Happy New Year and Happy Friday, Washington Democrats! 

Working for Washington

I hope everyone had a restful and restorative winter break. For me, the new year is full of uncertainty about our future, our politics, and our country. But one thing I am certain about is that we are stronger when we work together and that our work is needed now more than ever. 

Washington state bucked the national trend of moving towards the GOP and thanks to that we have tenacious leaders who will do everything in their power to put a stop to the overreach of Trump 2.0 and his cronies. Not only did we sweep every statewide office, we also added to our majorities in the legislature and protected our Congressional incumbents. 

I have been working to get Washington’s success story into the national conversation, interviewing with reporters from Politico, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times and our local press outlets. I won’t stop until our national allies recognize and model the terrific work we have achieved in the Pacific Northwest!

Celebrating Our Legacy

This week I had the honor of celebrating all the tremendous Democratic leaders who are retiring or leaving elected office. Thank you to everyone who came out to recognize their amazing accomplishments. I want to especially thank Governor Jay Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and State Senator Karen Keiser for joining us in person and sharing the inspiring lessons they learned over their many years of public service. 

I also want to thank our outgoing U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer, Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, State Representative and former Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, State Senator and former Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, State Senator Sam Hunt, and State State Senator Kevin Van De Wege for their incredible service and work on behalf of the people of Washington state. 

Remembering President Jimmy Carter

Yesterday was the National Day of Mourning for President Jimmy Carter. I released this statement honoring our 39th President:

“President Carter led a life of faith and service to his community, his state, his country, and to the entire world. I will never forget the opportunity I had to visit the Carter Center in Atlanta. The great works he helped achieve through Habitat for Humanity, funding cures for guinea worm and other infectious diseases, and his dedication to pursuing peace in the Middle East serve as an example of duty and service to every American. The Camp David Accords that President Carter helped facilitate prove that peace can be forged even among bitter rivals.

Washington state’s environmental legacy would not be the same without President Carter’s support and signature of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 that established Superfund sites like the one at Hanford. Thanks to President Carter’s leadership, the most polluted sites in America now have dedicated clean up efforts underway.

On this Day of Mourning, I will reflect upon the life and legacy of a morally courageous man who always led with his faith and devoted service. Thank you, President Carter for your thoughtful leadership and forward thinking vision.”

DNC Vice Chair

In late December, I officially qualified my candidacy for one of the three at-large Vice Chair positions at the Democratic National Committee. I want to thank the many DNC members who signed my petition to qualify me for balloting and the candidate forums. I also want to thank U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of congress, who endorsed my candidacy for Vice Chair this week. 

You can read part of his statement below or read the whole thing here: 

“The Democratic Party needs a generational shift to demonstrate it is fighting for people. Shasti is that change agent—her track record in Washington State shows her ability to engage diverse communities, fight for working families, and deliver real results. She is committed to holding party leadership accountable and ensuring communities of color, young people, and working families have a real voice in the day-to-day operations of the party. Her innovative approach, bold leadership, and dedication to economic justice make her the leader we need to build a stronger Democratic Party and prove we are fighting for all Americans.”

I am running for this national position at the same time that I run to be re-elected as your Washington State Democratic Party Chair so that I can bring our winning messaging and tactics to the national level. It would mean the world to me to have your support and endorsements as I seek re-election as your State Party Chair and the office of Vice Chair at the DNC. 

You can support my re-election campaign for State Party Chair here and run for DNC Vice Chair here or by clicking the images above. 

The first DNC-Sponsored Party Officer Candidate Forum will take place TOMORROW  on Saturday, January 11. The list of candidates who qualified for the January 11th forum is here. 

This forum will focus on the DNC’s Southern Region.

We anticipate that Saturday’s Candidate Forum will begin at approximately 8:00 AM. A tentative agenda for the Forum is here. 

Staff and supporters may view the forum on the DNC YouTube channel.

California Wildfire Relief

Washington state knows all too well the devastation and loss that accompany catastrophic wildfires. As our neighbors in Southern California grapple with this most recent natural disaster, we are keeping them in our thoughts. Please consider contributing to impacted community relief efforts here. 

Democrats in the News

MAGA is a big drag on the WA GOP, even in red parts of the state, The Seattle Times

$56 million in infrastructure investments coming to Washington state through RAISE Grant Program Created by Murray, Senator Murray Press Release

New latino majority voter district in Central Washington stays red: Republicans picked up wins in the 14th District after a redrawn map was approved this year, but results offer hope for Democrats for future elections, CascadePBS

WA official seeking DNC post says state can be model for national Dems, The Seattle Times

WA Dem’s leader announces bid for DNC vice chair: ‘We’re clearly doing something right’, Tacoma News Tribune

What I’m Reading

Maybe Democrats didn’t do so badly after all, The Atlantic Election night was a punch to the gut given the national results, but after all votes have been counted, Democrats could have won the U.S. House with just 8,000 more votes in the right places. While we have a lot of work to do to impose checks on the second Trump Administration, what we’ve been doing in Washington state can and should be modeled elsewhere so we can right (left?) the ship in 2026, 2028, and beyond.