State Representative Term: 2 years Salary: $72,494Washington's House of Representatives has 98 members; two from each legislative district in the state. Representatives are elected to two-year terms, so the total membership of the House is up for election each even-numbered year.During legislative sessions, the Legislature is called upon to: enact or reject legislation affecting public policy in the state; provide for the levy and collection of taxes and other revenue to support state government and assist local government; and appropriate funds for these purposes. The House also has the exclusive power to bring impeachment proceedings. Although laws are enacted only when the Legislature is convened in formal session, policy issues and the general operation of state and local government are under continuous review by legislators serving on permanent and interim study committees.
Biography (max 750 char)
Paul McDaniel is a husband, small-business owner, Iraq War veteran, former city councilmember, and third-generation Federal Way resident who has called the Puget Sound area his home for the last 30 years. The issues that matter most to me are building strong families, bringing down the cost of living, addressing the homelessness epidemic, and ensuring affordable housing. I will focus on making Washington affordable and safe again.
My top budget priority is reducing the tax burden on Washington families and businesses. I would work to rescind the state income tax, eliminate the sales tax on services, reduce “sin taxes” by 50%, and review B&O and property taxes to identify future reductions.
After establishing a responsible revenue framework, I would focus spending on core priorities: infrastructure, public safety, education, and essential social services for those who truly need assistance.
I would also improve government efficiency through responsible use of technology, including a statewide AI strategy to reduce administrative costs and streamline services. Finally, I support greater accountability through program reviews and audits of organizations receiving state funds to ensure proper use of taxpayer dollars.
I believe the best way Washington state can increase public confidence in elections is to return to in-person voting with photo ID requirements
I have two common sense strategies to improve public safety:
The first strategy is getting the homeless epidemic under control through the use of drug and mental illness treatment, jail for repeat offenders, and the ticket home for those who came to a state for our open policy environment created by Olympia.
The second thing is to fully unleash our judicial system and firmly enforce laws against property crimes. For too long, we have made the victims feel as if they have done something wrong while allowing the criminals to run rampant and cause chaos for law-abiding residents and their families.
I believe the only true support Washington state needs to play in local journalism is to stay out of the way and ensure their First Amendment rights are not infringed upon. Any journalist with credentials should be allowed to engage with all levels of government to provide their viewers with what they deem to be relevant news. I also believe the government is incapable of ensuring access to reliable information and should stay out of the censorship game.
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The greatest challenges facing my legislative district are affordability, safety, and career opportunities.
The state government plays a direct role in the cost of living through its ever-increasing taxation schemes, business regulations, and construction permitting, all of which increase the daily cost of living for its residents.
Members of Olympia need to refocus on what matters to local residents and stop trying to enforce ideologies that are detrimental to our community's long-term health.
We need to focus on removing overburdening taxation and job-killing regulations; we must also come to the conclusion that our homeless population needs to go to treatment, jail, or back to their own state. We need people in Olympia to work on building a Stronger Washington for all.
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