FOR THE 27th DISTRICT, PIERCE COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Races not listed are still being researched.
This is breaking news and analysis; please check back for updates to this story.
For Republicans Only: (Don’t tell the left whom to vote against!)
Getting good election information is tough, especially for the primary. Here’s a list of recommendations that combines candidates endorsed to date by the Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP), and our best analysis for the races still being evaluated. We include a summary of supporting information, with a listing of the candidate’s campaign website.
If a position is listed as <Please See Notes> and [In Analysis] it simply means that the Party hasn't made a formal endorsement or recommendation yet. We give you the best information we have to date in the details and will update as soon as possible.
In this article:
Quick List of Picks
US Senator Dr. Raul Garcia
Congressional District 6 - U.S. Representative Drew C. MacEwen
Lt. Governor <Two Qualified>
Secretary of State Dale Whitaker
State Treasurer Sharon Hanek
State Auditor Matt Hawkins
Attorney General Pete Serrano
Commissioner of Public Lands Sue Kuehl Pederson
Superintendent of Public Instruction David Olson
Insurance Commissioner <Please see notes>
State Representative Pos. 1 Ken Paulson
State Senator Carole Sue Braaten
State Representative Pos. 2 <Please see notes>
State Supreme Court - Justice Position 2 <Dave Larson>
Pierce Superior Court - Judge Position 1 <Please see notes>
Pierce Superior Court - Judge Position 4 Rebecca Reeder
Pierce Superior Court - Judge Position 9 Scott Peters
Pierce Superior Court - Judge Position 10 Philip Thornton
Pierce Superior Court - Judge Position 15 <Please see notes>
Executive Kelly Chambers
Assessor - Treasurer Joe Lonergan
Please note that this is not intended to be complete information; just our summary. Please see the candidate’s website and additional resources listed elsewhere in this bulletin.
Federal Election Picks
US Senator: Dr. Raul Garcia
Candidate Website: www.garciaforwa.com
Notable Endorsements: Washington State Republican Party (WSRP), Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP), Washington Farm Bureau PAC, at least 30 legislators, many more.
Notes:
· Escaped the communist Castro regime in Cuba with his family at the age of 11.
· Not a politician by trade; emergency room doctor and a manager of emergency rooms.
· Understands the health care system and the fentanyl crisis.
· Has had the responsibility of leading emergency room teams.
· For more information, please see Dr. Garcia’s website (especially his long list of endorsements), and our 27th Website.
Congressional District 6 - U.S. Representative: Drew C. MacEwen
Candidate Website: www.votedrewmac.com
Notable Endorsements: WSRP, PCRP, Washington Farm Bureau PAC, State Rep. Jim Walsh
Notes:
· Navy Veteran
· Pledges to fight for a balanced federal budget within ten years
· Pledges to focus on rebuilding the trades, aviation, and maritime jobs. He proposes offering specialized schooling in these areas at military bases worldwide for dependents of military personnel.
Statewide Election Picks
Lt. Governor: Two Republican Candidates Qualified:
Bob Hagglund Candidate Website: www.bobforltgov.com/
Dan Matthews Candidate Website: www.electdanmatthews.com
Notable Endorsements: After review, the PCRP Chose to Qualify both candidates.
Notes, Bob Hagglund:
University of Washington graduate.
Project Manager and Data Analyst
The last eight years with Optum Insight, and the five previous years with Microsoft.
Focus on:
Reducing the Gas Tax
Reducing Housing Costs by Reducing Property Tax
Streamlining Licensing and Fees
Notes, Dan Matthews:
Viet Nam era Veteran, USAF, pilot. Retired from the reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel.
While in college, Dan was an Intern to a State Senator in Olympia.
Active in the Republican Party as a Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) and 21st Legislative District Republicans Chair.
Focus on:
Defend our Families (Parental Rights, School Choice, more)
Protect Our Freedoms (Limited Government, Local Control, more)
Safeguard our Future (Protect Our Environment, Preserve All Energy Resources, Property Rights, more)
Special notes on this race: The PCRP has now had the opportunity to complete vetting for Republicans Bob Hagglund and Dan Matthews, and chose to find both Qualified.
Secretary of State: Dale Whitaker
Candidate Website: www.whitakerforwa.com
Notable Endorsements: Washington State Republican Party (WSRP), Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP).
Notes:
· Very focused on election integrity.
· Emigrated from the UK to the US and became a citizen in 2015.
· Both he and his wife have small businesses, his is a tax practice.
Special notes on this race: This is obviously a critical race for election integrity; please tell your friends about Dale Whitaker.
State Treasurer: Sharon Hanek
Notable Endorsements: Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP).
Candidate Website: http://www.sharonhanek.com
Notable Recommendations: Former State Treasurer Duane Davidson
Notes:
· CPA and owner of a CPA firm; helpful skill set for a Treasurer. 😉
· Experience as Chair of the Pierce County Charter Review Commission.
· Understands how Olympia works from a great deal of research and participation.
· Will not hesitate to call for an audit where she sees the need.
Special notes on this race: We have worked with Sharon and can strongly recommend her. She is exceptionally analytic in her thinking and has the experience to actually get things done in Olympia.
State Auditor: Matt Hawkins
Candidate Website: mchawkins.org
Notable Endorsements: Washington State Republican Party (WSRP), Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP).
Notes:
· “36 years of senior level business experience working with business owners and industry leaders, including Commercial and Investment Real Estate, Investment Banker, Investor, and Trustee for an Involuntary Bankruptcy. Various National advisory boards. Work with Audit teams.”
· Has the real-world experience in private industry, in part turning around a failing business. We could use a little of that in Olympia.
Attorney General: Pete Serrano
Candidate Website: https://serranoforag.com
Notable Endorsements: Washington State Republican Party (WSRP), Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP), Pasco Union Firefighters Local 1433, WA Farm Bureau PAC, far too many Sheriffs, Legislators, and County Republican parties to list here.
Notes:
· Mayor of Pasco; City Council since 2018
· General Counsel, Silent Majority Foundation
· Law school in environmental law including a Juris Doctorate
· Eagle Scout, BSA
Our people are 100% behind Serrano.
Commissioner of Public Lands: Sue Kuehl Pederson
Candidate Website: https://www.citizens4sue.com
Notable Endorsements: Washington State Republican Party (WSRP), Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP), many Republican County parties.
Notes:
· Scientist and Natural Resources Manager for 30 years
o Fish Biologist, at different times with WA Dept Fisheries and US Army Corps of Engineers/NOAA Fisheries
o US Observer, University of WA/NOAA Fisheries, Gulf of Alaska
o Project manager and technician for research projects all over US and in Argentina and Paraguay, using sonar to locate fish at dams and other structures
· BS in Biology from Western Washington University. Minored in Chemistry and German. Related coursework: Fisheries Emphasis; Pre-Med courses completed; full year of Physics
· [Much more; see the resume link on her sites “About” page.]
Special notes on this race: We have spoken with Sue Pederson many times: She has the no-kidding skill set to take care of our lands, fisheries and forests. She is someone who understands that proper management of forest lands also funds capital improvements to our schools, reducing the need for additional taxes.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: David Olson
Candidate Website: www.electdavidolson.com
Notable Endorsements: PCRP, Fifty-four (54) school board members from across the state, WA Farm Bureau PAC.
Notes:
· Served more than 10 years on the school board of the Peninsula School District, where students post results well above average.
· Will push changes needed to properly fund special education; he states that the lack of special education funding is the main reason schools are in the brink of financial collapse.
· Will encourage partnering with parents to fight chronic absenteeism.
· Will use letter grades rather than the “proficient/not proficient preferred by the current SPI.
· Will not limit opportunities for high achievers, while ensuring struggling students get the resources they need to succeed.
· Committed to local control of schools.
Insurance Commissioner: [In Analysis]
(If you have to vote right now, Phil Fortunato seems most likely to be recommended)
Candidate Website: www.votefortunato.org
Notes:
Based on his record in the legislature.
27th Legislative District Election Picks
State Rep. Pos. 1: Ken Paulson
and
State Senator: Carole Sue Braaten
Notable Endorsements: Pierce County Republican Party (PCRP)
These two picks are related. We have a shortage of willing conservative candidates in the 27th. To be fair we are – for now – a pretty blue district, and it can be discouraging to run against tough odds. But these two non-politician, grass-roots individuals did not want the leftist incumbents – one the powerful Speaker of the House – to go unchallenged. Carole Sue Braaten is active in our local 27th District Virginia Taylor Republican club. Ken Paulson was unfamiliar with our local party structure, but had the guts to jump in on his own.
So you won’t find fancy, expensive websites, campaigns and big donor fundraisers for these folks. But that is a good reason among others to give them your vote.
State Representative Pos. 2: <No endorsement; please see notes.>
There are two candidates from the left in this race. The first is incumbent Jake Fey, a standard left-wing Democrat and the typical bad news. His only opponent, Devin Rydel Kelly, is far worse. Kelly supported the extremely leftist and destructive Tacoma Measure 1, which will actually reduce the amount of low-cost housing available in Tacoma and punish affordable housing providers.
Normally with this situation, we would recommend leaving the ballot blank; an “undervote”, saying “none of the above”. The Democrat machine would support the incumbent, and we’d get the lesser of the two evils.
The concern with this race is that the far left will be fighting hard for Kelly, and they have a foothold in our district – that’s why Measure 1 passed.
We will not endorse or even recommend a Democrat, period. But we might at least consider tipping the scales on this one… your call.
Judicial Picks
State Supreme Court
Justice Position 2: Dave Larson
Candidate Website: www.larsonforwa.org
Notable Recommendations: PCRP
Notes:
Already a Judge: Presiding Judge for Federal Way Municipal Court for fourteen (14) years.
Sixteen (16) total years on the bench
Special notes on this race: Judicial races are of course difficult to, well, judge. Judges must neither have a bias, nor appear to have a bias. So they provide little in their campaigns to help one decide whether they will be proper originalists and textualists, or judges who will “legislate from the bench”. Our recommendation here is based largely on Judge Larson’s reputation with people we trust who have experience in this area, and know his background.
Pierce Superior Court
Judge Position 1: [In Analysis]
(If you have to vote right now, Paul Robson seems most likely to be recommended)
The incumbent is TaTeasha Davis, appointed to the court by Governor Inslee, challenged by Paul Robson, who is an attorney in Tacoma and has a military background as a JAG officer, in part at I Corps and Ft. Lewis. We have to look into this further; there is always a “rest of the story”. But based on what we know so far, if you have to vote right now, Paul Robson seems most likely to be recommended.
Anyone who was appointed by Jay Inslee is immediately suspect, and when in doubt someone with a military background in matters of law and justice seems to make sense – soldiers and vets tend to take those things seriously.
Judge Position 4: Rebecca Reeder
Candidate Website: www.rebeccaforjudge.com
Notable Recommendations: Recommended by PCRP[2].
Notes:
· Experience as a court commissioner and as a judge pro tempore.
· In private practice current firm 24 years, but the court asks to attorneys to volunteer or support on behalf of the government.
· President elect of the Tacoma Family Bar Association.
· Volunteers to support victims of sexual assault whose accused shows up with private counsel.
· Tacoma pro bono community lawyers.
· Volunteers at the University Place library; the public can come in and ask legal questions.
· Focused on children.
Special notes on this race: A couple of us first met Ms. Reeder at a Tacoma North End Neighborhood Council meeting; which we took as a good sign of interest in the community. From our purely personal point of view, she maintained the very professional neutral stance required of a judge, yet the discussion with her assured us that her application of the law would favor neither the left nor the right as is appropriate. She spoke at the April meeting of our 27th District Republicans, where that impression was reinforced. Some of the above notes come from that meeting.
Judge Position 9: Scott Peters
Candidate Website: www.scottforsuperiorcourt.com
Notable Recommendations: Qualified by PCRP[2] as well as the Pierce County Democrats. Recommendations include other Republican and Democrat organizations and elected officials, the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, Fire Companies, and labor unions.
Notes:
· Pierce County Deputy Prosecutor since 2004
· Currently handles charging and competency decisions
· Serves as a Pro Tempore Municipal Court Judge
Judge Position 10: Philip Thornton
Candidate Website: www.philipforjudge.com
Notable Recommendations: Qualified by PCRP[2] as well as the Pierce County Democrats. Has recommendations including Republican and Democrat elected officials, Tacoma 31st Fire Fighters IAFF, and the Tacoma Police Union, IUPA Local 6.
Notes:
· Current Superior Court Commissioner
· Has tried over 200 criminal trials
Judge Position 15 [In analysis; narrowed down]
The candidates are John Austin, Ingrid McLeod, and Brian Wasankari.
While judicial races are difficult to assess, one thing that helps is to look at each candidate’s list of endorsements. If a judicial candidate is well respected for fairness, one would expect to see at least a few endorsements from people from both major parties and from different walks of life, and none from extremists.
For this reason we have eliminated Ingrid McLeod from our list of choices: The list of endorsements by elected officials starts off with the very far-left Laurie Jinkins (who apparently does not support the initiative process). The list includes Ryan Mello and practically speaking consists of all Democrats. We have to go down to # 14 on that list to find an endorsement from a Republican Mayor, and he may indeed be the only one on the list. There are also endorsements from many of our state supreme court justices, and that is not a positive given that court’s bias.
We believe the PCRP will end up recommending either Brian Wasankari or John Austin. If you have additional insights into this race, please drop us a line.
County Picks
Executive: Kelly Chambers
Candidate Website: www.kellychambers.org
Notable Endorsements: PCRP, Bruce Dammeier, current Pierce County Executive; Pierce County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild; numerous state representatives, mayors, school board members and former sheriffs.
Notes:
· Business owner
· Current 25th District State Representative
· Supports energy choice
· Focus on the basic needs of the county: Drug and homeless crises,
Assessor - Treasurer: Joe Lonergan
Candidate Website: www.joelonergan.com
Notable Endorsements: Joe Lonergan is the only candidate qualified by the PCRP.
Notes:
· Tacoma Deputy Mayor and City Council Member, 8 years.
· Chair of South Sound 911 Board, Pierce County Regional Council, and Government Performance & Finance Committee.
· Advertising executive, 10 years.
· Director of People Technology, Motion Church.
Special notes on this race: Joe was a voice of sanity on the Tacoma City Council.
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Disclaimer: The research and opinions presented here are solely the work of the 27th District Republicans Website Staff, and do not necessarily represent any other individual or group including the greater Republican Party. This publication was created at the sole expense of the 27th District Republicans.
If you would like to discuss your views on the issues presented here or on other issues and concerns, or learn more about the real values of the Republican Party, please contact us here.
[1] A paraphrase of William F. Buckley Jr.’s quotes “I’d be for the most right, viable candidate who could win.”, and “Support the most conservative candidate who is electable”.
[2] In judicial races, it is considered correct to qualify or recommend rather than endorse.
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