Manka Dhingra Vs. Jinyoung Lee Englund: Candidates Answer Patch Questions

WOODINVILLE, WA - The race for the 45th Legislative District state Senate seat is probably the most watched race in the state, and maybe even in the other Washington. That's because the winner of this seat will determine which party controls state government next year.

If Democrat Manka Dhingra wins, the Democrats will re-take control of the Senate, and the party will have control over the whole Legislature and the governor's office. If Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund wins, the Senate stays in Republican hands. The seat wasn't supposed to be vacant. Andy Hill was in the seat until his death last fall. Republican Dino Rossi is the interim Senator, but he has indicated a desire to run in 2018 for Dave Reichert's seat in the U.S. Congress.

If the August primary is a predictor (and some don't think primaries are a good at predicting general elections), Dhingra has the advantage. She came out first with more than 51 percent of the vote to Englund's 41 percent.

Both candidates have raised a lot of cash with Dhingra at $1,19 million and Englund ahead with $1,23 million - that's more than either of the Seattle mayoral candidates, and the Seattle mayoral race tends to get expensive. They've both racked up big endorsements, too. Last week, Englund was endorsed by the right-leaning Seattle Times Editorial Board. On Tuesday, former vice president Joe Biden endorsed Dhingra.

So, it's up to you, 45th Legislative District voters, and ballots should start hitting mailboxes this week. To help you make your choice, Patch sent Englund and Dhingra candidate questionnaires to fill out their positions on some key (and not so key) issues. We haven't edited their answers and allowed them to write as much as they wanted. Here are the results (in alphabetical order):

Manka Dhingra

Why did you decide to run for this seat? For incumbent candidates, what made you decide to run for reelection?

We all want elected officials who are local, experienced and professional. Leaders who are interested in solving problems. I have been solving problems in our community for over 20 years and I want to leverage my law enforcement, community activism and problem-solving skills to solve the very real problems we have in our State. We deserve elected officials who want to represent people not their political parties and that is why I am running; to change the partisan culture in our political system and bring my expertise to help all those in need.

I have dedicated my life to non-partisan issues. As a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, I represent every single person in my district. I have developed and run our Regional Mental Health Court, Regional Veterans’ Court and our Diversion program. Really making sure that people who need services and support are placed on supervision instead of going to jails and prisons. As a founder of a domestic violence advocacy organization (Chaya), I have advocated for all survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. As a member of the executive board the National Alliance on Mental Illness Eastside, I have worked to improve the lives of all those impacted by mental illness. And as an award winning PTSA volunteer, I have worked to create opportunity for all of our children.

Our state is currently struggling with governing in the areas of education, mental health and criminal justice, literally the issues that I have expertise in and I am passionate about. In Olympia, I will work to fully fund education so that every child has an individualized plan for success, work to address the growing mental health needs of our communities and work on equity and social justice issues for all.

If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what’s one law you’d like to see passed during the next Legislative session?

One of the concerns I hear the most when I talk to our community is housing affordability. People are worried about the rising cost of living on the Eastside and whether they’ll be able to continue to live here as housing prices continue to skyrocket.

In the 2017 budget, Republicans insisted on a major property tax increase, raising property taxes in our district by over $600 dollars a year. This has the biggest impact on our seniors on fixed incomes, many of whom own homes that have increased many times in value in the decades since they were purchased. I have friends who have had to move out of our district because they can’t afford to live here anymore – this is a major concern for housing affordability.

With a snap of my fingers, I would like to roll back these Republican property tax increases next year. We need to address the regressive nature of our tax system by lowering the tax burden on middle class families and closing special interest tax loopholes.

A group of media outlets led by the Associated Press is suing the Legislature to get better access to state records like text messages, emails, and calendars of lawmakers. Do you think that the Legislature should start releasing more records (such as emails and texts) to the public?

We need transparency and accountability in government. As a King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, nearly all of my records are publicly available, a standard which the legislature isn’t held to itself and should be. The same standard needs to be applied to all government positions. We have to balance these public requests to protect constituents privacy and personal information, but the work of the government must be open to the public.

Since you live in Western Washington, can you name one thing that you really like about parts of the state east of the Cascades?

I am very fortunate to have visited so many different areas of our beautiful state as a coach for the math and chess teams that my children participate in. Chess and math tournaments are held all across the state and it’s always been a pleasure visiting Central and Eastern Washington. Our favorite thing to do on these road trips is to go to locally owned restaurants and farms. We try to guess what crop is growing in the fields and greatly appreciate the farms that have a post with the name of the crop so we have proof of which family member was right. Eastern Washington is a critical part of our state and I look forward to working on legislation that will support all of us to the east as well as the west of the Cascades.

For Democrats, why do you think it’s important for the Democrats to take control of the Senate? For Republicans, why do you think it’s important to retain control of the Senate?

I am running to ensure our community has a strong advocate on the issues important to them—education, mental health, equity and social justice. Unfortunately, on too many issues, we’ve seen our legislature stuck in gridlock. Obstruction and politics have brought our state to the brink of a government shutdown every budget cycle since the current Republican leadership took charge of the Senate. All too often, bipartisan legislation passes the House of Representatives and is killed in committee in the Senate. Bi-partisan bills, deserve the chance to be seriously considered and come up for a vote so there is some accountability and transparency. That is what the people deserve. Take for example the capital budget, which creates jobs across the state on construction projects like school buildings and other essential infrastructure. The capital budget passed the House on an overwhelming 92-1 vote, but Republicans refuse to allow a vote in the Senate. On other issues like protecting civil rights for immigrants and the LGBTQ community, a woman’s right to make her own health care decision, ensuring clean air and clean water and fighting climate change and others, we see again and again bills pass the House on bipartisan margins and fail in the Senate when Republicans refuse to even allow a vote. A Democratic Senate will give us the opportunity to make progress on these issues near and dear to the values of so many Washingtonians. It is important for the Democrats to take control of the Senate so that we can actually govern as a state. It is not ok for a handful of Republican senators to hold the entire state hostage to their partisan obstructionism.

What’s your favorite place to eat in Olympia?

When I was a clerk for Justice Barbara Madsen, there was a tiny Thai restaurant that was owned by a couple in downtown Olympia. They were very friendly and the food was delicious. That was twenty years ago and the only time I have spent any significant time in Olympia. I look forward to exploring the culinary offerings of Olympia to find a new or old favorite restaurant.

What’s the important piece of business the Legislature accomplished over the 2017 session(s)?

The 2017 legislature passed landmark paid family and medical leave legislation to help make sure that people are able to take time off work to take care of themselves or sick family members. Whether it’s a parent taking care of their newborn or someone helping their aging parent, people deserve the chance to spend time with their family in those times of need. I appreciate how business groups and labor unions, Democrats and Republicans, came together to find a solution on this issue – that problem-solving approach where we bring both sides together is how I plan to work in the legislature to address other challenges facing our community. I am a huge proponent of prioritizing people, small businesses and our children and this bill, while challenging for some small businesses, embodies the values of our state.

Jinyoung Lee Englund

Why did you decide to run for this seat? For incumbent candidates, what made you decide to run for reelection?

Our family has been on the Eastside for over 60 years and for over a decade in the 45th Legislative District. Protecting the values of the Eastside and in particular, our district, is of utmost importance to me. My parents imbued in me the values of thankfulness and the duty of paying forward the gifts of life, opportunity, and freedom that we as Americans have been afforded.

My father was three years old when his home in the northern region of Korea was invaded by communists and his family fled south. In 1950, America sent her sons and daughters to defend a people and a country they didn’t know. That country was Korea and those people are my people. In 1975, his family was fortunate to emigrate to Washington state. Like many families, we chose to be American. More importantly, we chose to be Washingtonian.

The gift of being American is a debt we cannot repay, but it is one we can certainly pay forward. And we have been paying it forward since 1975. My father retired as a disabled, U.S. Army veteran after 21 years of honorable service. My brother is an active duty U.S. Army officer, and my husband, whose family emigrated from Sweden, is an active duty U.S. Marine currently forward deployed in Asia with a combined 17 years of enlisted and commissioned service. I am proud to be a second generation active duty U.S. military spouse.
The late Senator Andy Hill left a legacy of compassionate, independent, pragmatic and bipartisan leadership. That is the kind of leadership I admire and will carry forward for our district if elected this November.

If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what’s one law you’d like to see passed during the next Legislative session?

In speaking with thousands of voters in our district, there are four major legislative priorities.
First, I would sponsor a bill to apply our unexpected new revenue surpluses towards buying down the increase in state property tax that disproportionately impacts our district. Already, this idea has faced opposition from prominent Democrat leaders who support my opponent and want to see this additional, unexpected revenue spent elsewhere. By electing me, Republicans will maintain leadership of the Senate while Democrats control the House and in that balanced government structure, we will be able to help homeowners in our district.

Secondly, I would work with my colleagues to propose a constitutional amendment to prohibit an income tax once and for all in our state.

Thirdly, I would pass a bill to provide relief to the people in our district feel deceived and cannot afford the dishonest and unrealistic valuation of their cars. We need to make sure that cars are accurately and honestly valued by Sound Transit and restore trust between the people and government agencies.
Lastly, given the latest ruling by a King County Judge that robbed the will and right of the people to vote on Initiative 27 to ban heroin injection sites, I would sponsor legislation to ban heroin injection sites in our state to prevent Washington from becoming an experiment for extreme Seattle ideas. We need to seek compassionate and comprehensive solutions that actually empower people suffering from addiction to overcome it.

A group of media outlets led by the Associated Press is suing the Legislature to get better access to state records like text messages, emails, and calendars of lawmakers. Do you think that the Legislature should start releasing more records (such as emails and texts) to members of the public who request them?

I not only think that the legislature should release more information, I think there should be radically more transparency in the current back door negotiation of state employee contracts with the Governor’s office. These negotiations commit billions of dollars of our taxes to the pay and benefits of our valued state employees. But we the taxpayers should know what is going on behind closed doors. The deals cut there may be used by supporters of my opponent to justify a state income tax.

Since you live in Western Washington, can you name one thing that you really like about parts of the state east of the Cascades?

I would be doing my district a disservice if I didn’t mention wine country! I love that my district and Eastern Washington share a love for all things wine. In the last 10 years, we have seen the wine industry boom, and in Woodinville alone, there are more than 150 tasting rooms. We wouldn’t be where we are without the wine country of Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities regions. It is that much more fun for me to be in Walla Walla or the Red Mountain area and see the actual vineyards of some of my favorite wines that I get to experience in my hometown.

For Democrats, why do you think it’s important for the Democrats to take control of the Senate? For Republicans, why do you think it’s important to retain control of the Senate?

I was endorsed by The Seattle Times on the grounds that my election will preserve a balance of power in Olympia that “ensures balanced and fiscally responsible government.”

For over 30 years, Washington state has had Democrat governors. In the four years leading up to the recession, a Democrat monopoly in Olympia raised spending by 40 percent, including failing to fund education and raising college tuition -- a tax on students. In contrast, in the five years that we had a balance of power in Olympia, with Republicans leading the Senate and Democrats controlling the House, both by very slim majorities, the state doubled education spending, reduced college tuition, and doubled our state’s rainy day fund to $2.4 billion -- all without tax increases. People are imperfect and so government institutions are also imperfect. We need checks and balances in order to form good, sound public policy and fund our priorities. By ensuring that Republicans and Democrats are equals at the negotiating table through slim majorities, neither will be able to cater to their special interests and now both must compromise at some level in order to reach an agreement that works for all Washingtonians.

What’s your favorite place to eat in Olympia?

I don’t have one as I am a first-time candidate who has never worked in Olympia. In our district, The Commons is one of my favorite go-to restaurants. They have a great coffee bar as well as full restaurant, and I cannot count the number of times I have been there, whether for work meetings or to grab a quick coffee. It is definitely worth the drive up from Thurston County!

What’s the important piece of business the Legislature accomplished over the 2017 session(s)?

One of the most important accomplishments of the 2017 session was the paid family leave bill. It was an example of bipartisan legislation led by Republican Senator Joe Fain that brought together a wide array of stakeholders in from the business and labor sectors, to legislators on both sides of the aisle, to provide all families in our state access to economic security when caring for a newborn or seriously ill family member. The last thing new parents should be worried about is how to make ends meet while caring for their newborn. Same goes when caring for a seriously ill family member. With 25 percent of new moms going back to work within two weeks, this new law will allow new moms and dads to spend time and bond with their baby. On the Eastside and in my district, family is the cornerstone of our values, and this bill fits right in with our values. This is an example of bipartisan legislation we can achieve when we have a balance of power in Olympia.

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