Kristine Reeves is hoping to recapture her old 30th Legislative District House seat after she resigned in 2019 to run for Congress. Asked whether she’ll stick around this time, Reeves was graciously contrite and said she learned a lot after she “shot her shot.”
“I have grown a lot in my capacity and competence to be a better legislator because of that experience,” she said. “Assuming I get reelected, y’all are stuck with me.”
Voters should allow Reeves to stick around and welcome her back as their representative.
During her time as a lawmaker, Reeves proved a strong advocate for her district, which she describes as a community of hardworking middle-class families, as well as a staunch supporter of policies benefiting service members and veterans. She also stood up against many in her party, as one of the few Democrats who voted against the Legislature’s attempt to exempt itself from the state’s Public Records Act.
Affordable housing is a growing concern in the district — which includes Federal Way, Milton, Algona and Pacific — and while there is room for the Legislature to act, Reeves said she opposes one-size-fits-all policies that ignore local control.
“If we’re not working collaboratively with our city councils and our local governments to make sure we’re working toward a common vision of how to solve this problem, we’re not going to get there,” she said.
That collaborative approach extends to how to address most every challenge the community is facing, Reeves said, including public safety, education and tax relief.
“Governance is about building a collective we, and you can’t do that by muscling your way through a majority,” she said.
The contest to replace incumbent Jesse Johnson, who is not running for reelection, drew a strong slate of candidates during the primary. Along with Reeves, Republican Ashli Tagoai moved on to November.
Tagoai, a young lawyer who has worked for the state GOP, offered thoughtful answers that belied her inexperience, but Reeves remains the best option.
She is smart, capable and the strongest choice for voters.
This endorsement has been updated to reflect the primary election outcome.
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