Washington Candidate Page

This webpage houses the responses to 6 questions crafted by the Washington Stance on Science team.

Only official candidates who will appear on ballots were contacted.

Candidates were contacted in July 2026 (with a follow-up to those who did not initially respond) and given the opportunity to answer all questions. Only the responses of candidates who answered the questions are included. None of the candidates' responses were modified in any way before being published on this resource page.

For the August 2026 Primary Election, only candidates in the following elections were contacted¹:

¹ These primary elections were prioritized because they have more than one official candidate on the ballot.

Prior to the general election in November 2026, additional candidates will be contacted across all state districts. For a complete list of which elections will be targeted at that time, please check back in Summer 2026.

Note: Question 5 was asked only to Western WA candidates and Question 6 was asked only to Eastern WA candidates.

1. America has a growing artificial intelligence (AI) industry, supporting cutting edge innovation and reshaping businesses, but raising concerns about education, ownership, and security. Application of AI technology has increased the demand placed on data centers, controversial for their resource use (such as water and land) and raising utility costs. What are your policy positions in regards to data centers and AI? What sources of evidence informed these policies? (see "Artificial Intelligence")
2. What are your top funding priorities for environmental projects and research in our state? If you do not have specific priorities, how would you approach setting those priorities to ensure effective environmental stewardship? (see "Environment")
3. What are your opinions on the current state of science literacy, and how could K-12 education standards be adapted to improve the public understanding of and relationship building in science? (see "K-12 Science Education")
4. The Bear Gulch Fire, one of 2000 recorded fires in 2025, was the biggest on the Olympic Peninsula in 70 years, burning over 20,000 hectares and causing $42 million in damages. What are your policies around fire risk management for the state? (see "Climate" and "Environment")
5. Puget Sound and the Washington coast are experiencing rapid changes, such as warming waters, ocean acidification, and ecosystem shifts, that have major impacts on Washington’s wildlife and fisheries. What policies and funding, if any, would you prioritize for fisheries management, scientific monitoring, and to help communities adapt to these shifts? (see "Environment")
6. In 2021, the WA legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act, which has helped to reduce carbon pollution, but puts extra economic burden on farmers and agricultural distributors in the state. What policies would you support, if any, for helping farmers and distributors balance these costs while maintaining Washington’s commitment to environmental sustainability? (see "Climate" and "Environment")