PIVOTAL STATE RACES IN A YEAR FOCUSED ON LOCAL RACES

So, I wrote an article last month about many of the local races to watch during this odd year election. These odd year elections don’t come with any of the glitz and glamour of the big national mid-term election spotlight or the importance of a presidential election, but odd year elections are where things can sneak by when voters aren’t paying attention. If you want to know some of the local candidates to watch for, check out the July issue of Current for our PAC Voter’s Guide and a breakdown of some of the candidates.

However, this article will focus on the critically important state legislative races to pay attention to in this, an odd year election.

District 5: Chad Magendanz (R) – State Senate

This district has seen quite a few changes over the past year. The longstanding district Senator Mark Mullet (D) did not run for re-election as he chose to run for governor in 2024. His bid was not successful, but he is campaigning for the mayor’s office in his hometown of Issaquah. At the time Senator Mullet announced he would not be running for re-election, District 5 Representative Bill Ramos (D) announced his campaign for the open senate seat, and he was successful in November 2024. His opponent for that race was Chad Magendanz (R), a Naval veteran and former two-term State Representative for District 5 from 2013–2017. Ramos prevailed by just 3,400 votes in a district that is traditionally very purple.

Tragically, Senator Ramos held his seat for just a few months to start the 2025 legislative session before passing away while out on a trail run near his home. After Ramos’ passing, District 5 Representative Victoria Hunt (D) was appointed to the senate position and is now conducting her first campaign to hold the seat. Chad Magendanz is once again running for the senate seat and may be able to flip this back to the Republican Caucus. It is extremely important to elect a candidate to this senate seat who understands RHAWA’s issues and our membership’s concerns, and Chad Magendanz will be that senator for us.

District 26: Michelle Caldier (R) State Senate

There are 49 statewide districts that have two-party representation at the state legislature. District 26 is one of those districts with: Representative Michelle Caldier (R), Representative Adison Richards (D), and Senator Deb Krishnadasan (D). Senator Krishnadasan was appointed earlier this year after the previously elected Senator Emily Randall was elected to the United States Congress. As such, this will be Krishnadasan’s first legislative campaign, and her opponent will be ten-year District 26 Representative Michelle Caldier. Caldier has maintained her seat for such a long stretch of time because the voters in her district trust her and believe she has done great work in Olympia. Representative Caldier has always been an ardent supporter of RHAWA and our membership and, as I mentioned above for District 5, would be an advocating voice for our membership in the Senate where I will remind our readers the vote on the rent control bill was incredibly close.

District 33: Kevin Schilling (D) – State Representative

Kevin Schilling is currently the Mayor of Burien and has been a very outspoken critic of how housing is being handled in our state. He is running for state representative in his district and hopes to bring his voice of reason to Olympia.

This district has seen a fair amount of movement over the last year as well. Longstanding Senator Karen Keiser announced her retirement, and Representative Tina Orwall was appointed to the vacant senate seat. That left a representative seat open, and Edwin Obras, a long-time human-service-focused professional, was appointed to the seat in December of 2024.

Schilling will be a staunch advocate for RHAWA and our interests in Olympia and very much understands the inner workings of Olympia due to his time serving as the lobbyist for the Washington State Dental Association since 2023.

District 48: Amy Walen (D) – State Senate

If you have watched any of the votes on various housing-centric or rent control bills over the last few years, you will know that Representative Amy Walen has voted against rent control on every occasion. She comes from a legal and business background and understands how economics and housing work not the fairy tale being peddled in Olympia.

This district too has had a lot of movement. In 2024, current Senator Patty Kuderer (D), a thorn in the side of rental housing providers everywhere, the cause of many headaches for housing providers and tenants statewide sorry, back on track; chose to run for Insurance Commissioner of Washington. Senator Kuderer was successful in her bid and, as such, District 48 Representative Vandana Slatter was appointed to the vacant senate seat.

Representative Walen believes that moving District 48 in a more pragmatic and sensical direction is much better for the long term not just for her district, but for all of Washington State. She will be a firm stop-gap for much of the lunacy previously derived from the Washington State Senate.

How is this all connected?

You’ll notice while walking through all these districts I said the word “appointed” an awful lot. That is because every race mentioned above is a race against an appointed—not a duly elected—legislator. True, some of the candidates were elected to the House in their respective districts, but the bottom line is, they were appointed to the seats.

I don’t think I need to impress upon our readers how much of a difference three more votes would have made for the rent control train as it stopped off at Senate Station in April. Tell your friends, your family, and anyone who lives in these districts to thoughtfully consider who they want representing them in the future.

A reminder, campaigns are run with money. Flyers, yard sign, phone calls, food for volunteers, radio ads - all of these cost money. If you are able to make a contribution to any of our suggested candidates’ campaigns, please do so by visiting their campaign websites. If you would like to help in another way, donate to the RHA PAC, where we work hard for our members every day to help ensure we elect candidates who understand our issues and will work on policy that is good for residents and rental housing providers alike.