By Evan Smith
In the 1st Legislative District, incumbent Democratic state Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe faces Republican challenger Dawn McCravey in the Nov. 6 general election, Democratic state Rep. Derek Stanford faces Republican challenger Sandy Guinn, and Rep. Luis Moscoso faces Mark Davies, who is endorsed by local Republicans but will appear on the ballot with no party preference because he qualified for November as an unregistered write-in candidate in the primary.
The 1st District includes most of Mountlake Terrace, all of Brier and Bothell, part of Kirkland, unincorporated areas of King County between Bothell and Kirkland, and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County north and east of Bothell.
I posted statements from Moscoso and Davies last week. Here, I post comments from McAuliffe, McCravey, Guinn and Stanford:
1st Legislative District state senator:
Rosemary McAuliffe: “It’s plain and simple we need jobs in the state of Washington. By establishing educational goals now we can set our students up for success so they can get the jobs they need to earn a living wage. I will work tirelessly to fully fund basic education. I will invest in preschool, all day kindergarten and support our littlest learners through third grade to ensure long-term success. I will continue to expand STEM education to K-12, linking them to the high demand jobs in Washington state. As a small business owner I too understand the challenges many of you faced during this economic downturn. We must invest in businesses, small and large. Creating jobs and keeping people working in Washington state is important to our economic recovery. I will continue to fight for the values important to our state and the people of the 1st district.”
Dawn McCravey: “My name is Dawn McCravey, and I am running to bring a new voice to Olympia.
“For too long, Olympia has failed our kids, our families and our small businesses. It’s time to move things in a new direction.
“First, we must fully fund our schools and equip our students for the future. We currently rank 46th in the nation for per-pupil funding and our kids are falling behind. We must make education our first priority.
“We must also do all we can to help grow our economy and create new jobs. Washington families are suffering from unemployment, under-employment and lack of opportunity. It shouldn’t be that way in a state full of innovators
“And we must pass a sustainable budget and end the cycle of deficits, costly special sessions and accounting gimmicks.
“I know we can do better and I am asking for your vote to make that happen.”
1st Legislative District representative, Position 1:
Sandy Guinn: “Growing up in Snohomish County, with my Mom working for Boeing, I know what unemployment feels like. Today, there are many people working hard to keep things together and live within a budget.
“Top Priorities:
1. Get people back to work
2. Lower cost and complexity of doing business in Washington, especially for small businesses
3. Invest in education
4. Balance the budget without costly special sessions
“One of the responsibilities of state government is to live within our means. If the state cannot balance a budget, this cannot be accomplished. We need to work together for the benefit of the citizens of Washington.
Washington state has the second highest failure rate of small businesses in the nation. Endorsed by the Association of Washington Business, I will work with businesses before passing regulations that may negatively affect businesses.
“Making government work isn’t hard — if you focus on the basics.”
Derek Stanford: “I ran for the Legislature two years ago because I wanted Olympia to focus on what middle class families go through every day. Like you, I work hard, pay a mortgage, and raise a family.
“That’s why I championed the Jobs Now Act so more people can get back to work, especially in the construction industry. I fought for investments at UW-Bothell so more kids can compete in this global economy. I also worked to keep our neighborhoods and communities safe, including strengthening our drunk driving laws to include increased jail time.
“Most importantly, I backed a sustainable and balanced budget that kept my top priority: no further cuts to K-12 education. It’s your money, and we need to be as efficient as possible.
“I’m endorsed by the State Patrol Troopers Association, Children’s Campaign Fund, Sheriff John Lovick, County Council members Dave Gossett and Dave Somers, and many more.”
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.
