threaten access to health care.

Trump’s policies have already pushed farmers toward bankruptcy, contributed to rural hospital closures, and jeopardized insurance coverage for millions. And his proposed cuts, to health care, homelessness programs, disaster preparedness, victim services and more, will have devastating consequences for Washington.

Voters expect their representatives to speak honestly about these threats. If a candidate cannot bring themselves to criticize Trump or to acknowledge the crisis facing our state, voters recognize that silence for what it is: a refusal to lead.

As we look ahead to next year, Democrats will continue to run proudly on our record of delivering for Washingtonians and on our commitment to protecting our state from the harm of Trump’s second administration. We will keep fighting to shield Washington from federal cuts, invest in our communities and ensure that progress continues.

Our message is clear, and voters are responding.

State Sen. Manka Dhingra represents the 45th Legislative District and is chair of the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign.