Will Chen launches 32nd District campaign with call for ‘steady, solutions-focused’ leadership

Edmonds City Councilmember Will Chen launched his campaign for State Representative Position 1 in Washington’s 32nd District Saturday afternoon, presenting himself as a steady, solutions-focused Democrat grounded in his experience as an immigrant, small business owner and community volunteer.

The event at the Lake Ballinger Community Center was emceed by Vivian Liao, a pre-law freshman at the University of Washington, student representative on the Edmonds City Council and Chen’s student campaign manager. The event drew an estimated 75 supporters along with a lineup of current and former elected officials including Snohomish County Councilmember Jared Mead, former U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, State Rep. Strom Peterson, Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Jason Cummings, Edmonds City Councilmember Vivian Olson, Mountlake Terrace City Councilmember William Paige Jr., Mukilteo City Councilmember and candidate for 21st District State Rep Jason Moon, Edmonds Port Commissioner Selena Killin, South County Fire Commissioner Joe Wankelman and Snohomish County Public Utility District Commissioner Julieta Altamirano-Crosby.

Liao told attendees she was “very excited to see so many community members, leaders and supporters gathered here today to support Will Chen,” adding that he “brings the practical and thoughtful solutions to the table that are needed in Olympia.”

First to speak was Snohomish County Councilmember Mead, who has served both in the state House of Representatives and on the County Council. Drawing on a decade in public office, Mead said he has worked with “hundreds of elected officials,” noting that while many are competent and hardworking, recent years have seen more division and fewer serious problem-solvers.

“We deserve better. We can have better. We just have to demand better,” Mead said. “And Will Chen is better.”

Mead said Chen embodies three traits he looks for in public officials: humility, curiosity and courage. Chen, he said, has “the humility to admit he doesn’t always have all the answers,” the curiosity “to dig in and try to find the answers” and the courage “to do the right thing when it’s really difficult — sometimes even when that means disagreeing with those in your own political party.”

Predicting that “Will is going to win this campaign this year,” Mead cautioned that success will require sustained community effort. 

“We could have the best candidate in the world,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean anything if he doesn’t have an entire community behind him. Mead urged volunteers to knock on doors, wave signs, make phone calls and “share his stuff on social media” over the next eight months.

Edmonds City Councilmember Vivian Olson followed with a personal endorsement built on her 2020 nomination of Chen for the Edmonds Kiwanis Club Citizen of the Year award.

“I met Will at an Edmonds Chamber of Commerce breakfast right after his appointment to the Edmonds Citizens Housing Commission,” Olson said. “He was sharing his excitement about this appointment with other Chamber members, saying that he’d be coming back to them regularly to get their input as the process unfolded.

“It was this insight into Will as a humble servant of the people that would be reinforced in spades by the many letters of support we received from individuals who worked directly with Will when he was a candidate for appointment to an open seat on the Edmonds City Council,” she continued. “Far from a board member in name only, they describe Will as the person who joins a board and then does the work of 10 people.”

On the Edmonds City Council, Olson said, Chen has “championed public safety and fiscal conservatism, while being a dependable vote for the environment and business.” She credited him with playing a “major role” in launching the Asian Service Center and a new welcoming gateway on the Edmonds side of Ballinger Park.

In a humorous reference to the Roy Kent chant from the TV show Ted Lasso — “he is here, he is there, he is everywhere” — Olson said, “Will Chen is the other councilmember that I see everywhere I go in Edmonds. He is here, he is there, he is everywhere. And more than that, he is who we need, so I urge you to do all that you can to get him elected.”

Coming next to the podium was Stephanie Bowers, who introduced herself as “a mom, a social worker and an active volunteer” who has seen firsthand how much thoughtful, steady leadership matters. “This is why I am so proud to support my friend Will Chen,” she said.

Bowers described Chen as someone who “rolls up his sleeves and gets involved,” from cleaning up neighborhoods and serving meals to delivering holiday food to families who could use a little extra support. She told of how he has worked to connect immigrant families and seniors with resources so they can “stay engaged and independent.”

Taking the microphone to sustained applause, Chen said he was “humbled and overwhelmed by the support” in the room.

“My name is Will Chen. I’m running to be your next state representative,” he said. “And let me be clear. I’m not just running as a Democrat — I am a proud Democrat. I believe in opportunities. I believe that everybody has to pay their fair share. And I believe we need to fix our regressive tax system.”

Drawing on his own story of immigrating to the U.S. in the mid-1990s and working multiple jobs to get through college, Chen said, “I know what it feels like when you have to check your bank account before you go to the grocery stores.” 

“While hard work does matter,” he added, “hard work alone is not enough if the system isn’t working with you. If housing is out of reach, if child care costs more than a mortgage and your wages don’t keep up, then we’re not just asking people to work hard — we’re asking people to run uphill.”

Chen outlined four areas he would prioritize in Olympia: Building a strong economy (“everything that we care about depends on it”), tackling the housing crisis with “smart growth, real planning and long-term thinking,” improving education and tying it to “real-world opportunities” in college and the trades, and strengthening support for families, seniors and people with disabilities.

He spoke emotionally about his mother, who left southern China to join him in Iowa. 

Calling her “a brave woman” who told him, “I will be there anywhere you go,” Chen noted that many families face the challenges of balancing work and elder care. “We need to make sure the system recognizes that and actually supports families through it,” he said.

Chen also addressed the role of immigrants, saying, “Immigrants are part of us. We are the people who build our community. We are all in this together.” 

Closing the program, former U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, a 15‑year Edmonds resident, said that while Councilmember Olson had called Chen “here, there, everywhere,” he sees it as something more.

“Not only is Will here, there and everywhere — he’s here for everyone,” Baird said.

Baird said Chen believes “every member of our community deserves representation,” and listens “whether or not he agrees with you, whether or not you’re from the same background, whether or not you’re from the same party.” 

Turning to the practical side of campaigning, Baird urged the audience to “be as generous as you possibly can,” saying, “Ask yourself, how badly do we want somebody like Will Chen? Ask yourself, how much is this worth today? I think it’s worth a lot.”

Chen faces four opponents — all Democrats — for the 32nd District Representative seat: Chris Bloomquist, the owner of an environmental and technology focused recruiting firm who hasn’t held elective office previously; Shoreline City Councilmember Keith Scully; consumer protection attorney Danica Noble and Edmonds City Councilmember Jenna Nand. Prospective candidates have until May 8 to file, so it is still possible that others will join the race.

The 32nd District includes Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Woodway, Shoreline, and northwest Seattle.

The candidates will face off in the upcoming Aug. 4 primary, with the two largest vote-getters advancing to the November general election. 

In a short interview after his speech, Chen clarified his earlier statements to My Edmonds News that if elected as state rep he would retain his Edmonds City Council seat and serve in both capacities. He now says that he intends, if elected, to remain on the Edmonds City Council “for a time” to help the mayor “get the city on a sound basis,” and then resign his council seat.

Learn more about Will Chen at his campaign website here.