AAPI candidates on November ballot

Washington State’s 2022 General Election takes place on Nov. 8 and features races for the U.S. Senate and Congress, as well as Washington Secretary of State and Washington Supreme Court.

Ballots have been mailed out and they must be postmarked or returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day..

Here are the AAPI candidates hoping to earn your vote in King County.

FEDERAL

U.S. Representative, Congressional District 7
Pramila Jayapal

First elected in 2016, Rep. Pramila Jayapal is currently serving her third term as the U.S. Representative for Washington’s 7th District.

She is Chair of the 96-member Congressional Progressive Caucus and also serves on the House Judiciary, Education & Labor, and Budget Committees. Prior to becoming the first South Asian American woman ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Jayapal spent decades working in global public health and development.

U.S. Representative, Congressional District 10
Marilyn Strickland

Rep. Marilyn Strickland is seeking re-election for Washington’s 10th District. She previously served as the mayor of Tacoma and joined Congress in 2021 as the first Black and Korean American representative from Washington. She also formerly led both the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Pierce Transit.

In her years serving the public, Strickland has worked to lower the cost of prescription medicine, recover social security and veterans’ benefits, and make corporations pay their share of taxes.

STATE

Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs

As Washington’s 16th Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs is the son of a Japanese immigrant.

He has three decades of military service in the United States Army and National Guard, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Hobbs has completed tours in Kosovo and Iraq, and he recently commanded more than 750 members in Task Force Olympic, a Western Washington response mission to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representative, Legislative District 1
Davina Duerr

Running to retain her seat as State Representative in the 1st Legislative District, Rep. Davina Duerr has also served as a Bothell City Councilmember, and she is currently on the Transportation, Consumer Protection & Business, and Local Government committees, as well as vice chair of the Local Government Committee. She is a licensed architect and works at an architecture firm in Bellevue.

Representative, Legislative District 32
Cindy Ryu

Rep. Cindy Ryu is looking to serve a seventh term in the State House of Representatives. She was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2012, 2014, and 2016.

Previously a Shoreline City Councilmember, Ryu served as mayor of that city, becoming the first Korean American woman mayor in America.

She chairs the Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs Committee, with jurisdiction over tourism, veterans, and community resilience.

Representative, Legislative District 33
Mia Su-Ling Gregerson

A state representative since 2013, Rep. Mia Su-Ling Gregerson chairs the House committee on State Government and Tribal Relations, and also serves on the Labor & Workplace Standards and Appropriations committees.

In her time as a lawmaker, she has fought for policies that protect the rights of tenants to stay housed, address the disparity in internet access and device acquisition, and tackle the food insecurity crisis in Washington state.

Senator, Legislative District 34
Joe Nguyen

Since being elected as Washington’s first Vietnamese American state senator in 2018, Nguyen has championed legislation to help working families, to rebuild social safety nets, and to address climate change through investments in green public transportation.

His parents fled the Vietnam War, and as refugees, and Nguyen was a janitor at his high school and he washed dishes in college to make ends meet.

Representative, Legislative District 37
Sharon Tomiko Santos

First elected in 1998, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos has advanced civil rights and liberties for women and underserved Washingtonians, provided more financial resources for public schools, and worked towards closing opportunity gaps for students and young adults.

She is the founding member of the Task Force on Immigration and the States, and former board member of the Seattle chapter of JACL.

Representative, Legislative District 41
My-Linh Thai

Rep. My-Linh Thai is a former Bellevue School District president, a healthcare professional, and an award-winning PTSA parent who is committed to improving education, opportunity, and quality of life for all Washingtonians.

She has championed and sponsored legislation to guarantee access to quality local schools, prioritize food access and stability for students, and ensure that courts are accessible for all regardless of immigration status.

Senator, Legislative District 45
Manka Dhingra

Manka Dhingra is a state senator as well as Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, and chair of the Law & Justice committee.

She has been a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with King County since January 2000.

Prior to becoming a prosecutor, she interned with the State Attorney General’s Office in their Criminal Division assisting with sexually violent predator cases.

Ryika Hooshangi

Ryika Hooshangi is an attorney and Sammamish Plateau Water District

Commissioner who is challenging Manka Dhingra for State Senate seat in the 45th District.

Hooshangi was born and raised in Redmond, and states on her campaign website that she will work tirelessly on the most pressing issues facing the residents in the 45th District—public safety, affordability, and education.

Representative, Legislative District 48
Vandana Slatter

Rep. Vandana Slatter is a former Bellevue City Councilmember, community leader, public school parent, and biotech and healthcare professional.

A Doctor of Pharmacy, Slatter has worked for the past 20-plus years at leading biotechnology companies, including Amgen and Genentech. She is a licensed pharmacist in the state of Washington.

Her mission is to build safe, healthy communities and an economy that works for everyone.

COUNTY

King County, Prosecuting Attorney
Leesa Manion

With 27 years of experience as Deputy Prosecutor, Leesa Manion would be the first woman and person of color to serve as King County Prosecutor.

In her candidate statement, Manion said she is the only candidate for this office who has developed criminal justice policies and led teams of prosecutors, as well as having led efforts increasing support for victims of domestic violence and assault, and establishing models for alternative sentencing.

JUDICIAL

WA Supreme Court, Justice Position 1
Mary Yu

A Supreme Court Justice since 2014, Mary Yu also has 14 years experience as a trial court judge, and seven years as deputy prosecuting attorney for both civil and criminal cases.

Justice Yu is the first Asian, Latina, and member of the LGBTQ+ community to serve on the Supreme Court. In addition to her work on the bench, for the last 22 years, she has mentored hundreds of new judges, young lawyers, and law students.

Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1, Judge Position 7
Janet Chung

Judge Janet Chung has over 25 years of experience as a litigator in state and federal courts and as a legislative advocate. Her practice focused on legal aid, access to health care, worker protections, and gender justice.

Judge Chung has been endorsed by all nine State Supreme Court Justices, all Court of Appeals judges able to endorse, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, and many more.

King County, Southwest Electoral District, Judge Position 4
Fa’amomoi Masaniai, Jr.

Candidate statement: Raised in the White Center/Burien area, I understand the struggles that most people have, the strain local businesses are under, and the difficulties law enforcement face each day. I will make decisions based on the law, but with an eye toward the future. I will make sure all who appear before me are heard. I want to make the court the best it can be.

King County, West Electoral District, Judge Position 2
Kuljinder Dhillon

In 1989, Judge Kuljinder Dhillon’s East Indian family immigrated to the United States, and before attending law school, she became a domestic violence victim advocate at the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

For 17 years, she served King County’s indigent population as a public defender and private defense attorney. Dhillon is an advisory board member for the Judicial Institute, which is dedicated to diversifying Washington State’s judiciary.

King County, West Electoral District, Judge Position 4
Gregg Hirakawa

Judge Gregg Hirakawa was first elected to the King County District Court in November 2016, after being appointed to the position in May 2016. He has experience both as a prosecuting attorney and as a public defense lawyer, and is committed to maintaining public safety while protecting individual liberties. In private practice, he successfully represented children, the elderly, and veterans in guardianship, trust, and disability proceedings, and protected vulnerable adults from abuse and financial exploitation.

City of Seattle, Municipal Court Judge Position 2
Andrea Chin

Judge Andrea Chin was elected to the Seattle Municipal Court Bench in November 2018, following 26 years of experience in public service as an Assistant City

Attorney with the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. She has presided over a general trial court, handling arraignments, pretrial hearings, trials, sentencings, and post-resolution review hearings. Her current rotation is the court’s domestic violence calendar.

City of Seattle, Municipal Court Judge Position 3
Pooja Vaddadi

Pooja Vaddadi would be the first South Asian woman elected as a judge in Seattle Municipal Court.

She has practiced in district courts in both Snohomish and King County, and most recently in Seattle Municipal Court. She has received exclusive endorsements from the King County Democrats, the Young Democrats of King County, the Democrats for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Women’s Political Caucus.

If there are any AAPI candidates we missed, please let us know at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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