Don’t know who to vote for in Legislative District 22? Candidates share why you should pick them
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5, and some of you are still holding onto your ballots wondering who to vote for in some of the lower-profile races.
The Olympian asked candidates in the 22nd Legislative District races what they would like voters to tell last-minute voters, and why voters should choose them over their opponents.
District 22 Senator
Current 22nd District Rep. Jessica Bateman is facing Port of Olympia Commissioner Bob Iyall in the race for Sam Hunt’s state Senate seat. Hunt is retiring.
Bateman said now that campaigning is coming to an end, the top issues she’s heard about from voters are access to affordable housing, equitable access to health care and behavioral health providers, and making sure that there’s a sustainable funding system for Washington’s public schools.
“Those are issues that I am prepared to address when I hope to be elected to the State Senate,” she said.
She said she’s heard concerns about ensuring people have strong reproductive rights in the state, another issue she plans to focus on.
Bateman said it’s her experience that most sets her apart from Iyall.
“I think that I bring the experience, having worked on these issues that people are talking to me about, priorities such as health care, reproductive rights, housing, those are all issues that I’ve been working on for the last four years in the state legislature,” she said. “So I have experience, I’ve got relationships with other legislators, so I can really hit the ground running and be effective bringing home successful policies for the voters of the 22nd and also funding that we need in capital projects and in the budget.”
She encouraged voters to look at resources such as who’s supporting different candidates.
“You can take a look at those, the organizations that are supporting candidates, take a look at my website and see who’s supporting me,” she said. “You can always look at them and see if those are people that you know and recognize.”
Bateman said there’s a lot of voters who haven’t turned in their ballots, and there’s still time for people to get involved. She encouraged voters to attend the Women’s March on Nov. 2. There are also coordinated campaign events aimed at getting people out to vote.
She said folks can also reach out to her campaign directly with questions about the election. You can reach Bateman at her website, votejessicabateman.com, under the Connect with Jessica tab.
Iyall said he wants to reiterate his commitment to representing the broad spectrum of voices in the community.
“After talking to so many people, there are a lot of people out there who feel unheard and unrepresented,” he said. “I’m willing to work on solutions that find common ground and make sure that we are utilizing the voices of all people in Washington state, whether that’s pertaining to affordable health care or prioritizing workforce development or advancing salmon recovery.”
Iyall said his approach is all about collaboration and promoting growth and preservation at the same time.
Iyall said what sets him apart from Bateman is his proven track record in both business and community service. He said he’s brought people together to create meaningful solutions, and he knows how to take practical steps in working toward actionable, steady progress.
“Honestly, I’m here to listen to people’s concerns and make thoughtful decisions and truly be a representative who works for all of the people in Washington state,” he said. “I believe I can deliver results, results that are going to be in respect to our community, our community’s needs, and our history and our future.”
District 22, Position 1 Rep.
Current 22nd District Rep. Beth Doglio is being opposed by Steve Owens, who did not respond to requests for an interview.
Doglio said the most important thing she wants people to know for this election is to vote “No” on all the initiatives on this year’s ballot.
“Voting ‘No’ on the initiatives protects the work that the legislature has done for the last decade to make our state cleaner, our air cleaner, our water cleaner, to make sure that we’re funding education at appropriate levels, especially early childhood education, to make sure that the energy transition is done in a way that really, really pays close attention to ratepayers and working to protect them, and finally, making sure we’re taking care of our seniors, who need long term care,” Doglio said.
In terms of her race, Doglio said she appreciates the opportunity to continue to work on behalf of working families and the environment, and she’s looking forward to addressing the school funding issue.
If elected, she plans to do some work on gun violence prevention as well. The other critical focus point for her campaign is housing and mental health, something she’s hoping to work closely with Bateman on.
On why voters should choose her instead of Owens, she said her record of 35 years working in advocacy and then as an elected official speaks for itself.
“I have passed bills that are designed to make Washington state one of the best employers in the state, really making sure that the large number of state employees in the district have their rights protected, and we’re always looking for good wages and safety on the job,” she said.
“I just bring a lot of knowledge, and I plan to really dig in this year,” she said. “So those would be reasons that I would appreciate earning people’s vote.”
District 22, Position 2 Rep.
Olympia City Council member Lisa Parshley is running against Syd Locke, a Senior Legislative Assistant for over 30 years, for the seat Bateman is vacating to run for the Senate. Both are Democrats.
Parshley said she wants to stress her commitment to the state of Washington as much as to the country, and she’s a little fearful for what Tuesday will bring.
Parshley said she would tell people they need to vote, no matter who they vote for, because it gives the people power. And no matter the outcome, she will stand with the other legislators to ensure Washington, the region and country does the right thing for all people.
“Should the worst case scenario, in my mind, come true, which is we have a second Presidency of Trump, I will work tirelessly for Washington and our region,” she said.
Parshley said people should vote for her over Locke because her experience on the Olympia City Council has given her a bird’s eye view of the issues people are facing right now, all issues that intersect.
“We need people who have worked on policy and actions that have worked, and learned from those that have not worked,” she said.
Parshley said she believes that the pathway to a sustainable, resilient community is building back the middle class. She said a recent report states Washington has a higher share of the middle class than the rest of the country, but she challenges that notion.
“I know people are struggling in our community when we have 48% of Thurston County that are housing insecure, and some of those are going to be considered middle class,” she said.
Parshley, who is a small business owner, said more work needs to be done around protecting small businesses.
She said she believes how folks vote on Tuesday is going to reverberate generations down the line.
“It’s our choice, as corny as this sounds, whether we choose joy and hope or going backwards, and somebody who admires Hitler,” Parshley said.
Locke said he will continue working to ensure that economic and environmental necessities, such as universal health care, affordable housing, livable incomes, environmental sustainability and more, are truly considered human rights.
“If everyone gets what they need to fulfill their potential, then society as a whole benefits,” he said. “That’s part of what it means to be a Democratic Socialist.”
Locke said he’s an outspoken advocate for peace, and he believes the U.S. needs to stop funding the war on Gaza and to avoid conflicts that could lead to nuclear war. Instead, he said those billions of dollars should be spent on people’s needs.
Locke said he’s different from his opponent because he has years of experience as a legislative staffer, and he believes the system isn’t working for most people.
“People want stability and hope for the future, but we can’t achieve that with an economic system that puts short-term profits for the ultra-rich over the needs of the people and the health of the planet,” he said.
This story was originally published November 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
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