32nd District Pos. 1 candidate statements for Aug. 4 primary election

Republished from Shoreline Area News, here are the candidate statements submitted by those running in the Aug. 4 primary election for State Rep. Position 1 in the 32nd Legislative District. The 32nd District includes Mountlake Terrace, Woodway and portions of Edmonds and Lynnwood, as well as northwest Seattle and Shoreline. Rep. Cindy Ryu is vacating this seat to run for Senate.

The top two vote-getters in the Position 1 race will advance to the Nov. 4 general election.

I’ve spent years as a volunteer leader for my community before this campaign. I’ve attended legislative advocacy days for Women in Government and Education Advocacy Day, fighting for school funding and cultivating the next generation of women leaders. I’ve led first responder roundtables to envision a safer Aurora Avenue. I’ve served on the KD Hall Foundation Board to support girls in wellness and education, organized PNW Climate Week’s first career fair, and gave public testimony in Olympia to demask ICE agents. Public service isn’t new to me, it’s lived experience.

As your representative, I’ll author responsible AI legislation that protects children and centers renewable energy. I’ll advance compassionate, evidence-based solutions to homelessness. I’ll scrutinize government spending and demand results, because taxpayers deserve accountability. And as a father raising two daughters, I will always stand firmly for women’s rights.

I am proud to be the only candidate supported by two-thirds of our legislative district’s own delegation — both Senator Jesse Salomon and Representative Lauren Davis are endorsing me. I’m also endorsed by the Environment and Climate Council, WACOPS and earned the distinction as a gun sense candidate by Moms Demand Action.

I’ve knocked on thousands of doors, heard your concerns, and I’m ready to serve. Let’s build together!

buildwithbloomquist.com

Will Chen

My name is Will Chen, and I am a Democrat running for State Representative, Position 1, in the 32nd Legislative District.

I currently serve my second term on the Edmonds City Council and am a licensed CPA, former Fortune 500 auditor, and financial professional with experience in auditing, budgeting, strategic planning, compliance, and organizational accountability. I earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in accounting from the University of Iowa, as well as an MBA from Western Washington University, while working multiple jobs to put myself through school.

My commitment to service extends beyond elected office. I am the co-founder of the Asian Service Center, which supports underserved communities across North King and South Snohomish counties. I am also an Edmonds Rotary member, Lynnwood Food Bank board member, former president of the Seattle Bing Kung Family Association, organizer of the Rally Against Hate, and initiator of the Second Chance Scholarship at Edmonds College.

I am running for State Representative because too many working families, seniors, and young people are being priced out of the communities they call home. We need practical solutions that increase housing options, improve transportation connections, support family-wage jobs, and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and responsibly.

As an immigrant who came to this country seeking opportunity, I know firsthand that the American Dream is worth protecting. As a CPA and financial professional, I understand that good intentions must be backed by responsible budgeting and measurable results. Our legislature has many talented voices, but it also needs leaders with real-world financial expertise who can help ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively.

I will bring a balanced, pragmatic approach to Olympia focused on solving problems, expanding opportunities, strengthening public services, and building affordable, safe, and thriving communities for future generations.

For a list of endorsements, please visit ElectWillChen.com.

Jenna Nand

As someone who grew up in Edmonds and Shoreline, I want to make life better for your family and you in Shoreline and throughout the 32nd Legislative District. This community has always provided opportunity for hardworking people like my parents, who immigrated to the Seattle area from the Fiji Islands in 1979 and picked Shoreline and Edmonds as a safe place to raise their kids. I am the only candidate endorsed by our teachers via WEA-PAC, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu, 48th State Senator Vandana Slatter, and multiple other elected officials and left-leaning organizations that want meaningful change.

In addition to being the first woman of color elected to Edmonds City Council, I am a business attorney, family caregiver, and an animal rights activist. So I’ve seen the systemic failures caused by insider politics firsthand and the way they hurt the most vulnerable members of our community. My commitment is to finding real results to the problems that Washingtonians face. I achieve real wins because I have built my reputation on governing through outreach, education, bipartisanship, and compromise.

As someone who cares deeply about education in our state, I will champion statewide school funding and lowering tuition to expand educational opportunities for all Washingtonians. With high inequality across the state and the country, I will promote union jobs, affordable homeownership, and practical healthcare reforms to support overtaxed and underserved workers. Finally, I will strive to improve our climate resiliency, protecting us from extreme weather due to climate change.

Join my fight to make Washington work for everyone. I genuinely believe that we can all thrive in our beautiful state if everyone feels that they are investing in a system that will also invest in them. Let’s build a path to the American dream together!

Danica Noble

I am a consumer protection attorney with AI expertise and a PTA-mom raising schoolkids here in the 32nd. For two decades, I’ve taken on corporate scams, junk fees, and monopolies that drive up costs and push families out. I am running to lower costs, fully fund public schools, and make Washington work for working families.

I am a union member, trained in economics, and I know how to get the job done. I don’t just talk about affordability; I’ve fought for it my entire career at the Federal Trade Commission. I’ve taken on Facebook in the courtroom, challenged hospital monopolies, and fought unfair practices that raise prices on groceries, rent, and healthcare.

In Olympia, I’ll be the strongest voice to fully fund education and spend wisely, with real accountability. I’ve led statewide efforts to get cellphones out of schools and pushed for guardrails on AI in education. I’ll keep fighting for clear limits on tech in classrooms: no harvesting student data, no unproven tech, and no endless screentime pushed on kids.

Everyone is being stretched thin and the cost of living keeps rising. But our biggest fight is ahead. AI is everywhere and it should make life better, not raise costs, replace workers, or make our environment worse off. It should work for all of us, not just a handful of billionaires.

The rules of the AI economy are being written now. This is the moment to act. I’m already working with legislators to stop companies from using our own data to charge us higher prices and lower our wages.

Proudly endorsed by leaders in the legislature, education, unions, and community because they trust I’m uniquely ready to take on Big Tech, lower costs, protect our kids, and help build a fair economy for everyone, not just the most powerful.

Lisa Rezac

I’m running for State Representative because I love this state and believe we can do much better.

If we measure our success by looking at the numbers in four key areas — taxes, budget accountability, education, and crime/safety — it’s clear we’re off track. Washington’s state operating budget has roughly doubled over the past decade, rising from about $38 billion to around $80 billion, while taxes have increased significantly. In education, we spend nearly $20,000 per student, yet 59% of students perform below grade level. On public safety, neighborhoods continue to face high levels of violence, theft, and human trafficking. And the King County Regional Homelessness Authority recently could not account for about $13 million in taxpayer funds.

These figures show that simply spending more does not deliver stronger results. We have a spending and accountability problem more than a funding one.

What I would bring to the position is a practical, results-focused approach. As someone born and raised in this area who returned home to raise our son, I’m committed to better enforcement of existing laws, reducing the tax and regulatory burden that drives up costs, and demanding real accountability for every taxpayer dollar.

Washington can once again be affordable, safe, and successful for families and businesses. I’m running to help get us back on track.

Keith Scully

I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in my 10 years on the Shoreline City Council. We’ve transformed the city — bringing new housing, mandating affordable housing, building sidewalks and parks, and strengthening the social safety net. We’ve made real progress on affordability, transit, and environmental protection, and we’ve made clear that Shoreline welcomes everyone. I’m especially proud of our work listening to and supporting our immigrant community. We did all this while keeping a balanced budget and preserving our city’s unique character.

I want to bring the Shoreline style of government to Olympia: progressive, respectful, and focused on real change. Beyond my elected experience, I’ve been a lawyer for nearly 30 years—a King County Deputy Prosecutor, a war crimes prosecutor for the United Nations, legal director of an environmental nonprofit, and an advocate for citizens in environmental and intellectual property litigation. My first career was as a paramedic in urban New Jersey.

My top priorities are affordability, progressive tax reform, education funding, and environmental protection. Affordability and tax reform go hand-in-hand: our regressive system makes groceries, housing, and car tabs fall unfairly on working people and overhauling it is job one. On housing, we must streamline permitting to make building easier and cheaper — from multifamily near light rail to a home addition. Schools have been underfunded for too long. It’s time to fully fund them. And climate change is real. I’m ready to keep our energy clean and to make the changes needed in stormwater, tree retention, and habitat protection so future generations enjoy the environment we have today.

I’m honored to be endorsed by Snohomish County Democrats, Shoreline and South County Firefighters, Representative Ryu, labor organizations, the Environment and Climate Caucus, and most importantly over 40 local elected officials — people I’ve worked with and helped succeed over the years.

Website: Keithscully.org