A union guide to Washington’s August primary

Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, is a state-wide federation representing over 500 local unions with a combined membership of 400,000. It promotes and defends the interests of working Washingtonians in the State Capitol, and issues ballot recommendations. For this year’s elections, rank-and-file delegates considered endorsements May 19 in Seattle and July 17-19 in Wenatchee. For Southwest Washington, the candidates they recommend are in bold below:

CONGRESS

U.S. Senate  Maria Cantwell has voted in accord with the national AFL-CIO’s recommendation 91 percent of the time in her three six-year terms in office.

U.S. House, 3rd CD Carolyn Long, a political science professor at Washington State University Vancouver, is one of three Democrats running active campaigns to challenge incumbent Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler. The other two are David McDevitt, a Vancouver businessman who has self-funded his campaign with $700,000 in loans, and Dorothy Gasque, an Iraq war veteran and former Bernie Sanders national delegate. Beutler has voted in accord with the national AFL-CIO’s recommendation just 17 percent of the time in her four two-year terms in office.

STATE SUPREME COURT

• Position 2  Susan Owens
• Position 8  Steve Gonzalez
• Position 9  Sheryl Gordon McCloud

WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE

17th Legislative District

• House 1 — Tanisha Harris
• House 2 — Damion Jiles

18th Legislative District

• House 2 — Kathy Gillespie

19th Legislative District

• House 1 — Erin Frasier
• House 2 — Brian Blake

49th Legislative District

• House 1 — Sharon Wylie
• House 2 — Monica Stonier

If you’re a registered Washington voter, your ballot should be mailed to you no later than July 20 and must be postmarked no later than election day, Aug. 7, to be counted. In Washington’s “top two” primary, voters affiliated with any party or no party can participate, and the top two vote-getters, regardless of their party preference, appear on the November general election ballot.