NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
WASHINGTON
ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS
JAMIE HERRERA BEUTLER BEATS
LABOR-BACKED CHALLENGER Labor-
supported incumbent U.S. Senator Maria
Cantwell easily won re-election. But
dashing the hopes of her union
endorsers, Washington State University
political science professor Carolyn Long
came up short in her race against
incumbent Republican Congresswoman
Jaime Herrera Beutler. Long got 47
percent of the vote, more than any other
challenger since Herrera Beutler won
office in 2010. Prior to Herrera Beutler,
the seat was held for 12 years by a
Democrat, Brian Baird. The Washington
State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, did
celebrate one notable Congressional win:
union-endorsed Democrat Kim Schrier
beat Dino Rossi to win the Congressional
District east of Seattle that is currently
held by Republican Dave Reichert. Rossi
adds that loss to two lost races for
Washington governor, and one race for
U.S. Senate. His loss record is a relief for
organized labor: When he served in the
state legislature, Rossi had about the
most anti-labor voting record of any
legislator then or since.
BALLOT MEASURES
NO TO CLEAN ENERGY JOBS, YES TO
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY Unions were
split on I-1631, the Clean Energy Jobs
measure, which would have taxed fossil
fuels to invest in wind and solar energy,
public transit, and home efficiency
upgrades. Most unions supported it, but
some building trades unions opposed it.
In the end it was fossil fuel money that
won the day: Oil companies spent $31.5
million against it, and the measure went
down to defeat with just 44 percent
support. Washington voters did approve
I-940, a measure on police use of deadly
force. Broadly endorsed by unions, the
measure requires that police be trained
for violence de-escalation, mental health,
and first aid, and it requires independent
investigations of police use of deadly
force. It passed with 59 percent support.
WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE
HOUSE AND SENATE WINS, BUT NOT
IN SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
Democrats added three Senate seats and
seven House seats to their legislative
majorities; next year, they’ll control the
Senate 28-20-1 and the House 57 to 41.
But in contested Vancouver-area
legislative races, all four union-backed
Democrats lost. In Eastside Vancouver’s
17th Legislative District, Tanisha Harris
got 49 percent against incumbent Vicki
Kraft, a former employee of the anti-
union Freedom Foundation; and union-
backed Damion Jiles got just 42 percent
Marion-Polk-Yamhill Counties Central Labor Chapter’s
78 Annual Children’s Holiday Party
th
All the children of Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties
and their families are invited to MPYCCLC’s 78th
Annual Children’s Holiday Party. The fun includes
live Christmas music, a showing of the movie
“Polar Express,” goodie bags for the kids and
— of course — a visit from Santa Claus.
Saturday, Dec. 1,
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Historic Elsinor Theatre
170 High St. SE, Salem
FREE!
For more information,
contact Elissa Edge at
elissa@osea.org or
503-428-3971
in his challenge to Republican incumbent
Paul Harris. In Clark County’s 18th
Legislative District, union-backed Chris
Thobaben and Kathy Gillespie got 44
percent and 47 percent respectively.
Southwest Washington does still have a
few labor-friendly legislators though: In
the 49th Legislative District (Vancouver),
Sharon Wylie and Monica Stonier ran
unopposed for re-election. And in
Longview-area Legislative District 19,
union-backed Brian Blake easily won re-
election.
CLARK COUNTY
Three of the five union-backed candidates
for county office won: Temple Lentz won
her race for County Council with 60 percent
support; Alishia Topper won county treas-
urer with 69 percent; and incumbent As-
sessor Peter Van Nortwick won re-elec-
tion with 60 percent support. But Eric Holt,
a former shop steward in Teamsters Local
162, lost a very close race for county chair,
with the support of 49.7 percent of those
voting. And County Clerk employee and
November 16, 2018 | PAGE 5
OPEIU Local 11 president Barbara Melton
lost her race for County Clerk, garnering 47
percent of the vote. Union-endorsed Clark
Public Utility District Commissioner Jim
Malinowski won re-election with 56 per-
cent support.
VANCOUVER
Union-backed Laurie Lebowsky won re-
election to Vancouver City Council with 52
percent of the vote.