Kathryn Lewandowski (left) and Keith Wagoner

Kathryn Lewandowski (left) and Keith Wagoner

Incumbent faces third-party foe in 39th District Senate race

Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, is opposed by Progressive Kathryn Lewandowsky of Arlington.

EVERETT — For close to two decades, voters in the 39th Legislative District have cast their ballots decisively red, favoring Republican state legislators in each general election since 2002.

This fall, Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, will look to maintain his party’s grasp on a state Senate seat it’s held since 1996. Third-party candidate Kathryn Lewandowsky, of the Washington Progressive Party, is challenging the incumbent.

Wagoner, 59, won his position for the first time in the 2018 election after being appointed to the Senate earlier that year. He previously was the mayor of Sedro-Woolley and served on the town’s council.

Lewandowsky, 61, of Arlington, is a nurse with more than 30 years of bedside experience. A board member with Whole Washington, a single-payer, universal health care proposal, she said the goal of her run for office is to get everyone in the state adequate health care.

The candidates are vying for a four-year term representing a district that comprises rural areas of Snohomish and Skagit counties, and a sliver of King County. It includes the cities of Arlington, Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, Darrington, Granite Falls and Index.

Jump starting the economy and balancing the state budget are Wagoner’s immediate priorities if reelected. He said difficult work is ahead in the next legislative session as representatives will need to be surgical in making cuts that don’t harm the state’s most vulnerable populations.

Wagoner anticipates swift bipartisan support for legislation limiting the governor’s emergency powers. The senator said he originally supported giving Gov. Jay Inslee sweeping control amid the COVID-19 pandemic, never predicting it would be so greatly abused.

“We’ve been isolated as a Legislature, we are not involved in any way with helping solve Washington’s problems right now, which means I’m not representing my constituents,” Wagoner said.

In addition to health care, Lewandowsky is passionate about preserving the planet. She said there are no options beyond taking difficult actions if people want to pass on a livable planet to their grandchildren.

“We are at the point where we have to make the hard choices, and the people that are currently in our Legislature, I don’t feel they’re willing to make the hard choices,” Lewandowsky said.

Both candidates agree that coronavirus has revealed pitfalls with operations in the state, but they disagree on what those shortcomings are and how each should be resolved.

Wagoner said the current cookie-cutter approach to reopening the economy is too slow. Having lost family and friends to the virus, he said he understands it’s severity, but believes the state can’t hunker down and wait out the virus.

He supports giving power to local government to be part of the solution, getting kids back to school for the betterment of their mental health and resolving woes within the state’s Employment Security Department that delayed payments to those who lost work.

“We’ve been so focused on coronavirus itself, that we’ve forgotten about all the secondary and tertiary affects that are also killing and damaging people,” Wagoner said.

Coronavirus further displayed to Lewandowsky the necessity of separating health care and employment.

If elected, Lewandowsky said she would act with urgency to enact the Whole Washington plan. She said the approach would save the state $9 billion annually, helping to resolve the state’s budget shortfall.

“If we do the right thing, we won’t have to experience those cuts,” Lewandowsky said.

When resolving economic woes, Lewandowsky said people must realize the economy may never look the same again and the solution will likely come from looking ahead at where our resources are needed. She also supports updating the state tax system, so large businesses are obligated to pay their fair share.

Lewandowsky said she also wants to prioritize removing big money from politics.

“We continue electing the same people and expecting we are going to have different result,” she said.

Wagoner favors removing business and occupation (B&O) taxes and manufacturing taxes in Washington to support companies negatively impacted by the departure of Boeing 787 production.

The senator said he has a good record working across the aisle and if reelected, hopes to continue being a positive influence for rural communities in Olympia.

“I act as a cultural translator by saying, ‘Maybe that works in Seattle, but when you come to Granite Falls, Monroe or Arlington, it’s a different lifestyle, so please take that into account,’” Wagoner said.

Ballots have begun to be distributed across the state and must be submitted at a drop box or by mail by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3448; idavisleonard@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @IanDavisLeonard.

Ian Davis-Leonard reports on working class issues through Report for America, a national service program that places emerging journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. To support Ian’s work at The Daily Herald with a tax-deductible donation, go to www.heraldnet.com/support.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

The Edmonds School Board discusses budget cuts during a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds school board approves 2025-26 budget

After facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall earlier in the year, the board passed a balanced budget Tuesday.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.