The editorial board has been researching candidates and ballot measures since June. Here are the board's recommendations.

Share story

The editorial board has made recommendations for voters in select federal, state, and King and Snohomish county races. The board also is making recommendations on some local measures and all statewide initiatives appearing on the Nov. 6 general-election ballot. Each candidate endorsement will explain our thinking, but generally we look for moderates with a commitment to work across party lines.

In her column, Seattle Times editorial page editor Kate Riley explains the process.

View all the editorial board’s endorsements for the 2018 general election below. Check back for more endorsements.

 

Jump to endorsements for:

 


 

U.S. Senator

Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senate

Strengths: As the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Cantwell has consistently opposed efforts to expand drilling and mining on public lands, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This year, the three-term incumbent also helped secure more money for fighting forest fires, coupled with reforms aimed at boosting wildfire prevention.

Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top

  •  

    U.S. House of Representatives

    Suzan DelBene for Congress, 1st Congressional District

    Strengths: U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene is hyper-focused on jobs and the concerns of her 1st District, which range from high-tech to farm policies.

    Read full endorsement →

    Derek Kilmer for Congress, 6th Congressional District

    Strengths: In recent years Kilmer has worked to overcome the polarization in Congress. He co-chairs the Bipartisan Working Group of Democrats and Republicans who meet weekly for breakfast when in Washington, D.C. to find common ground.

    Read full endorsement →

    Pramila Jayapal for Congress, 7th Congressional District

    Strengths: Jayapal also has channeled her progressive passion toward more productive efforts, like when she rushed to Sea-Tac Airport to respond to the chaos prompted by President Trump’s travel ban early in 2017.

    Read full endorsement →

    Dino Rossi for Congress, 8th Congressional District

    Strengths: Fighting and divisiveness has led to a hopelessly dysfunctional Congress, where people fight over issues, not push for solutions. Rossi has shown he can work across the aisle.

    Read full endorsement →

    Adam Smith for Congress, 9th Congressional District

    Strengths: A strong advocate for immigration reform and Washington’s military interests in Congress.

    Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top

  •  

    Statewide initiatives

    Initiative 940

    Yes: For decades, Washington has had the most restrictive law in the country when it comes to holding police officers criminally liable for unjustified uses of deadly force. Voters should change that by passing Initiative 940.

    Read full endorsement →

    Initiative 1631

    No: Washington should coordinate its response with other states, to prevent cross-border job losses. It should also seek a national carbon tax. I-1631 could set that back, because it’s so porous, lacking accountability and larded with special-interest payouts.

    Read full endorsement →

    Initiative 1634

    No: I-1634 aims to prevent local governments from enacting new taxes on soda and sugary drinks, which experts say increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Voters should reject I-1634 so that local governments can continue to decide for themselves how to best address these health issues in their communities.

    Read full endorsement →

    Initiative 1639

    Yes: The proposal would raise the minimum purchase age from 18 to 21 for semi-automatic rifles, establish new safe-storage rules and require safety training before buying any kind of gun or rifle.

    Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top

  •  

    State Supreme Court

    Susan Owens, State Supreme Court, Position 2

    Strengths: The Tumwater resident brings a valuable rural perspective to the court and said the McCleary work was a highlight of her career.

    Read full endorsement →

    Steve Gonzalez, State Supreme Court, Position 8

    Strengths: While this board is concerned that Gonzalez may not be a strong advocate for public records, especially in a pending case in which the Legislature is seeking special treatment to be less transparent than other public agencies, he is nevertheless a high-performing justice deserving voters’ support.

    Read full endorsement →

    Sheryl McCloud, State Supreme Court, Position 9

    Strengths: Her campaign material highlights that she authored the court’s 2017 opinion that a Richland florist violated state anti-discrimination law by refusing to arrange flowers for a gay couple’s wedding.

    Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top

  •  

    State Legislature

    Derek Stanford for Legislative District 1, House Position 1

    Strengths: Stanford runs a small data-science consulting business, and that data-driven approach undergirds his approach to state policy with an eye on the long term, whether it’s how to approach homelessness or the next steps on education reform.

    Read full endorsement →

    Shelley Kloba for Legislative District 1, House Position 2

    Strengths: The former Kirkland City Council member brings an informed perspective of state government effects on local government and understands the importance of resolving Interstate 405’s remaining challenges in the district.

    Read full endorsement →

    Chad Magendanz, Legislative District 5, House Position 1

    Strengths: Magendanz has deep knowledge of Washington’s education system and has been successful at working across the aisle to build coalitions. His ideas about the next steps in education reform, including directing more money toward special education, nurses and school counselors, are right on target.

    Read full endorsement →

    Paul Graves for Legislative District 5, House Position 2

    Strengths: Graves is a smart, independent thinker who is quick to offer alternative, yet sensible, proposals to address complicated state problems.

    Read full endorsement →

    Marko Liias for State Senate, 21st Legislative District

    Strengths: Advocacy for transit and transportation package, successful push to ban gay conversion therapy.

    Read full endorsement →

    Strom Peterson, Legislative District 21, House Position 1

    Strengths: During his most recent term, Peterson worked hard to pass a bill creating a drug take-back system for unused medications, including opioid painkillers that can play a role in suicides and overdoses. Doing more to address the opioid crisis is one of his top priorities going forward.

    Read full endorsement →

    Lillian Ortiz-Self, Legislative District 21, House Position 2

    Strengths: As a counselor for Everett Public Schools, Ortiz-Self’s insights from the ground can aid the Legislature as it continues to implement a new system of paying for schools.

    Read full endorsement →

    Mark Miloscia for state Senate, 30th Legislative District

    Strengths: Commitment to open government and accountable spending, upholding the Public Records Act.

    Read full endorsement →

    Mike Pellicciotti, Legislative District 30, House Position 1

    Strengths: The former King County deputy prosecutor has sponsored bills to cut down on dark money in politics, as well as limit how quickly certain state employees (including legislators) can start working as lobbyists after they exit state service.

    Read full endorsement →

    Kristine Reeves, Legislative District 30, House Position 2

    Strengths: Reeves is a thoughtful lawmaker who dives deep into the specifics of complicated policy. She understands the need to maintain the auditing and accountability requirements the Legislature recently attached to K-12 spending.

    Read full endorsement →

    Immaculate Ferreria for State Senate, 31st Legislative District

    Strengths: Experience as an advocate for early-learning programs, on-the-ground experience connecting families to social services through in-home visits.

    Read full endorsement →

    Drew Stokesbary, Legislative District 31, House Position 1

    Strengths: Stokesbary is skeptical of new taxes but will vote for ones he thinks substantially benefit his constituents. Going forward, he is focused on increasing money for special education. Yet he is equally focused on maintaining strict accountability and auditing requirements when it comes to K-12 spending.

    Read full endorsement →

    Morgan Irwin for Legislative District 31, House Position 2

    Strengths: Irwin is well-studied on a variety of state policy issues, with his law-enforcement background lending an important perspective to discussions about mental-health care and public safety.

    Read full endorsement →

    Jesse Salomon for State Senate, 32nd Legislative District

    Strengths: Salomon’s strengths include experience as a King County public defender, working with social issues that are a legislative priority.

    Read full endorsement →

    Cindy Ryu, Legislative District 32, House Position 1

    Strengths: Ryu is a member of House committees on the capital budget and community development, housing and tribal affairs. She is an active and visible member of the community, and her campaign is an opportunity for voters to discuss any concerns about taxation and spending.

    Read full endorsement →

    Lauren Davis for Legislative District 32, House Position 2

    Strengths: She was founding executive director of Washington Recovery Alliance, a nonprofit that has pressed for sentencing reforms and increased recovery services, and she also has worked on school suicide-prevention programs, after working at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    Read full endorsement →

    Karen Keiser for State Senate, 33rd Legislative District

    Strengths: Keiser has worked to advance important workplace policies such as paid-family leave. She also has a deep knowledge of the state’s mental-health crisis.

    Read full endorsement →

    Mia Gregerson, Legislative District 33, House Position 2

    Strengths: Gregerson has advocated for some good policies, including the state’s Voting Rights Act. Yet she seems lost when talking about education policy, despite school-funding issues having occupied a significant amount of the Legislature’s time in recent years.

    Read full endorsement →

    Shannon Braddock for State Senate, 34th Legislative District

    Strengths: Experience in government and working in a bipartisan environment; progressive stances on social issues that fit the district.

    Read full endorsement →

    Reuven Carlyle, State Senate, Legislative District 36

    Strengths: Carlyle is a passionate, dedicated and thoughtful legislator with a strong commitment to his district, which includes Queen Anne, Magnolia and Ballard.

    Read full endorsement →

    Noel Frame, Legislative District 36, House Position 1

    Strengths: Juvenile-justice reforms and advocacy for foster children are among Frame’s standout accomplishments. Tax reform is now high on her agenda.

    Read full endorsement →

    Gael Tarleton, Legislative District 36, House Position 2

    Strengths: A former Port of Seattle commissioner and Pentagon intelligence analyst specializing in port security, Tarleton is a strong, pragmatic advocate for the maritime industry concentrated in her district.

    Read full endorsement →

    Rebecca Saldaña, State Senate, Legislative District 37

    Strengths: Although she has been an advocate for worker rights, Saldaña shouldn’t be a guaranteed yes vote for every labor initiative. She has the brains and political savvy to take a more nuanced approach on both taxes and worker rights.

    Read full endorsement →

    Eric Pettigrew for Legislative District 37, House Position 2

    Strengths: After 16 years in the Legislature, Pettigrew has plenty of experience and knowledge of the issues Washington faces.

    Read full endorsement →

    Tana Senn for Legislative District 41, House Position 1

    Strengths: Senn is a reliable voice for women and families in the Legislature.

    Read full endorsement →

    My-Linh Thai for Legislative District 41, House Position 2

    Strengths: Knowledge of education policy and funding.

    Read full endorsement →

    Jamie Pedersen, State Senate, Legislative District 43

    Strengths: Pedersen is a standout state senator who is a productive and influential advocate for his constituents’ interests.

    Read full endorsement →

    Nicole Macri, Legislative District 43, House Position 1

    Strengths: With her front-line experience supporting people who are currently or recently homeless, Macri could be especially helpful advocating for improved coordination between the numerous entities involved in addressing the region’s homeless crisis.

    Read full endorsement →

    Frank Chopp for Legislative District 43, House Position 2

    Strengths: A strong hand on the state House tiller, Speaker Frank Chopp is an unflagging advocate for social justice and affordable housing.

    Read full endorsement →

    Steve Hobbs for State Senate, 44th Legislative District

    Strengths: Leadership on transportation issues, proven record of independent-thinking and collaboration.

    Read full endorsement →

    John Lovick, Legislative District 44, House Position 1

    Strengths: A retired Washington State Patrol trooper, his focus has always been on public safety. Lovick served in the state House from 1998 to 2007. He served as Snohomish County sheriff from 2007 and was Snohomish County executive from 2013 to 2015. In 2016, he returned to the Legislature, where his colleagues again ensconced him in leadership as speaker pro tem.

    Read full endorsement →

    Mark Harmsworth, Legislative District 44, House Position 2

    Strengths: He advocates for fiscal responsibility and would fight to make sure the state Legislature doesn’t upend its work on state education finance reform by relenting to districts’ likely request to lift new caps on local levies.

    Read full endorsement →

    Manka Dhingra, State Senate, Legislative District 45

    Strengths: The Redmond Democrat’s experience as a county prosecutor and work on mental-health issues are assets as the Legislature continues work to solve the state’s response to its mental-health crisis at a state hospital and in communities.

    Read full endorsement →

    Roger Goodman, Legislative District 45, House Position 1

    Strengths: As House public safety chairman, Goodman, D-Kirkland, has focused on improving life for Washington’s citizens by holding drunken-drivers accountable, protecting foster kids and domestic violence victims and trying to stop human trafficking.

    Read full endorsement →

    Larry Springer, Legislative District 45, House Position 2

    Strengths: His legislative style is pragmatic and solution-seeking. A member of his caucus leadership, he has pushed toward compromises in a number of areas, including charter schools, tax policy and water-use rules.

    Read full endorsement →

    David Frockt, State Senate, Legislative District 46

    Strengths: Frockt is the best choice to represent District 46, work on issues of statewide importance and avoid counterproductive culture wars in the Legislature.

    Read full endorsement →

    Gerry Pollet, Legislative District 46, House Position 1

    Strengths: Unlike many of his colleagues, Pollet has a deep understanding of how the state’s Public Records Act works, how it’s the will of the people and how it already exempts truly sensitive information from disclosure.

    Read full endorsement →

    Javier Valdez, Legislative District 46, House Position 2

    Strengths: Raised in Moses Lake and descended from farmworkers, North Seattle Democrat Javier Valdez offers valuable cross-state perspective.

    Read full endorsement →

    Joe Fain, State Senate, Legislative District 47

    Strengths: Fain has been a leader on education policy, built a bipartisan coalition to enact a strong family and medical leave law, helped extend financial aid to immigrant students no matter their legal status, protected state food assistance for families with young children and was a leader in framing the last state transportation budget.

    Read full endorsement →

    Debra Entenman for Legislative District 47, House Position 1

    Strengths: Entenman would be a strong advocate for education and efforts to address mental-health and addiction issues.

    Read full endorsement →

    Pat Sullivan for Legislative District 47, House Position 2

    Strengths: A former mayor of Covington, Sullivan has proven to be a strong representative in the state House of Representatives, especially with his leadership on McCleary education funding reforms.

    Read full endorsement →

    Rodney Tom for state Senate, 48th Legislative District

    Strengths: Tom promises support for legislative transparency and to be a check on Democratic default mode of seeking solutions first in tax increases rather than reforms.

    Read full endorsement →

    Amy Walen, Legislative District 48, House Position 2

    Strengths: A Kirkland City Council member since 2009 and mayor since 2014, she has more than government service to recommend her. Walen has more than 20 years experience as a business executive at auto dealerships in Kirkland and Seattle, supporting the local economy with family-wage jobs.

    Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top

  •  

    King County Prosecutor

    Dan Satterberg, King County Prosecuting Attorney

    Strengths: Satterberg’s work includes helping launch the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, which aims to keep people arrested for low-level drug and prostitution offenses out of jail. The program avoids filing charges against these nonviolent offenders, instead connecting them to services such as treatment and counseling.

    Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top

  •  

    Seattle education levy

    Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy

    Yes: Voters should say yes to the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy, a modest tax increase for some of the most important work the city is doing.

    Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top

  •  

    Advisory vote

    Advisory Vote No. 19

    Yes: Washingtonians should vote to “maintain” an expansion of oil-spill prevention and cleanup preparedness taxes to include oil that arrives in Washington by pipeline.

    Read full endorsement →

  • Back to top