Deken Letinich has seen first hand the work of the Washington Legislature, and he thinks a union laborer can do the job.

On the Aug. 6 ballot and again in November, he’ll be challenging one-term incumbent Republican Stephanie McClintock for the job of representing the suburbs north of Vancouver. District 18 includes the city of Battle Ground as well as unincorporated Clark County suburbs like Salmon Creek, Mt. Vista, and Brush Prairie. It covers more than 130,000 residents. A clean-cut 6 foot 6 construction laborer, Letinich enjoys a hard day’s work and is getting his steps in by meeting residents on their doorsteps.

Letinich, 43, is the son of union laborer Dave Letinich, who was full-time secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 335 in 2000 and 2001. The younger Letinich says he tried not to follow in his dad’s footsteps at first. But after working nonunion jobs for residential homebuilders, repairing industrial conveyor belts, and bartending at the Wooden Chicken Pub on 125th and Sandy in Portland, he was starting a family. Drawn by union pay and family-supporting benefits, he joined Laborers Local 335 in 2011 at age 30 and spent much of his apprenticeship working concrete on the 520 bridge in Aberdeen.

“If you’re in the union, you get involved,” Letinich said, absorbing a lesson from his father.

So he did. He attended union meetings, and volunteered when asked, including knocking doors for union-backed candidates. In 2014, he was offered a full time job as a union organizer for the Washington and Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers. He’s been there ever since.

Sometimes the job meant testifying at the legislature. Representing his union, Letinich started to go to the state capitol in Olympia to push union-backed legislation, like calling for cameras to enforce speed zones to protect highway workers. 

He tried to develop good working relationships with lawmakers, including McClintock, his own state representative. But he was surprised when this spring she voted against HB 2266, a bill requiring construction workplaces to provide lockable bathrooms and menstrual products for workers who menstruate and refrigerators to store breast milk. 

After the legislative session ended, he attended a three-day candidate training put on by the Washington State Labor Council. And on May 9, he filed to run against her. 

Letinich thinks he has a chance. Two years ago, Democrat John Zingale, a school teacher and union member, got 48% in the same district. 

But McClintock is no pushover. A former Clark County Republican Party Chair and Battle Ground Public Schools board member, she beat Zingale to win the seat that was formerly held by Republican Brandon Vick. She’s backed by business interests, and this time has raised over $82,000, including $1,200 campaign contributions (the legal limit) from Koch Industries, Associated General Contractors, Chevron, the Cowlitz Tribe, the general contractor Rotschy, and the Puget Sound Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association PAC.

But Letinich has labor in his corner. He’s collected over $44,000, including maximum contributions from IBEW Local 48, Operating Engineers Local 701, Laborers 292, 348, and 335, as well as smaller amounts from Iron Workers, Insulators, and many individuals. He’s also been endorsed by Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.

If Letinich wins in August and November, it will be because he and others in organized labor put in the work, knocking on doors and calling voters. 

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Why are you running for state legislator?

I want to make a difference. I want to represent working families. It sounds very Main Street, but I’m driving around Clark County right now, and I want us to get  funding for our maintenance and preservation of our roads here. And I want us to get that bridge built. And I want to not see Vancouver and Evergreen schools lay off teachers because of budgets. And I feel validated, because that’s exactly what I hear about on doors.

What would you say your differences are politically with the Republican incumbent, Stephanie McClintock?

I can’t say a whole lot bad about Stephanie. She’s been, I think, a decent legislator. I think I just have what I feel is more working class values. She’s not an elitist or anything. I just don’t get the feeling that she’s always thinking about the lunch pail people, the two job people, and ‘what am I going to do with my kids so I can get to work on time people.’ I think the difference is just a focus on working class values.

If you win, what do you see as your priorities as a legislator?

I’d want to do whatever I can to get on Labor Committee, Environment and Energy, and Transportation. Those three are where my priorities lie. I want to make sure that Clark County is getting those infrastructure dollars as much as possible. I want to start spearheading some solutions to child care. I want to make sure there’s no interference with the I-5 bridge. And just make sure that we’re representing working families down here.