The House, then…

…as promised. Here in the upper left, we have we have two state reps for each district, and Democrats in the 32nd District are playing a pair of aces.

I've known Ruth Kagi since my time as District Chair when she first ran for the House. She was already well known in Olympia for her citizen lobbying efforts on behalf of children and families. As a legislator, she has continued to display effective leadership on those issues, rising to Chair the House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee, but she also points to achievements in drug sentencing reform, truck safety and drop-out prevention. She's a thoughtful, diligent and accessible legislator who has earned the re-election I expect she'll receive.

Cindy Ryu's rise on the local political scene is more recent, but no less impressive. Though the only elections she's won have been non-partisan City Council races, her activism in the Democratic Party is well known and she's snagged a bushel full of progressive endorsements. In fact, I think she may thrive in Olympia's more partisan arena.

That's not to say her tenure as a non-partisan was undistinguished. During her time on the City Council, her colleagues chose her to represent the City of Shoreline as Mayor, the first Korean American woman to achieve that distinction in any American city. Cindy, a past president of the local Chamber of Commerce, will bring a strong small business focus to the legislature and will be a strong and welcome addition to our local delegation.