2017 Special Election Lost 57 — 43
Last minute support
Manka Dhingra has gotten national attention. She is running for the SD 45 in the northeastern edge of the Seattle Washington metropolitan area, a seat where the former Democratic Senator organized with Republicans. Dhingra’s victory would make the difference for control of the State Senate, but would require the presiding Lt. Governor to vote to ensure that control. She is the founder of an organization of Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islanders and an attorney. DFA says she is under attack by oil and tobacco interests. Don’t forget her.
Michelle Rylandshttp://michellerylands.com/ is a Democrat also running on November 7 in a special election for the Washington State Senate. She is running for the Southeastern Washington SD 31 — a traditionally Republican area. Her victory, along with a victory by Dhingra , would make Democratic control of the state Senate less precarious and not dependent on the Lt. Governor. Like Dhingra (and like a lot of us) Michelle Rylands was moved to do something by the election of Donald Trump. When Michelle Rylands said yes when asked to run by the Chair of the District 31 Democrats.
Michelle Rylands is another Democratic representative of law enforcement and the military. She is endorsed by the local sheriff. She is a 911 Operator and was an MP in the military. Her husband is a federal law enforcement official. She shut down her small oil and vinegar business to run for office. Critical of the deadlocked Washington legislature, she says.“Both in the military and in business, there is no kicking the can down the road. Results are expected and the bottom line is the bottom line, plain and simple. It’s time that our State Senate [had] leaders who can work together to get things done, rather than bicker over partisan ideology.”
As close as she is to law enforcement, her focus has been education since her children entered school. President of the City of Auburn Council of PTAs, Michelle Ryland says. “Our schools should not be funded by raffles or carnivals or box tops. We should not have to fund basic activities and supplies through charity. It is up to our state to fund basic education and I’m tired of watching the Republicans and Phil Fortunato (her opponent) play games with our children’s future,”
Michelle Rylands has other issue. She advocates improving transportation in Washington without increasing the regressive gasoline tax. She is supports clean water and green energy. She wants Washington to address these problems now. She is dismayed by her opponent’s response to sewage seeping into the public water supply in the town of Coronado: “Well, we’ve waited this long we can wait a little longer,”
Michelle Ryland has an uphill battle. Her opponent was appointed to fill a vacancy in January. Better known, the incumbent, and a Republican in a Republican district, he got 58% of the vote in the multi-party primary to Ryland’s 41%. Despite a ton of outside support, he has mispoken during the campaign and not only about Colorado’s water supply. Asked about what he likes about Eastern Washington, he answered: “I like Eastern Washington. The people are normal.”
Give Michelle Rylands http://michellerylands.com/ some last minute support. She would make a difference for Washington State and, doing that, would make a difference for us all.
