Take a minute to [un]wind with our Sunday morning newsletter. Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on what you may have missed from [un]Divided this week.
Ballots have arrived
By now, most of you should have received your ballot for the November 8 election (if you are a Washington voter). Ballots must be returned to a drop box no later than 8pm on Election Day or returned via U.S. Mail and postmarked no later than Election Day (no postage required!)
I asked folks on Twitter how long they wait to return their completed ballot. Most will drop them back in the mail over the next week or so. Remember you can check the status of your ballot here to ensure it has been received.
This week on [un]Divided, we’ll have coverage of the broader national picture, as well as an increasingly close race for U.S. Senate in Washington State, a critical race for prosecutor in King County, and a closer look at a Washington swing district that could help put control of the House in GOP hands.
Exclusive: ‘I stepped in it and I’m sorry’
Leesa Manion, a candidate for King County prosecutor, sent staff an email yesterday apologizing for a comment she made at a recent candidate forum.
Manion, who currently serves as chief of staff for the King County Prosecutor’s Office, is running against Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell.
At an October 20 forum, Manion was attempting to explain away her lack of trial experience. She said she could step into a courtroom "tomorrow" if she wanted to and compared the work of line prosecutors to the people who put "labels on boxes at Amazon." You can watch the remarks here.
"The CEO of Amazon is not putting the labels on the boxes and they're not driving the trucks,” she said, noting that voters are electing a prosecutor to “set the tone” of the office, not do the day-to-day work.
Now, I'm not one to demand an apology for every little thing. But one deputy prosecutor, who wished to remain anonymous, made a good point about the impact Manion's remarks could have on morale.
"Victims are not cardboard boxes. The work is demanding and requires skill, experience, dedication, and compassion. With morale at an all-time low and caseloads at all-time highs, prosecutors were shocked and angered to learn of their trial work being trivialized by Leesa Manion."
Manion told staff in the email that she is "truly sorry that this was the impact on many."
You’ll never be woke enough
A few years ago, during the height of the police defunding debate, I warned moderate and liberal Democrats not to give in to unreasonable demands in a misguided effort to ingratiate themselves to the Party’s progressive wing.
My argument?
It won’t stop them from primarying you. No matter how many woke policies you blindly support – progressive candidates are still coming for your seats.
Exhibit A: The 2022 voter guide released by Seattle Pride.
As a Seattle-based group supporting LGBTQIA+ rights, it shouldn’t be too hard for Seattle Pride to find politicians who support that mission wholeheartedly. But apparently, even the most committed LGBTQIA+ activists aren’t doing enough for the cause.
The voter guide asked legislative, judicial, county, and Congressional candidates to answer a series of questions:
- 1. In what ways have you supported the LGBTQIA+ community?
- 2. If (re)elected, how will you advance the rights of LGTBQIA+ individuals in your purview?
- 3. LGBTQIA+ youth, especially transgender youth, are at increased risk for suicide, depression, bullying, and housing insecurity. How will you use your office to fight for these youth?
- 4. LGBTQIA+ residents have disproportionately experienced homelessness and housing insecurity, which the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated, particularly for queer and trans BIPOC residents. How will you use your office to champion housing security for such residents?
The answers were then evaluated by “Seattle Pride Staff, Board Members, and/or Volunteers according to an established rubric.”
Candidates were then given a score of 0-4 “Pride Flags,” with 0 flags being the worst and 4 flags being the best. The ratings were explained as follows:
- 4 Flags: Has already been working on projects and programs to achieve equitable outcomes for LGBTQIA+ community members, prioritizing QTBIPOC community members (as an elected official, activist, community member, professionally, etc.) Gives extensive details on policy tools needed to achieve goals. Policy tools prioritize the well-being of marginalized communities (i.e. enacting progressive taxation, community investments along with commercial development, etc.).
- 3 Flags: Demonstrates commitment to equity in practice for LGBTQIA+ community members, prioritizing QTBIPOC community members. Gives details of policy tools needed to achieve goals.
- 2 Flags: Demonstrates commitment to supporting legal equality for LGBTQIA+ community members. Demonstrates openness to providing supports for QTBIPOC community members. Gives few concrete example of policy tools, few details.
- 1 Flag: Has admitted explicit anti-LGBTQIA+ or racial bias in past roles, but has stated commitment to evolving. Uses outdated and/or inadvertently offensive language in questionnaire responses. Gives no concrete examples of policy tools.
- 0 Flags: Demonstrated explicit anti-LGBTQIA+ or racial bias in questionnaire.
Look, it’s no surprise that Seattle Pride scored the lone Republican who filled out the survey (Bryan Sandlin with 1/8th of a flag) low. Former state GOP chair tuned independent Chris Vance also scored low with one flag.
But I found it astounding that not ONE candidate received four flags – not even Laurie Jinkins, the first lesbian speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives. She has been active in advocating on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community in our state for more than 30 years.
But the one that really struck me was Senator Jamie Pedersen, who received a measly 2.9 flags.
I mean, come on.
Senator Jamie Pedersen was a driving force in achieving marriage equality in Washington state. That’s not enough to at least get the man 3 full flags? Did he not write enough? Does he really need to prove his commitment to LGBTQTIA+ issues?
That’s ridiculous.
Sure, other candidates who scored higher wrote more down – but anyone can pull a Kamala Harris and turn 10 words into 1,000 if they really need to.
In fact, many Democrats received piddly ratings in the Seattle Pride guide despite obvious and extensive work to improve equality over lengthy political careers.
Further proof that you’ll ever be considered woke enough – so just focus on being yourself and doing what you think is right.
Hope for Heroes
[un]Divided was honored to be a business sponsor for last night’s Hope for Heroes gala, benefiting the Stronger Families Foundation. Stronger Families helps support military, veteran, and first responder families through workshops across the country.
(My late night is also why this "morning" newsletter is in fact coming to you at 12:09 in the afternoon).
Keeping family units together is such a critical part of a healthy society – and those who serve have higher divorce rates than the rest of the population. It’s not surprising considering the day-to-day stress they endure.
On Friday’s episode, Stronger Families President and CEO Noel Meador joined us to talk about the mission.
And big THANK you to some of my friends who came along for the evening – including KIRO Radio Host Dori Monson and producer Nicole Thompson, FOX 13 Anchor Jamie Tompkins, Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney and his wife, Jill, and Cory and Tammi from R&R Foundation Specialists. Oh, and John Curley is an incredible auctioneer – helping to raise more than $680,000 to help our heroes and their families!
Housekeeping
Keep your eyes peeled on a date/time for our October live Q&A - SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION!
Have a greet week and thank you for your commitment to give common sense a comeback!
