We endorse: Gildon for Washington Dist. 25 senator. Keep Puyallup moderate tradition
Voters in Puyallup, South Hill, Midland, Fife and part of Parkland, otherwise known as the 25th Legislative District, are in luck this year. They have two good options to represent their interests in the Washington state Senate.
The leading candidates in the Aug. 4 primary are state Rep. Chris Gildon and Puyallup City Councilwoman Julie Door. They’re vying to fill the seat left open by Republican Sen. Hans Zeiger; he’s moving on after one term to run for Pierce County Council.
We give our endorsement to Gildon, who’s finishing his first term in the House. That stint, though brief, gives the Puyallup Republican an edge over Democrat Door. A four-year Senate term during a $9 billion state budget crash is best filled by an experienced, unflappable legislator who merely has to switch desks at the Capitol.
Gildon, 48, has lived in the district since 2013 and was elected in 2018.His leadership credentials were burnished in a 23-year career as an Army engineer officer with five overseas deployments and a dozen years at nearby JBLM.
Today he works in commercial real estate, which tells us three things: He knows his way around a contract; he’s dealt with lots of government regulations; and he knows how to close a deal.
Gildon casts himself as a moderate Republican in the model of Zeiger and Bruce Dammeier, the former 25th District senator and current Pierce County executive. He says he’s committed to “affordability, accountability and bridging the partisan divide.”
For the most part, we agree. A highlight was unanimous legislative support for his bill this year to limit price gouging on prescription drugs. Gildon’s profile rose further after drafting a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee this spring, signed by dozens of legislators and Pierce County officials, asking for counties to be able to apply for variances and “test drive” eased restrictions during Inslee’s COVID-19 shutdown. It had elements of the statewide phased reopening plan that Inslee announced soon thereafter.
Door, 53, was born and raised in the district and has served on City Council since 2013. People who watch Puyallup politics know she’s not the type to sit quietly behind a desk.
She’s a small business owner who’s worked on nitty-gritty local issues including marijuana policy, the opioid crisis and preserving the Puyallup Valley’s dwindling farmland from suburban sprawl.
Door says the district’s well-publicized homelessness problem is her primary motivation for seeking state office a second time. (She lost a run for House against Rep. Kelly Chambers in 2018.). “There are too many community problems that can’t be tackled at the local level.”
Emmett Smith, 67, is the other candidate in the primary. The South Hill Republican has lived in the district 25 years and boasts a diverse resume: international financier, lawyer, risk manager and teacher. But having no elected experience is a serious handicap when campaigning for an office as important as state senator.
Besides perennial issues like education, transportation and climate change, next year’s Legislature faces a host of challenges brought forward by COVID-19 and racial-justice protests. Gildon seems best suited for the enormous task ahead.
ABOUT OUR ENDORSEMENTS
The News Tribune Editorial Board interviewed candidates and did other research before making our picks in the Aug. 4 primary election. For races with only two candidates, we will wait until general election season. Endorsements are intended to promote civic discourse and encourage voters to dig deeper. Board members include: Matt Misterek, editorial page editor; Karen Irwin, editorial writer; Matt Driscoll, local news columnist; and Pamela Transue, community representative and former president of Tacoma Community College.
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 2:00 PM.