State Rep. Brady Walkinshaw dropped by Edmonds Saturday morning in his bid to replace the retiring Jim McDermott as the 7th District’s representative to the U.S. Congress. Speaking to more than 40 interested citizens gathered at the Cascadia Art Museum, the 43rd District Democrat laid out his agenda of progressive values and stressed his track record of getting things done by building effective coalitions across the political spectrum.
Both his Democratic opponents for McDermott’s seat, State Senator Pramila Jayapal (D, 37th District) and King County Council Chair Joe McDermott (no relation to the retiring congressman), also boast strong progressive credentials, presenting voters in the heavily liberal 7th District with the challenge of distinguishing between candidates who sometimes sound the same.
Walkinshaw has already picked up numerous local endorsements including 21st District State Sen. Marko Liias and Reps. Strom Peterson and Lillian Ortiz-Self, and Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling and Mukilteo Mayor Jennifer Gregerson.
Peterson, who introduced Walkinshaw Saturday, praised his intelligence, passion and ability to effectively shepherd legislation through the currently divided government in Olympia. Citing how he spearheaded legislation to put drug overdose antidotes like naloxone into the hands of police and drug treatment professionals, Peterson praised Walkinshaw’s “natural ability to work with others to find common ground” as key to getting these life-saving drugs to where they’re needed.
Taking the podium and speaking without notes, Walkinshaw described how his childhood growing up in Whatcom County’s rural Nooksack Valley to Cuban refugee parents fostered strong values of helping people.
“Early on I learned the importance of fighting and looking out for those who have least,” he said. “I have and will always work to support access to education, reproductive rights, social justice, and to ensure that we do not live in a country that is sinking due to the effects of climate change.”
A graduate of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson school, Walkinshaw received a Fulbright scholarship to study in Honduras, where he founded Proyecto Villa Nueva, a non-profit that works to foster youth leadership and prevent violence in urban slums. Appointed to the state Legislature in 2013 to fill the term of Jamie Pedersen, he was elected by the voters in 2014.
Walkinshaw stressed the importance of forming coalitions with other lawmakers as key to promoting this agenda. He cited his work in Olympia to build the necessary bipartisan support to pass several key pieces of legislation addressing the state’s heroin epidemic, changing the way people access mental health care, helping former inmates integrate into society, and providing comprehensive information to seniors on the costs of long-term care.
Returning to his two key messages, Walkinshaw concluded with why he’s running for US Congress.
“First, I want to do all in my power to move forward the progressive agenda of social justice, economic equity, and effectively addressing climate change,” he said. “And I believe the best way to accomplish this is through building coalitions and finding common ground across the political spectrum. I’ve shown I can do this in Olympia, and I ask for your support to bring this to Washington D.C.”
Walkinshaw lives on Seattle’s Capitol Hill with husband and marine biologist Micah Horwith. You can learn more about him here.
— Story and photos by Larry Vogel
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