Consumer protection is a top priority for me, driven by personal experience. We discovered my grandmother had been targeted by predatory lenders who convinced her to sign up for a reverse mortgage, after the death of my grandfather. Fortunately, we caught it in time and were able to get her out of it but these lenders often prey on recent widows and widowers, exploiting their vulnerability during times of grief.

With technology advancing, predatory practices have become more sophisticated, particularly targeting the elderly. It’s crucial for our laws to keep up and protect our most vulnerable. Education and outreach are key. People need to know their rights and how the Attorney General can help protect them. As Attorney General, I will prioritize community education and stronger laws to ensure everyone, especially our elderly, is safeguarded against exploitation.

I stood up to big tech on a bill I sponsored, “My Health My Data”, which is the only privacy bill in Washington State that has recently passed. I was honored to be invited to the White House last year to present this bill to other national leaders.  We have a lot of work to do to hold our companies accountable for data breaches and cybersecurity issues. I would be honored to continue to lead in this area.

Our next Attorney General has to be someone who prioritizes access to healthcare.  We can have all the great laws on our books but if people cannot access affordable healthcare then we are failing.  As AG, my priority will be to look at access issues statewide, especially in terms of mergers in our healthcare system.  I have championed the Keep Our Care Act and will continue to ensure this policy becomes law.

Access also includes affordability.  We have to ensure that people do not go into poverty over medical debt.  We have to look at transparency in pricing, including parity between mental and physical health.

Having spent the last seven years on the Senate Health & Long-Term Care committee, I know there is a lot we have to do to fix our healthcare system and given my partnership with the legislature and wonderful stakeholders I know I will continue to be a leader in this area.  None of the issues can be addressed if we don’t have a workforce that is respected and listened to.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy and fulfilling life, and I will fight tirelessly to ensure that healthcare access is a reality for all Washingtonians.

I am proud to be endorsed by:

• Washington State Nurses Association
• Washington State Mental Health Counselors Association
• Washington State Physical Therapy Association
• Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates 
• Senator Annette Cleveland, Chair of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care committee
• Representative Marcus Riccelli, Chair of the House Health & Wellness committee

 

I was the first candidate in WA to make gun violence prevention an official campaign platform in 2017. I have been a champion for gun violence prevention my entire legislative career. As a prosecutor, I have decades of experience working with survivors of violence, standing up for the most marginalized in our community, and having worked on removing guns from perpetrators of violence. For years, I have had concerns about individuals with a history of violence having access to firearms, and I have written and sponsored legislation to remove guns from individuals who are a danger to themselves and others. I have successfully sponsored gun legislation every single year and this year, my bill even had bi-partisan support. I created the first in the nation statewide Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention in Washington.  We cannot simply react to tragedy after the fact, we have to ensure we are collecting data and investing in early intervention and prevention efforts that this office is working on,

As Attorney General, I will continue to work closely with the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention to ensure statewide leadership on this issue.  We know that enforcement of our gun laws is not occurring consistently across the state. I will create a team of dedicated AAGs to ensure we are implementing all the laws around ineligibility and surrender of firearms in the state. As Attorney General, I will be the first line of defense in defending all the legislation we passed in the last few years, legislation I helped write, sponsor and champion in the legislature.

I am proud to be endorsed by the Alliance for Gun Responsibility and am a designated Moms Demand Action candidate. 

I am proud of my record of leadership in the State Senate– advancing bills that keep us safer, expand worker rights, address historic inequities, and reduce gun violence. I am proud of my voting record on the environment– supporting landmark climate legislation, strengthening polluter accountability, and standing up for environmental justice.

As AG, I will bring the same tireless advocacy I have led with in the State Senate to:

• Expand the AGs Environmental Division to better meet the needs of frontline and vulnerable communities — taking on polluters, reducing exposure to dangerous chemicals, dirty water, and climate impacts
• Better enforce the laws to safeguard our old growth forests, salmon recovery efforts, reduce carbon and toxic pollution, and maintain progress on climate action
• Strengthen and enforce laws that help families and communities, protect our natural legacy, and set a national standard
• Stand steadfast against partisan attacks from MAGA supporters and donors, polluting industries, Trump, Congress, and the Courts — from rollbacks and attacks in laws that must be preserved

These are all areas where as AG I can step in on Day One to enforce these laws, build strong partnerships statewide and across our nation, and work to improve them to best respond to the needs of our families and communities.

As our next Attorney General, I’ll continue to stand up for what is right and collaborate with local, regional, tribal, and national leaders to get the job done.

I am proud to be endorsed by:

• Washington Conservation Action
• Tulalip Tribes
• Quinault Indian Nation
• Olympic Climate Action
• Senator Joe Nguyen, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Environment, & Technology
• Representative Beth Doglio, Chair of the House Committee on Environment & Energy

 

No one will fight harder for access to reproductive and gender-affirming care than me. Our next attorney general has to be someone who prioritizes reproductive rights and access to services. I led Washington’s efforts to ensure we were doing everything possible to protect both patients and providers and ensure Washington is a safe haven for all to access reproductive and gender-affirming care. In the State Senate, I have been securing the nation’s strongest privacy protections for sensitive reproductive and health care data, prohibiting cost-sharing for abortion, protecting people seeking an abortion in Washington and providers from prosecution in other states, protecting health providers from professional disciplinary action in Washington for performing procedures that are legal here, regardless of laws in other states, and giving the DOC authority to act as a wholesaler and dispenser of mifepristone to Washington providers and patients. I was honored last year to be invited to the White House to present on my data privacy bill for other national leaders. As Attorney General, I will ensure we are enforcing all the great laws passed by our legislature.

I am proud to be the only candidate in this race endorsed by:

• Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates
• American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists
• Washington State Nurses Association
• EMILY’s List.
• Washington State Stonewall Democrats

Affordable housing is a critical issue. The exorbitant cost of housing creates significant barriers to homeownership and stable rental housing. As Senator, I am proud to have voted to expand access to affordable housing options, protect tenants from exploitative practices, and hold landlords and developers accountable for providing safe and affordable housing for all. I was proud to support ‘missing middle’ legislation as an important step to create more homeownership opportunities and build generational wealth.

As AG, I will be addressing abusive landlord practices including price fixing, and ensure we are investigating and prosecuting cases of unlawful evictions, harassment, and discrimination.

I will be a partner in ensuring siting and permitting issues are not a barrier to building more units. I will review statutes, policies, and procedures to attempt to streamline the process of purchasing land to get to the finished product. With my excellent relationship with the legislature, I will be a vocal advocate for effective strategies to meet the needs of all Washingtonians to be housed.

I am proud to be endorsed by Senator Patty Kurderer, Chair of the Senate Housing Committee.

I have been a leader in increasing access to mental health services throughout my career. As Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, I created and chaired the King County Therapeutic Alternative Unit, supervising the Regional Mental Health Court. As State Senator, I helped develop the 988 crisis resources that now serve as a national model. I am honored to have received an award from the American Psychiatric Association as well as numerous local awards for my work on mental health.

I am the only candidate in this race with a background in forensic mental health.  We have to address the Trueblood lawsuit and ensure our entire civil and forensic mental health system is working seamlessly to get individuals the help that they need.

Nowhere is this work needed more than in our schools. The rise in mental health issues in our children is unprecedented and requires a deliberate effort to address it. I will work with schools to ensure that they provide appropriate access to mental health resources for all students.  As Attorney General, I will ensure the Civil Rights division is looking into our schools to ensure they are providing the federal and state resources that all our special needs kids are entitled to.

We need a statewide leader who is a Mental Health Champion who understands the entire system to ensure we continue to make progress in this state.   

I am proud to be endorsed by the Washington State Nurses Association, Washington State Mental Health Counselors Association, and am an Inseparable Action Mental Health designated champion. 

Public safety has been my top priority as a Senior Deputy Prosecutor, State Senator and mom, and will remain my top priority as Attorney General.

I was a two-decade Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with King County, and was the former Chair of the Therapeutic Alternative Unit.  As a prosecutor, I worked on domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking cases, gun cases, hate crimes, burglaries, robberies, and property crimes,

As Chair, I supervised the Regional Mental Health Court, Veterans Court and the Community Assessment and Referral for Diversion program.  I led the Coordinated Crisis Intervention Response meetings where I collaborated with all King County law enforcement officers to find creative solutions and coordinate responses to help individuals with mental illness.  I helped create the 40-hour crisis intervention training for law enforcement and was a trainer at the Criminal Justice Training Commission.  I was also instrumental in creating our 988 crisis system in WA, which is now the national model.  In the last few years, I have updated our entire civil commitment statute to ensure it is relevant to the needs of today.

I have also served as a member of Shoreline Police Department’s Advisory Group for Response Awareness De-escalation and Referral (RADAR) and participated in the Seattle Police Department’s Muslim, Sikh, and Arab Advisory Council and WA State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Task Force.  For years I had concerns about individuals with a history of violence having access to guns and I have written and sponsored legislation to remove guns from individuals who are a danger to themselves and others.

I’ve spent my career in the courtroom and State Senate helping survivors of gender based violence.  I started Chaya (now API Chaya),  in order to address the needs of South Asian survivors of domestic violence.  I set up the direct services program for the organization, served on the board as a member and President.  In the Senate, I’ve passed civil protection laws, and we now have some of the best practices in the country to ensure survivors have access to resources and legal options for seeking protection.  I recently received the 2023 Norm Maleng Award from Lifewire for my tireless efforts to end sexual and domestic violence.

As a former union member and elected leader, I have stood with workers and working families, making every policy decision and investment with the impact of workers and their families in mind.  I am proud to be the only candidate to have a 100% voting record with labor.  In the 2023 and 2024 sessions alone, I was honored to sponsor/support the following victories in collaboration with working families:

• SB 5217 helps prevent workplace injuries
• SB 5320 creates pathways to licensed trades
• SB 5236 safe staffing in hospitals
• SB 5123 ban on pre-employment cannabis tests
• HB 1762 decreases on-the-job injuries
• HB 1068 improves protections for injured workers
• HB 1187 concerning privileged communication between employees and union

 

I am proud to be endorsed by the:

• Washington State Labor Council
• IAM 751
• Teamsters 117
• Washington Federation of State Employees
• SEIU 925 
• SEIU 6
• Washington State Nurses Association
• IBEW 48
• American Federation of Teachers
• Bellevue Firefighters
• Ironworkers 86
• Pacific Northwest Iron Workers District Council

• Redmond Firefighters

• Sheet Metal Workers Local 66

• Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council

• Spokane Firefighters, UFCW 3000

• Washington State Fire Chiefs

 

The fentanyl crisis gripping our communities demands urgent attention and decisive action. Its devastating impact is felt in every corner of our state, tearing families apart and claiming far too many lives. We need a leader with the background and experience to confront this crisis head-on. This means cracking down on the illicit fentanyl trade, holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in fueling the crisis, and investing in prevention, treatment, and recovery programs that offer hope and support to those struggling with addiction.

Privacy issues are becoming more and more urgent every day.  I was the prime sponsor of the only data privacy bill to have been signed into law in recent history in the State of Washington.  In order to truly address privacy, cybersecurity, and online fraud, it is imperative that our elected officials have a good understanding of technology and future innovation.  As a representative of one of the most technologically sophisticated districts in our state with personal relationships with leaders and experts in the field, I will always be at the forefront of addressing privacy.

In fact, I have been coordinating with California legislators on privacy issues for the last few years to ensure that we can keep up with the protections being offered by the European Union.  Implementation and enforcement of privacy laws will always be a priority for me as your next AG.  My proven leadership on this issue will play a critical role in enabling our state to be not just a national leader, but an international leader in this arena.

As AG, I’ll work in partnership with tribal nations in Government-to-Government collaboration that respects sovereignty and protects the rights and autonomy of native people. This includes public safety coordination, addressing the ongoing fentanyl and opioid crises, holding polluters accountable, consumer protection, and equal protections for housing, employment, and access to justice. These are all areas where native communities are disproportionately harmed.

I was the prime sponsor of the Tribal Warrants bill to create a pathway for full faith and credit recognition of our tribal warrants. This bill complements tribal sovereignty by creating processes that allow for the detention and enforcement of tribal arrest warrants for individuals not living on tribal land. I helped create the Cold Case Unit at the AGO while on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Taskforce, so I know first-hand the role gender-based violence plays in native communities. My work on 988 helped create the first and only Native and Strong crisis line in the country.

I am honored to have received the endorsement of the Tulalip Tribes, Quinault Indian Nation, and Native leaders across WA, including all 3 of our Native legislators Senator Claudia Kauffman, Representative Debra Lekanoff, and Representative Chris Stearns. 

Hate crimes have alarmingly increased, spreading fear and division. Hate crimes don’t simply impact individuals but they make entire communities feel unwelcome. I have worked on addressing hate crimes as a prosecutor since 9/11. As a legislator, I have worked with interfaith communities to strengthen laws holding people accountable and providing communities resources. The new hate crime hotline is going to be housed at the Attorney General’s Office and our next attorney general must have experience and passion to address this issue by ensuring the statewide hotline is implemented in the manner intended, that there is appropriate data collection and outreach into the community to address hate and bias incidents. I helped write and pass this bill and will be honored to do the work to implement it.