This week, we enjoy some election round-ups as The Urbanist Elections Committee member Jazmine Smith joins Ray Dubicki to talk about the surprises and squeakers of Election Night 2022. From the local initiatives to the state legislature races, we discuss the purpose of advisory notes (none), the problem of having
Political pundits always say that Midterm Elections are bad for the party that controls the presidency. Washington State didn’t get the memo, though. Democrats will end up picking up seats if results from this weekend’s ballot drops hold. With the predicted Red Tide fizzling, Democrats have a solid
Counting of ballots continues after Tuesday’s general election as more races are being called. With the predicted Red Tide fizzling, it appears that Patty Murray will retain Washington’s US Senate seat and competitor Tiffany Smiley will need to find a non-DC location to fulfill her coffee needs. Many
Voting in Washington is complete, but the counting is not. The early returns for the 2022 November General Election have been posted as of 8pm this evening. The ballot count today does not include those dropped off last minute at the ballot box or those still in transit from the
With the news broadcasters going full wall-to-wall touch screens, it’s obvious that Election Day is upon us. Turn in your ballot now. Don’t wait until the 8pm deadline. Here are your ballot box locations in King County, Snohomish County, and Pierce County. You can register to vote on
Democracy is under attack across America. Whether it’s voter suppression laws or election denialism, the power of the voter is in dire straits. The best way to resist these attacks isn’t by holding tight to the status quo – that’s what got us here. Voters are tired of
With only 13 days to go before the General Election, ballots are officially in the hands of Washington voters. This is your reminder that your ballot is sitting on the kitchen counter. Find it. Fill it out. Mail it in or drop it off by November 8. Here are your
The Urbanist Elections Committee has released it endorsements for the 2022 general election. In this episode, reporter Ray Dubicki talks with two members of the Elections Committee. Hannah Sabio-Howell and Rian Watt join the podcast to walk us through the process of developing the candidate questionnaire and surviving some long
A month of wildfires and smoky, polluted skies have set a somber mood this election season, but perhaps that’s apropos. It really is time to get serious and get down to business electing climate-focused, urbanist leaders ready to decarbonize our economy and better steward our natural resources while making
We’re excited to host Darya Farivar at our upcoming Urbanist Meetup on Tuesday October 11th. The Zoom session opens at 6:15pm. Farivar serves as policy director at Disability Rights Washington, and is now is running for State Representative in the 46th Legislative District (Northeast Seattle) in an open
Red wave crashes into reality; blue tides are rising. Primary results continue to trickle in, but most ballots have been counted, and Republican hope of taking Olympia has all but disappeared with their dismal showing. Republican pundits were bullish that a midterm election with an unpopular president paired with relatively
As of 8pm this evening, the early returns for the 2022 August Primary have been posted. Counting will continue over the coming weeks, usually with daily counts being released after 4pm. The Urbanist Elections Committee made endorsements in a long list of state legislative races and one congressional race. Below
The Urbanist Elections Committee invited candidates throughout the Puget Sound Region to submit a questionnaire response. This post will go through the remaining responses, which include King County Prosecutor, Washington Congressional District 9, and the Legislative Districts (LDs) in the Eastside and North Sound. We’ve already gone through responses
Seattle voters may have a unique opportunity this November to support a new model of providing affordable housing, and they should take it. Initiative 135 was crafted by the House Our Neighbors Coalition as a progressive alternative to the Compassion Seattle ballot measure, which sought to codify homeless encampment sweeps
The Urbanist Elections Committee invited candidates throughout the Puget Sound Region to submit a questionnaire response. This post will go through responses from Legislative Districts (LDs) in the South Sound. We’ve already gone through responses in LD34, LD36, LD37, and LD46, the Seattle districts where it’s imperative progressive
Saying the stakes are high might be more of an understatement than an exaggeration this year. A renegade Supreme Court is goose-stepping toward fascism, enabling racists and misogynists, stripping civil rights, and strip-mining the planet with glee. It really is time for states to step up and elect people who
The 46th Legislative District saw the retirement of longtime Sen. David Frockt, and Rep. Javier Valdez quickly announced his bid to replace him. That opened up Valdez’s House seat and brought five contenders to fill it. The Urbanist Elections Committee received questionnaires from four and interviewed three, with Lelach
The big news in the 36th Legislative District is the retirement of Sen. Reuven Carlyle after a state legislative career spanning back to 2009. Rep. Noel Frame threw her hat in the ring to replace him and cleared the field. In the process, Frame vacated her seat in the House,
The 37th Legislative District has one open seat created by Rep. Kirsten Harris-Talley retiring after just one term. In a South Seattle Emerald op-ed, Harris-Talley cited her frustrations with the way things operate within the Democratic caucus for her decision to bow out. The opening in Position 2 has attracted
The 34th Legislative District has two strong incumbents who appears to be waltzing to reelection, and one open House seat that is gearing up to be a showdown between two solid candidates: Emily Alvarado and Leah Griffin, both women with strong urbanist platforms who have stepped forward to take the