2nd Legislative District

Bryan Yambe is running to retain his seat on the Pierce County Council representing District 5. Yambe previously served on the Fife City Council before being appointed to the county council earlier this year. Yambe is a lifelong volunteer and a movement builder. He has worked with the Pierce County Young Democrats, 25th Legislative District Democrats, and the Washington State Labor Council, as well as multiple other boards and progressive organizations. When he was elected in 2013, he became only the second Japanese-American person to serve on the Fife City Council.

Yambe's current campaign platform includes detailed plans to create more affordable homes, raise wages, address public safety, improve transportation, and public health. He is a proponent of strengthening wraparound services and rehousing programs for people experiencing homelessness. Yambe also intends to create opportunities for first-time home buyers, centered around equity. Additionally, he is in favor of expanding crisis response teams and investing in youth intervention programs. In public health, Yambe plans to support local farmers and expand nutrition assistance programs.

Due to his track record of progressive leadership, detailed campaign, and endorsements from our partner organizations, we enthusiastically recommend retaining Bryan Yambe for Pierce County Council, District 5.

Kelsey Barrans is running against Steve McCoy for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 1, Position 1. We are confident Barrans is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Nathaniel Downes is running against Sharon Hanek for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 1, Position 2.

Hanek has run for office unsuccessfully several times before as a Republican, including losing by nearly 15% statewide in her 2024 run for state Treasurer. Hanek is the founder of My Family My Choice, a far-right group aligned with Moms for Liberty that wants to ban books and promotes conspiracy theories about public schools. We can't afford to give Hanek a platform for her dangerous, far-right agenda.

We are confident Downes is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders.

Tamara Stramel is running against Jerome O'Leary for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 1, Position 3. Stramel is active with the 31st LD Democrats and organized in support of the Sumner-Bonney Lake School Bond last year.

We are confident Stramel is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

John Linboe is running against Hollie Rogge for the Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 3, Position 3. Linboe serves on the South Pierce Fire and Rescue Commission and as the director of Region 7 for the Washington State Fire Commissioners Association. He has also built a long track record in labor leadership, including serving on the executive board of the local machinist and aerospace worker union, as a delegate for the Pierce County Labor Council, and on the state’s Labor Council Economic Development and Transportation Committee.

Linboe is running to build an inclusive and sustainable future for Pierce County. If elected, he wants to bring progress through creating good-wage jobs, addressing the housing crisis, and investing in raising the rural quality of life. He is the best choice for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 3, Position 3.

Troy Serad is running against Brett Johnson for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 5, Position 2. We are confident Serad is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

First-time candidate Maren Turner is running for Position 4 on the Lacey City Council. A gerontologist, she works as the Chief of Home and Community Programs for the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration within Washington’s Department of Social and Human Services agency.

Turner's campaign priorities focus on building more safe and affordable housing, as well as maintaining an excellent quality of life for Lacey residents.

We recommend Maren Turner for Lacey City Council, Position 4 because of her strong support from our progressive partner organizations.

Ryan Siu is running for Lacey City Council, Position 6. He is a program analyst at the Washington State Office of Public Defense, where he formerly served as a paralegal.

We are confident that Siu is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Carolyn Cox was first elected to the council in 2018 and is running for a third term in Position 7. She currently serves on the council's Community Relations & Public Affairs Committee, Land Use and Environment Committee, and Utilities Committee. Cox also continues to represent Lacey in regional governance groups, including a recent election to chair of the Intercity Transit Authority.

Her campaign priorities include expanding affordable housing options, addressing climate change, making Lacey a more welcoming and equitable city, improving public transit, and ensuring Lacey grows gracefully.

We recommend Carolyn Cox for Lacey City Council, Position 7.

Incumbent Clark Gilman is running for re-election for the Olympia City Council, Position 4. Throughout his tenure on the city council, Gilman has proven himself to be a thoughtful and progressive leader in Olympia.

In 2025, Gilman proposed to provide $30,000 in council goal funds to support immigrants and refugee families in Thurston County. The council approved the proposal unanimously, with fellow council member Dani Madrone saying, "Gilman has been engaging with the immigrant community to learn about the needs they have." He recently challenged the latest 2045 Comprehensive Plan, saying the draft chapter "falls short of aligning with the city's climate goals, particularly in terms of how it evaluates transportation-related projects." He highlighted the influence of interest groups on these issues and proposed including a chapter to prioritize projects that reduce urban sprawl or decrease emissions.

We recommend Clark Gilman for re-election to the Olympia City Council, Position 4.

Kelly Green is running unopposed to retain Position 5 on the Olympia City Council. Green was first appointed to the council in early 2025 to fill the vacancy left when Lisa Parshley was elected to the Legislature. An Oregon native, Green eventually settled in Olympia after serving as an English teacher in the Peace Corps. She is currently the Vice President for Advancement at South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC).

Green first campaigned to address Olympia's budget deficits, affordable housing, and the completion of the city's Comprehensive Plan. In March 2025, Kelly Green spoke in support of a project to make more affordable housing for SPSCC students on campus. She also supported a referral to provide $30,000 to help immigrant and refugee families settle in Olympia.

In her current campaign, Green has prioritized bringing people together, preserving our natural environment, and boosting economic opportunities. We hope to see her continue to address the challenges she put forth in her first campaign, such as addressing the lack of affordable homes.

We recommend Kelly Green for Olympia City Council, Position 5, due to her thoughtful, progressive leadership for the city.

Justin Stang is challenging incumbent Robert Vanderpool for Olympia City Council, Position 6. According to his website, Stang has worked in both the nonprofit and private sectors, focusing on environmental conservation, public health, and equitable economic development.

Stang's campaign priorities include supporting small businesses, enhancing public safety, and promoting long-term financial stability. Stang supports initiatives for small businesses, including scholarships and training funding that targets minority-owned and women-owned businesses. He also wants to expand access to emergency shelters and transitional housing options.

While he proposed some progressive solutions, we would like to see Justin Stang's platform developed a bit further. We recommend instead voting to retain Robert Vanderpool for Olympia City Council, Position 6, as he has a more clearly demonstrated track record, both in office and in the community.

Caleb Gieger is running for Olympia City Council, Position 7. Gieger is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law and formerly worked as a policy analyst for the State of Oregon. Most recently, Gieger was an assistant attorney general at the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.

In his campaign for city council, Gieger is prioritizing making Olympia a livable, resilient, and just city. He plans to continue the council's work on zoning reform, affordable housing, and tenant protections. He also plans to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure a balanced budget for economic resilience. Gieger proposed expanding crisis response options for those experiencing mental health and addiction issues.

While we appreciate Caleb Gieger's perspective and proposals, we lean towards voting for Berendt for Olympia City Council, Position 7 due to his decades of Democratic leadership and experience.

Former Tacoma City Council member Anders Ibsen is running for mayor to leverage his experience to address affordable housing and public safety. Ibsen served on the council from 2012 to 2019, including one year as deputy mayor of Tacoma, and has also served as a commissioner on the Washington State Gambling Commission.

While on the council, Ibsen supported renter protections and raising the minimum wage to $15. Ibsen wants to continue to improve housing affordability by championing policies like permitting more ADUs, converting unused government-owned land into affordable housing, and making careful changes to the city's permitting and zoning codes. He feels fixing housing and mental health is the foundation for improving homelessness, and wants to divert those who are non-violent but suffering from a mental illness from the criminal legal system. He also prioritizes improving the lives of working families, listing childcare, green workforce training, and safe routes to school at the top of his agenda.

Ibsen is distinctly more progressive than his main rival, John Hines. Ibsen has a clear stance on protecting the LGBTQ community from the overreach of the federal government and prioritizes supporting working families over conservative businesses. It's worth noting that Tacoma's system of government empowers the city manager to oversee most of the city's day-to-day operations. Anders Ibsen is the progressive choice for Mayor of Tacoma.

Latasha Palmer is running for the Position 6 seat on the Tacoma City Council to create stability and security for all. She serves as a founding board member for the Aya Community Land Trust, which aims to prevent displacement and build wealth for the Black community in Pierce County, and as a board member for the Hilltop Action Coalition.

Matching her community experience, Palmer is running to address the critical issue of housing, as well as safety, climate resilience, and more. Some of her priorities include facilitating ADU development by streamlining the process, advocating for social housing, and expanding community land trusts. Her emphasis and experience in reducing displacement for Tacoma residents make her unique in the races for the city council this year.

In addition, Palmer wants to see cooperative childcare organized by parents receive regulatory support, offering training, licensing, and research that can help address the overall unaffordability of childcare in the region. As a council member, Palmer would also advocate for attracting more environmentally friendly businesses to the city and connecting neighborhoods and cultural areas with accessible transportation.

During our interview, we were impressed with Palmer's demonstrated track record of civic activism and clear vision for what she hopes to accomplish in office. We lean toward Latasha Palmer for Tacoma City Council, Position 6.

Sarah Rumbaugh is running for re-election to represent District 2 on the Tacoma City Council. Rumbaugh owns a consulting business and serves on the Tacoma Human Rights Commission. She previously worked as a city planner for Kent and with the Housing Equity Task Force, helping to develop the Home in Tacoma Project.

Rumbaugh's re-election campaign largely focuses on addressing homelessness and other related issues, such as community safety and domestic violence. She recognizes the need to improve shelter capacity to provide temporary and transitional housing options for those experiencing homelessness. She takes a strong stance on protecting our neighbors from threats against immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community. Her platform does not currently include specifics for introducing more affordable housing options, an issue that is especially prevalent throughout the region. In the past, Rumbaugh has prioritized balancing tree canopies with zoning proposals, which can hinder the development of much-needed affordable housing options. Overall, Rumbaugh is a consistent voice on the council who has also earned endorsements from some of our progressive partner organizations.

We recommend re-electing Sarah Rumbaugh because she is the more progressive candidate in the race for Tacoma City Council representing District 2.

Alisa Lee is running against Jerry Thorpe for the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma, Commissioner - Position 1. We are confident Lee is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.