Q&A with 5th Legislative District candidates, Part I | Election 2024

Voters pamphlets and the ballot for the Aug. 6 primary election should arrive in mailboxes this week.

Enumclaw is participating in a different election this around because it’s been redistricted into the 5th Legislative District as a result of other redistricting in Eastern Washington. The Plateau was previously in the 31st Legislative District, represented by Reps. Eric Robertson and Drew Stokesbary, as well as Sen. Phil Fortunato.

This year’s primary is a little crowded, with five candidates running for the open Position 1. Jason Ritchie, Victoria Hunt (currently an Issaquah City Councilmember), and Kristiana de Leon (currently a Black Diamond City Councilmember) are running as Democrats, and Mark Hargrove and Landon Halverson as Republicans.

Below is a series of questions – about education, housing, the Climate Control Act, and more – the Courier-Herald posed to each candidate. This is a two-part series, and the second round of questions will be published July 24.

JASON RITCHIE (D)

Tell us a little about yourself

Western Washington is my home. My wife and I have raised our sons here, and we’ve started a small business here. What happens in our neighborhood and our community affects us much more than the craziness happening back east in the other “Washington.”

I am running for State Representative to focus on making life better for everyone in the middle class and that means everyone, regardless of their partisan political beliefs. We all need more affordable housing; we all need lower fuel prices, and we all need better schools for our kids. These are not partisan issues. These are kitchen table issues and that’s what I want to bring to Olympia. Less partisanship, more pragmaticism. Less conflict, more collaboration. I will do whatever I can to make sure we’re continuing to support middle class living wage jobs … no matter what party or who is in the office.

Affordable housing is a crisis in this state. What are some policies you would support to address this issue?

This is the most important issue in this election. We need more affordable, transit-oriented housing across our state but specifically within the urban core and in the 5th Legislative District. I’m a part of the middle class and a renter. I would love to be able to afford to buy a home for my family. If elected, I’d support creating opportunities for new homeowners by building up, not out. This means more townhomes and condominiums and fewer million-dollar mansions. I’d focus on creating incentives for developers to work with cities to create affordable housing near transit centers so that we don’t add more traffic on our already congested roads.

Is WA adequately funding public education? What are your thoughts on only requiring 50% of a community vote to pass a school bond, rather than 60%? Are there other policies you would support to better fund public education in general?

No, we are not adequately funding public education and the results speak to that failure. 72% of Washington eighth graders are not proficient in math, according to analysis from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Our schools need to focus on real world skills and preparing our kids for the jobs of the future. I’d support bringing new bonds down from 60% to 50%. Our local schools, specifically in Enumclaw and Black Diamond, need our support. We need to invest into our teachers and into the education of our children. This is our primary responsibility as state legislators.

MARK HARGROVE (R)

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m an Air Force Academy graduate, veteran Air Force Pilot and recently retired Boeing instructor pilot.

My wife, Sandy, and I have lived in Black Diamond/Covington for 37 years. Our married daughters attended public schools here and are raising their kids here too. We are committed to making this state a better place for them and our neighbors in the 5th Legislative District.

I’m on a mission to hire more police officers (currently the lowest per capita in the nation) and enforcing the laws we have. And as previously mentioned, I’m passionate about reducing business regulations and taxes, so our businesses thrive, keeping my neighbors employed and prices lower.

Affordable housing is a crisis in this state. What are some policies you would support to address this issue?

It is well known that the Growth Management Act severely restricts where homes can be built, reducing the housing supply and drastically driving up home prices. It should be scrapped and replaced with a less restrictive plan. Additionally, we can speed up our permitting process and reduce the regulations and taxes which drive up the costs for small businesses which are passed onto home buyers.

Voters aren’t passing bonds because we don’t trust the money will be spent wisely. When I was in the legislature 2011-2019, we made huge investments in education to satisfy the court mandated McCleary Decision. But 60% of Washington students are still failing math and 50% are failing reading. More money is not the answer. Improved education outcomes will inspire voters to pass bonds by much higher than 60%. Let our teachers focus on actual teaching and learning, not all the other distractions.

KRISTIANA DE LEON (D)

Tell us about yourself

I grew up in Western Washington. I am a product of the Kent School District and a proud Kentwood High School graduate. Part of what interested me in serving on the Black Diamond City Council was that some of my first involvement in civic engagement was when I was a child, writing to the Kent City Council, King County Council, and even the legislature around land use and zoning because I was worried about sprawl.

Seeing that the Growth Management Act, which was supposed to do far better at reducing sprawl, is a large reason why my city struggles and why other municipalities are struggling with affordable housing, lack of transit options, and more, is a reflection of why we are in so much dire need of course correction: having those early memories have led to a quicker runway on institutional knowledge for the cities with which I am working.

As a Millennial, my generation and younger are feeling that we have to play catch-up on the crises we inherited, because our governments chose, and continue to choose, political expediency and short-term political wins over long-term sustainable futures.

As a Humanist, I believe that the only life we have is this one, and as an elected official, it is my duty to strive to make as many people have as many opportunities to live as quality a life as possible —- and that I care more about my accountability to myself and the future.

It’s why I am running for the immediate and overdue change needed to build more accessible affordable childcare and housing, build a pathway to single-payer healthcare, and addressing widening income inequality. In a state with this much wealth, I blame this largely on our state’s ineffectiveness at walking the walk on the progressive values that the majority of politicians claim to have.

Affordable housing is a crisis in this state. What are some policies you would support to address this issue?

– The rent stabilization bill that failed last session must be passed – mortgages are rent stabilization. People who rent should be able to expect relative levels of housing security to be able to plan their own lives. This is not just good for people, this is good for the economy.

– Pass the guaranteed basic income pilot and – using an overhaul of a tax code that relies more on wealth taxes – expand this program. Too many people are working multiple jobs to simply stay afloat, while more people are becoming ultra wealthy. People in places like Black Diamond shouldn’t be moving into new apartments – still more affordable than Seattle – only to still need to access the food bank. The fact we let the housing crisis get this bad is a stain on our state’s history, and now we have to do serious course correction.

– Removing HOA special treatment in HB 1110. I am the Democrat in the race who is not endorsed by the Democrats who voted against HB 1110, and the sole person on my council to write in support of HB 1110 and lobby for it as a volunteer.

– More funding to communities that are experiencing disproportionate levels of growth to the current population – especially in terms of filling gaps in social services due to increased strains on demand and not enough revenue to compensate.

– We should explore how we calculate AMI to factor in this disturbing reality. Similarly, we need to lower the threshold of AMI to more accurately reflect the realities that a growing number of would-be middle class people still can’t afford housing.

– Finally passing the Guaranteed Basic Income pilot, and, using evidence from the pilot, implement for a larger scale of Washingtonians.

Is WA adequately funding public education? What are your thoughts on only requiring 50% of a community vote to pass a bond, rather than 60%? Are there other policies you would support to better fund public education in general?

Our public education crisis is the primary reason why I am running. The McCleary “fix” is paramount in name only – it does not meet standard, and we need to create a plan of improvement to make the fundamental funding changes that could bring the monumental support and change to public education.

I am in the Enumclaw School District’s FOCUS committee (on capital projects) because I am both deeply worried about the future of Black Diamond residents and their schools, and because long-time Enumclaw residents who attended Byron Kibler say they recognize the buckets in their kids’ school hallways from when they attended. All of this is unacceptable and shows the reticence of our government to do more than put bandaids over a wound that’s causing us to bleed out qualified staff and that exacerbates our youth mental health issues.

I was told by state legislators that per the House Democratic Caucus, that my priorities are “not in alignment” because all attention needs to go to the Climate Commitment Act; to that point, one need not look further than last session where some of the few wins on public education were on electric school buses.

This is appalling that our “progressive” majority believes that our youth’s future doesn’t include their well-being, and that we will sacrifice our schools on the altar of progress.

We need drastic overhauls to our funding model which needs to tie less of our funding model to seat time and property taxes. While changing a bond to a simple majority is an okay short-term fix, we need to transition from property taxes to an expansion of the capital gains tax and a wealth tax so the wealthiest earners – both individuals and corporations – pay their fair share for the future wealth creators of this state.

LANDON HALVERSON (R)

Tell us about yourself

I have called King County home my whole life as a 4th generation Washingtonian, which strongly informs my desire to ensure King County remains a safe, affordable, and prosperous community for future generations. I currently serve on the Issaquah Economic Vitality Commission, helping to oversee business development in and around Issaquah, and also serve as a Precinct Committee Officer. Prior to running for the legislature this year, I served as the Vice-Chair of the King County Republican Party, assisting with candidate recruitment, fundraising, and other party building activity. Leading up to my election as Vice-Chair, I spent 5 years working on a variety of local, state, and federal races in various campaign roles, helping to elect common-sense leaders up and down the ballot. Professionally, I currently work as an Account Manager with a Catering Provider in Woodinville, where I also assist as a chamber liaison to the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce. Prior to taking on my current role, I served as a Business Education Teacher at Eastside Catholic High School, overseeing the school’s marketing and accounting programs. In my free time, I enjoy playing the violin, spending time with family, and exploring hikes and trails around the cascades. I currently live in Issaquah and attend Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Sammamish.

Affordable housing is a crisis in this state. What are some policies you would support to address this issue?

As a 4th generation Washingtonian, I am deeply worried about being priced out of the state I have always called home, and believe it is incumbent upon our elected leaders to ensure home ownership remains an attainable aspect of the American Dream. As Enumclaw grows, it is critical that families who have supported Enumclaw and surrounding communities for generations are able to afford to continue living here, which is why I support the following actions to combat housing affordability:

1) Freeze property tax increases while the State runs a budget surplus — it is unacceptable to raise taxes when existing revenue remains unaccounted for. 2) Create a new tax credit for landlords who voluntarily lower or freeze rents, so that renters have access to more affordable and secure housing. 3) Establishing a low-cost, expedited permit process for middle-income housing. 4) Create a Homes for Heroes program to provide down payment assistance for firefighters, EMT’s, members of the police, and more, so that those who keep Enumclaw safe and healthy can afford to live in the communities they serve. This credit would also apply to veterans and members of the armed forces. 5) Work with cities like Seattle and Bellevue to incentivize and expand density where it already exists, while advocating for local control of the way communities expand.

I believe that current total state spending on education is mostly sufficient, but that current classroom spending is not, and that rural, low-income school districts need additional support to keep schools open. Over the past 10 years, state spending on education has more than doubled due to the landmark McCleary Decision- in spite of this massive increase in spending, reading and mathematics proficiency amongst our students remains largely unchanged. Too much money is spent on administrative costs in many school districts, while students are left with 30 year-old textbooks and ever-increasing class sizes. I believe that the state should incentivize school districts to keep their total administrative spending to 10% or less of their total budget in the form of additional classroom and capital funds made available for districts who meet this requirement. Regarding school bonds, I oppose efforts to lower the supermajority requirement from 60% to 50%, because I believe tax increases on the entire city should require consensus. I also am supportive of utilizing state funds to fix critical capital issues, a plan our legislature is actively working to expand on and that I would fully support if elected.

VICTORIA HUNT (D)

Tell us a little about yourself

I have raised my family here in Western Washington, and I have served as a public servant in Issaquah since 2018. The community I serve are my neighbors, friends, and family. I love this region, and I am running because I want to use my expertise in urban planning and ecology to protect the beautiful natural environment and quality of life that we enjoy in our corner of the world, and to work with the community to ensure everyone has opportunities to thrive. I will always fight for clean air and clean water for our community. For multiple years until it was passed into law, I lobbied for the Clean Fuels Standard and went to Olympia to testify, participated in events in support with local businesses such as circular restaurant week celebrations, wrote to my state legislators as council president, and I wrote an op-ed in our local paper. I have also advocated for clean energy at the state level, for example, in another op-ed. I have spent my entire career advocating for environmental protections as an ecologist and as a public servant. Lastly, I am an advocate for addressing our paramount duty and fully funding public education including special education, and funding a system where all students have opportunities to succeed.

Affordable housing is a crisis in this state. What are some policies you would support to address this issue?

Lack of affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues in Washington. My professional experience has equipped me to understand the levers we can pull at the local level to increase housing affordability. I have worked in the University of Washington Urban Design and Planning Department, and I am now Chair of the Planning, Development and Environment Committee, for the City of Issaquah.

To address the housing shortage and associated affordability issues, I believe we should allow density and missing middle housing to be built. I believe that the state must work collaboratively with city and community leaders to get much needed homes built more quickly, and to reduce the cost of housing. I also support reducing deterrents to building condos that are in current state law. On the Issaquah City Council, I was a leader in the overhauling of our municipal code to make our code clearer and more predictable for all users – work I would continue at the state level. I also support expanding availability of emergency housing and supportive housing programs for community members who are experiencing homelessness. Recognizing that many face economic displacement from high costs of housing, my record reflects that I am supportive of tenant protections, and I would continue this work in the Legislature.

I will fight to ensure our public schools are funded and recognize this as the paramount duty of the legislature. My vision for public education in Washington is a system in which all students have the resources to thrive, educators teach fact-based curriculums, class sizes are conducive to learning and teaching, and schools are equipped to support every student. I will fight against austerity measures such as shutting down schools or closing programs. It is extremely important for community members to have a voice in public education funding. I do support lowering the 60% mark to 50% as 50% is much more attainable while still upholding a democratic majority vote.

My vision is informed by my life experiences. As a scientist and as a mom, I will fight for the ability of educators to teach fact-based curriculum. As a mom to two young children in public elementary school, I will be a champion for a public school system that meets the needs of parents, educators, and students. I understand that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. I am also mindful and intentional in considering who will be most impacted by the decisions I make, who will potentially be harmed, and how the context around prior interactions with the government might impact the situation and the ability to engage in different mediums. As a City Councilmember, now serving in my third term, I’m familiar with the needs of students and educators in my city, and I will also be well served by my habit of regularly and proactively reaching out to the community and to educational professionals to listen to their perspectives and hear directly about what solutions will best address their needs.