By Evan Smith
Incumbent 32nd District Democratic State Rep. Ruth Kagi and Democratic challenger Wesley Irwin both emphasized education in issue statements that they sent recently.
Democrats Irwin and Kagi, Republican David Schirle and Libertarian Alex Hart are running for the position that Kagi has held for nine two-year terms.
The four candidates are running on the Aug. 2 primary ballot, with the two leaders advancing to the November general-election ballot, regardless of party.
The 32nd Legislative District includes Lynnwood, Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County, parts of Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace, the city of Shoreline and part of northwest Seattle.
Here are statements from the candidates in the order their names will appear on the primary ballot and in the voters’ pamphlet:
Ruth Kagi (Prefers Democratic Party) —
The primary issue facing the legislature is fully funding education including early learning. We must assure that children arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed and have many opportunities to thrive in our K-12 schools. Also, the safety net for vulnerable children and families must be protected. Additional revenue is critical to success. I support progressive revenue proposals that do not increase the tax burden on low and middle-income families.
Too many children and youth gain access to guns in their own homes. I am reintroducing a safe gun storage bill to prevent needless tragedies in our homes and communities.
David D. Schirle (Prefers Republican Party) —
Issue statement has not arrived.
Alex Hart (Prefers Libertarian Party) —
Issue statement has not arrived.
Wesley Irwin (Prefers Democratic Party) —
I believe strongly that we need to evolve from a fossil-fuel economy as quickly as possible to tackle the problem of climate change. I believe that strengthening our educational system will be one of the most effective ways to do this. By creating a WA State Public Bank, where students can get loans and refinance previous loans at interest rates that are fair and manageable we can take a step towards affordable higher education, and take control of our state’s finances away from the Wall Street banks. Solving the climate crisis through educational opportunities is a priority for my campaign.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.
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