Darcy Burner, candidate for Washington State Legislature, 5th District House Position 2
So it’s been awhile since I last posted on DailyKos.
I thought I had run my last campaign. (In fact, when people asked me when I was going to run again, I was occasionally a little cranky with them. If you asked and I was cranky to you: I’m sorry.)
After running for Congress as a bold progressive, I had moved on to other things: I remarried, gaining a husband and stepson, and helped my son Henry launch a cool button making company that now employs nine people. (As of today, we’re even a union shop!)
But Washington State is at a tipping point.
Washington has long been a leader in progressive change.
- Women in Washington gained the right to vote in 1910, kicking off the campaign that led to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 giving all American women the right to vote;
- Women in Washington had the right to choose whether to continue or terminate pregnancies in 1970, before Roe v. Wade;
- In 2007 the Washington State Legislature ensured every child would have access to healthcare, pioneering many provisions of the Affordable Care Act;
- Every consenting adult in Washington had the freedom to marry the partner they loved in 2012, before the Supreme Court decision made it legal throughout the nation; and
- The now-national campaign for a $15 minimum wage kicked off in Seatac and Seattle, redefining the boundaries of what is possible and reasonable for workers in this economy.
But the role that Washington plays in setting the course for national progressive change is in significant danger.
In 2013, Republicans captured the State Senate and brought forward progress on most issues in Washington to a grinding halt. They are now within two seats of a majority in the State House.
Republicans in Washington State in the last few years have made it clear what their agenda is:
- Telling the Supreme Court to “pound sand” when the court ordered them to fund education (Baumgartner, 2014), and, instead, offering a plan to send kids to school four days a week to save money (Becker, 2012);
- Banning cities from raising the minimum wage (Baumgartner, 2016); and
- Pushing anti-union so called “right to work” legislation (Shea, 2016).
This morning, Governor Inslee followed through on his threat to veto non-essential bills if the state legislature continued its dysfunction and failed to pass a budget. They failed to pass a budget. The courts have already found this legislature in contempt of court for failing to adequately fund education and are fining them $100,000 per day.
I can’t sit on my hands and let them destroy the state that I love. So a few weeks ago I made it official and entered the race for Washington’s 5th Legislative District House position 2.
I need your help.
This isn’t a decision that I take lightly. But after being approached by local Democrats, I went on a listening tour, talking to voters from around the 5th district about what their hopes and dreams are. They told me they wanted better education for their children, transportation to get them to work on time, and someone who is willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work to continue to make this state a great place to live, work and raise a family. All of us need Washington to continue to be one of the places that pushes the envelope towards fully including everyone in our society and our economy.
With your help, we can get this done.
This campaign won’t be easy. The 5th has a Democratic State Senator who is the #1 target of the Republicans. Both House members are currently Republicans. I’m running for an open seat being vacated by one of those Republicans. The 5th district is in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, a gorgeous mix of agriculture, forest, mountain, and housing. We have traditional old farming towns and brand new bedroom communities. It's an ethnically diverse, economically diverse place with a shared sense of self-reliance and practical approaches to getting things done.
How will we win? With shoe leather. By running the type of people-powered campaign that I believe in, we can and will beat big corporate money.
I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I need grassroots help to win this.
You can find my website at http://www.darcyburner.com or donate at secure.actblue.com/...
Yours,
