ELECTION 2018: 34th District State Senate race down to the final sprint

After six months of campaigning, our area’s hottest race has less than two days to go. We caught up today with both candidates for the open 34th District State Senate seat.

Shannon Braddock and supporters gathered at Grand Central Bakery in Burien at midday before setting out for more door-to-door campaigning. Among her volunteers – her dad Dennis Braddock:

We asked Braddock for her final pitch, in a minute or less, on why an undecided voter should choose her for the job:

A few hours later, Joe Nguyen and supporters gathered at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) in West Seattle:

Joining him in campaign canvassing today, 7th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal:

(She too is on Tuesday’s ballot, running for re-election vs. Republican Craig Keller.) And we also asked Nguyen for his final pitch:

You can browse our West Seattle Politics archive for past coverage, dating back to April, when both announced their candidacy for the 34th Legislative District State Senate seat from which Sen. Sharon Nelson is retiring. Nguyen and Braddock, both West Seattle residents, were the top two finishers in the August primary field of 11. The district includes White Center and other parts of unincorporated North Highline as well as Vashon and Maury Islands and part of Burien. 8 pm Tuesday (November 6th) is when the voting ends and the counting begins; here’s how to get your ballot in.

Kshama Is Revolting! November 5, 2018 (6:14 am)

Prayapal campaigning for Nguyen is enough to disqualify him. What Seattle most emphatically needs is no more Sawantists in any elected position.

Ivan Weiss November 5, 2018 (8:24 am)

It takes a special kind of ignorance to treat all Indian-American women as if they were the same. Sawant’s politics are quite different from Jayapal’s.
- Maria November 5, 2018 (5:49 pm)
  
  The OP didn’t say anything about race or ethnicity. Soley said Sawantist which is understood locally as political. Sawant and Jayapal may not be the same in all aspects of politics, but share the same philosophy.
TreeHouse November 5, 2018 (9:27 pm)

I’ve been super impressed with Jayapal! That being said I was also excited to vote for Joe NGuyen. I can’t wait to watch election news tomorrow!

Ferryander November 5, 2018 (7:37 am)

Want to know why you’ve been getting such much mail from Shannon Braddock? It’s because PAC’s have spent $178,347.31 trying to buy this seat for her. Shannon can call herself a progressive all she wants, but when Charter School PAC Stand for Children is spending $74,815.47 and the Realtor PAC is spending $44,421.73 trying to get someone elected, you should immediately be on red alert. If you add up all the money that has been spent and raised on behalf of Shannon less than 1/3rd of the money has come from people. Stand for Children: $74,815.47 Washington Realtors PAC: $44,421.73 WA Works For US PAC: $38,606.55 Washington Values PAC: $20,503.56 Joe Nguyen is the only candidate who hasn’t taken a dime of corporate PAC money, and has been knocking doors so much in the district that he know has tendinitis. If that is how hard he is willing to work, that is exactly the kind of leadership and representation I want in my State Senator.Still need convincing? Watch this amazing video of Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal talking about all the reasons why she supports Joe.

RS November 5, 2018 (8:30 am)

I noticed that too. A lot of money being poured into the Braddock campaign! I have received numerous mailers, and had at least two visits to my door from people canvassing for her.
- Erithan November 5, 2018 (9:45 am)
  
  The mail pieces were super wasteful too had like 6 all heavy paper and all color. Got a text too… wondering why they have my private number.
  - KM November 5, 2018 (12:57 pm)
    
    Voter registration data is accessible to campaigns, so if you have that number tied to your voter registration, that is probably how they reached you. Not sure how numbers are matched with voter registrations, however, but they are somehow.
  - CAM November 5, 2018 (7:08 pm)
    
    Here here for the flyer fatigue and wastefulness of the Braddock campaign. Amazing that a person who bills themselves as a progressive would not have thought about the ecological impacts of such an overabundance of physical mail. I’ve had three flyers in my mailbox daily for the last two weeks. At least two of them each day are from Braddock’s campaign. Her campaign would have also had access to my email address from multiple sources and getting 20 emails a day would have been less disturbing than a full recycling bag of campaign flyers. Yet I received not a single email from her throughout the last months I’m guessing the whole practice what you preach thing only applies after she gets elected.

brandon November 5, 2018 (9:07 am)

Sorry, Jayapal is like the Nancy Pelosi of politics. No bueno. But the wave of mailers from Braddock is a complete turn off. *sigh* Politics in this state/country is so sadly off course.

Jort November 5, 2018 (9:29 am)

The Nancy Pelosi of politics? Is there another Nancy Pelosi that’s not in politics?

34th-er November 5, 2018 (9:23 am)

I guess if Stand for Children is endorsing Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, we should be on red alert about that too? And it must be nice to be making so much money at Microsoft that you can take enough time off that you get tendinitis knocking on doors. I also see that the WEA cares so much about its endorsement of Joe Nguyen that they gave him a whopping $500 while they gave tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates in other districts. Your vilification of Shannon is desperate. You know she’s prevented from coordinating with any independent expenditure by law. She’s a single mother who has worked in local government for the last 10 years and managed to raise 3 kids and work for local nonprofits that do the most for the least advantaged among us. Vote for Shannon.

Ivan Weiss November 5, 2018 (9:45 am)

No Democrat in the 34th District should be accepting any endorsement from Stand For Children, and should be not only rejecting any such endorsement, but denouncing it in the strongest possible terms. If Joe Fitzgibbon hasn’t done so, he is going to hear about it, from me and from plenty of others, in some pretty blunt language. Candidates who accept any such endorsement might as well be accepting one from the Koch Brothers. Stand For Children promotes the Trump/DeVos education agenda.
KM November 5, 2018 (10:07 am)

Shannon seems like a really great person, and I remember her running a more positive campaign against Herbold, which I really respected. One of the things that tipped me in favor of Joe, who I already voted for, is that Shannon HAS been in local government for the last 10 years. There were other factors too, including difference in platform, fundraising, etc. but I think that the voting for an “insider”, no matter how great of a person they are, isn’t going to sit well with many on either side of the spectrum (conservative or liberal progressives).
crabbypatty November 5, 2018 (10:09 am)

Desperation is when you conduct a poll and it shows you doing so poorly PAC’s have to come in and spend almost $200,000 to flood the district with the same bland materials just to try and make you win ;) I voted the first day and last Friday I received five, FIVE mailers that were pro-Shannon! Such an incredible waste of paper and ink.
- el838 November 5, 2018 (9:18 pm)
  
  And if you’re talking about wealth, she got $135,000 a year from “local government.”
  - CAM November 6, 2018 (9:08 am)
    
    And with that money she supports herself and three children. That’s not really what wealth looks like.
    - FDR November 6, 2018 (2:29 pm)
      
      She and her very wealthy ex-husband support their three children.

Ferryander November 5, 2018 (9:57 am)

Stand for Children isn’t pouring almost $100,000 to elect Joe Fitzgibbon 34th-ER. You and I both know that they wouldn’t be spending that kind of money in a State Legislature race unless they thought their chosen candidate was going to vote the way they want them too. And how do you know if Joe has been taking time off? All you’re doing is spouting conjectures with zero proof to back them up. I prefer facts, and the facts show that Shannon Braddock is being backed by some of the least progressive, undemocratic players in this state.Shannon Braddock claims to be a progressive, yet when you look at who is directly and indirectly contributing to her campaign it paints a very different picture. Developer and Charter School PAC’s have spent almost $120,000 on her behalf, she has taken thousands of dollars from Coca-Cola and the soda industry lobbying groups, maxed out campaign contributions from charter school groups and out of state for-profit education companies, maxed out campaign contributions from Republican real estate developers, and two maxed out campaign contributions from the Washington Hospitality Association which fought tooth and nail to try and defeat the $15 minimum wage.She has also received donations from a pro-logging PAC called Washington Forest Protection Association that donated to Dino Rossi; Weyerhaeuser, a lumber company and top donor for Republicans, including Susan Hutchison. If she truly does hold our progressive ideals to heart, why is she being financed by the same people who paid for Dino Rossi, Susan Hutchison and the GOP?Take a look at her campaign finances yourself if you don’t believe me https://www.pdc.wa.gov/browse/campaign-explorer/candidate?filer_id=BRADS%20%20116&election_year=2018

A November 5, 2018 (10:09 am)

Both candidates are terrible. One has special interests groups funding her so you know she is bought and will be their puppet if elected. The other has Jayapal campaigning with him that is all that needs to be said about that. Looks like we are screwed either way. They always say to vote and how important it is and that you can’t complain if you don’t vote but if these are my two choices I don’t really want to vote

Nolan November 5, 2018 (12:44 pm)

What, precisely, makes Jayapal’s support “all that needs to be said about that”? She’s been an effective advocate for the underprivileged inhabitants in our area and an exceedingly gracious communicator in the face of rampant ugliness, and yet the tone of your post seems to consider that a negative.
- wscommuter November 5, 2018 (5:11 pm)
  
  I’m a life-long Democrat … but won’t vote for Rep. Jayapal because she is far more concerned with show than substance. Many of her positions I agree with, but she is an empty hat – I don’t see her working on substantive legislation, but very dedicated to getting on TV, etc.. We had enough of that with Jim McDermott. I still wish Mr. Walkinshaw had been elected two years ago … now we’re likely stuck with Ms. Jayapal for the foreseeable future.
  - CAM November 5, 2018 (7:11 pm)
    
    Looking at the current makeup of the House, I’m not sure how you think she could have made any inroads on legislation. If the Democrats take the house majority in January and her efforts still don’t impress you that’s more of a legitimate complaint.

Mj November 5, 2018 (11:17 am)

Both candidates are respectable people and capable. However, these two candidates are way to far to the left for my liking. On the bright side it will all be over tomorrow evening, especially annoying is the TV advertising occurring in the hotly contested 8th Congressional District, not WS vote item, but I am certainly am tired of it. I’m also pissed off with the Grocery Tax ads that are blatantly false, no one is proposing to tax healthful food. Soda pop is not healthful and it causes significant health issue and societal costs. It is the Soda Pop industry spending millions supporting this initiative!

Question Authority November 5, 2018 (11:19 am)

I’d rather have someone connected to the system, then a dreamy dogooder backed by a Socialist.

Ellas November 5, 2018 (3:16 pm)

What is up with all this anti-socialist posting? I take it you don’t want Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, Health care, need I go on? Socialism isn’t what happened in Russia and it isn’t Communism which doesn’t exist in any real government currently. Social services been incorporated in our government for quite some time. For those of you who don’t like Pramila Jayapal, read her record in Congress and see if you don’t change your mind. She carefully and thoughtfully works hard for this district. And by the way, Americans come in all different skin colors and backgrounds. Unless you are a Native American, your roots and descendants are from other countries.

TJ November 5, 2018 (3:20 pm)

That is Jayapal’s problem. All she does is advocate for the underprivilidged, ignoring the middle class as most politicians in this area do. Oh, and say the rich need to pay more while increasing taxes on the middle class and poor. Before Jayapal was elected and she was a spokesperson for One America, she openly advocated for open borders and non enforcement of immigration laws. She is a socialist without claiming it

Nolan November 5, 2018 (8:09 pm)

“All she does is advocate for the underprivilidged, ignoring the middle class as most politicians in this area do.”Have you ever, even once, listened to things you say?

T November 5, 2018 (5:42 pm)

The definition of insanity is repeating the same process but expecting a different outcome.I’m afraid nothing will change until the city becomes a place where political parties other than Democrat or Socialist can run and end up as one of the two candidates in the election.

WSB November 5, 2018 (5:46 pm)

Please remember that this is not a city election. The 34th also includes a sizable slice of unincorporated King County (White Center, North Highline, Vashon & Maury Islands …) as well as part of the city of Burien. Also, there were no socialist candidates on the ballot. Democrats, independents, and Republicans comprised the 11 who ran.

1994 November 5, 2018 (8:10 pm)

I received 3 giant 8 X 11 cards in one day for Shannon, and many giant other cards on many other days for her. What a waste of paper. Her dad’s name was familiar – he ran DSHS for 4 years.I voted for Joe.

Jeannie November 5, 2018 (9:31 pm)

That you for being a voice of reason, Ellas. The Creepublicans are the biggest threat to our earned benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. And if Nguyen is good enough for Jayapal, he’s good enough for me! I’m proud to have voted for Nguyen – and Jayapal. I don’t think Shannon is bad, but Joe seems more in touch with the middle class as well as older people. AND, of course, those damned Shannon flyers! If she wins, it’ll be all about exposure. Even though I recycle Shannon’s flyers, they are still wasteful.

brandon November 6, 2018 (1:29 pm)

Oh here comes the Party name calling. Nuff said.

Mike November 6, 2018 (9:32 am)

You know you’re winning when folks try to paint you as a socialist AND a shill for corporate overlords in the same breath… I don’t blame Braddock supporters for being nervous. Machine politics doesn’t quite work as well as it once did, so what should be a shoe-in — support from leaders of the establishment and other career politicians, dark money from interest groups that are “not coordinating” (I’m so sure) with her campaign… well, that is an old playbook and tonight we will see if people-powered, grassroots campaigns can still lead to victory. #TeamNguyen

anonyme November 6, 2018 (11:44 am)

Originally I didn’t support either one of them, but ultimately I voted for Joe – primarily because of his statement of support for seniors. Whether those statements will translate into action remains to be seen. Seniors are a large demographic, yet are treated with attitudes ranging from neglect to outright contempt. It’s especially bad in Seattle, with our youth-obsessed culture. That’s OK; it may be bent with arthritis, but my middle finger still works just fine.

Yma November 6, 2018 (7:37 pm)

Hey my Westside neighbors- we have differences of opinion & we voted- yay! Let’s move on together. Let’s listen to each other & not name-call. Our differences actually make us stronger. Go out tomorrow & shake somebody’s hand that you don’t agree with.

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