'Auburn Girl' Shannon Hader Says She Can Get Things Done In DC

AUBURN, WA - Shannon Hader, you might not know, is the only Democrat in the 8th Congressional District race who worked in the Donald Trump administration.

Not willingly. She was director of the Center for Disease Control's Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis in 2017 when Trump took office. She described the Trump administration's takeover of the CDC (an agency she says is very nonpolitical) as "insidious." Her bosses slowed down important hires, for example, and policed language around "sensitive issues." After Hader quit, CDC employees were coached not to use words like "transgender" and "fetus" in budget requests.

Her breaking point came when her bosses asked for a list of "all the words or concepts people might object to."

"I was not going to make a target list," she told Patch recently.

With just a few days to go before the August primary, the three Democrats vying to replace U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (if elected, the first Democrat to ever hold the 8th District seat) are trying to stand out. All three, including Jason Rittereiser and Kim Schrier, agree on a lot: Trump is bad, gun laws need strengthening, health care needs to be really easy to get.

In Hader's case, she stands out, she says, because of her experience operating in federal and municipal governments. This is her first run for office, but she's worked behind the scenes in government. She worked on health policy for U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., during the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act.

"I'm certainly new to politics, but not new to working with politicians," she said. "There are a couple of elements that come out loud and clear that set me up strongly to beat [Republican candidate] Dino Rossi. It's a combination of experience and community connection."

Hader entered the race months after Rittereiser and Schrier, and has lagged behind the other two in fundraiser. She has loaned over $300,000 from her retirement account to her campaign. But she's worked hard on the campaign trail. For her 50th birthday, she challenged campaign volunteers to knock on 50 doors and make 50 phone calls. Hader has been endorsed by every major Democratic group in the 8th, the Seattle Times, and former REI CEO/Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

And, she's gone on the attack. Hader's campaign sent out a mailer recently criticizing Schrier's stance on vaccine policy. Schrier, a pediatrician, indicated she would not be in favor of mandatory vaccinations. Schrier has since said, "Vaccinations should be given according to the schedule set forth by the ACIP, AAP, and CDC, and should be required to attend preschool and elementary school."

Hader's campaign says the mailer isn't accusing Schrier of being against vaccines, but is showing "a key policy difference between two pediatricians who are running to be policy makers." (You can see the vaccine mailer here)

According to RealClearPolitics, the 8th District is a tossup. The three Democratic candidates can win votes in Issaquah hating on Trump, but drive over the Cascades and you'll see Trump signs plastered on barns and fences outside Ellensburg.

Hader says the national Democratic party hasn't put its thumb on the scale as far as she can tell. In other words, Hader and her two opponents aren't getting any special help making it through the primary.

"This is the first open ability [of the 8th District seat] in 14 years. I don't think anyone's entitled to be chosen," she said.

Photo courtesy Shannon Hader