Campaign Phone Number
2062187450
Biography (max 750 char)
Darya Farivar (she/they) proudly serves as State Representative for the 46th LD. She is the first-ever Middle Eastern woman elected to the legislature, and one of the youngest members. She holds her Iranian heritage close to heart, and believes in leadership of those most impacted. In the legislature, her focus is the intersection of behavioral health, homelessness, and the criminal legal system. Off the clock, she serves on the board of directors at the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, volunteers for Peyvand, a cultural non-profit, and is the former Chair of the Seattle Women’s Commission. She received her degree in communicative disorders with a minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies from the University of Redlands.
My top priorities are rooted in my years of Disability Rights advocacy. Over 40% of people experiencing homelessness have a disability, many a behavioral health disability. In Washington, our lack of a behavioral health system drives people with serious psychiatric disabilities into a revolving door of homelessness, crisis, incarceration, and institutionalization. We need to redirect our focus from this harmful system to community-based programs. It's the more humane, effective, and fiscally responsible approach, prioritizing cheaper prevention over expensive crisis response.
In 2025, aside from my advocacy for the Millionaires Tax, I also supported HB 2046. HB 2046 would essentially create a “wealth tax” for households with extreme levels of wealth.
I first ran for office in 2022, in one of the most expensive races in the state. My opponents out-fundraised me (a 27-year-old non-profit worker) significantly, tapping into their wealthy networks. I won, but it was an uphill battle, and it showed me how campaign costs shut out qualified candidates. That hurts our democracy, shrinking voter’s choices and eroding trust in our elections.
That’s why I want to explore a cap on the amount of money you can raise or spend in an election. Money in politics today goes far beyond what’s necessary for an effective campaign. I also support the expansion of democracy vouchers, a valuable tool in giving all voters an equal voice. As a first-gen Iranian American woman and lifelong resident of the 46th, I believe in leveling the electoral playing field.
Everyone deserves to feel safe. I’ve seen the 46th district change tremendously over the years, and both housed and houseless neighbors feel unsafe. Increasing public safety starts with providing care the moment it's needed, affordable and accessible low-barrier housing, and relieving the burden on law enforcement.
Police are trained to respond to crimes and detain individuals, not to provide a trauma-informed approach to a person in crisis. To support law enforcement and increase public safety, we need to reduce their scope of work. We need to invest across the system with a focus on mobile crisis response, peer-based behavioral health treatment, permanent supportive housing, and mental health treatment across the spectrum.
The right to freedom of the press is integral to a functioning democracy, and it deserves to be treated as such. In order to effectively uphold this right, journalists need access to as much information as possible. However, we also need to ensure that vulnerable Washingtonian residents, like non-citizens, are thoroughly protected. This is a delicate balance, but a possible one to achieve.
Furthermore, journalists, the driving force behind our democracy, need to be treated with the same respect. Their value needs to be reflected in their pay, employment benefits, and treatment by those in power. Especially with the influx of AI, we need to protect our journalists and press systems. I pledge to support legislation that protects, uplifts, and adequately values journalists.
Across the nation, we have watched state after state create rigged voting systems. Systems that diminish the power of marginalized voices and all but ensure that Democratic voices are drowned out. This election rigging has created a deeply unfair deficit at the national level, where Republican voices are forcing their own overrepresentation. As a deep blue state, we have unique power. And we must realize the responsibility that comes with that. It is time to take a stand; to realize that fire can only be fought with fire. I would support legislation that gives Democrats a fighting chance through re-districting, including a constitutional amendment that allows us to fully exercise our power.
After losing a cornerstone grocery store, many in my district are in danger of losing their food access. This past biennium, I have been working to solve this. I sponsored and passed HB 2294 which prevented grocery and pharmacy stores from creating covenants that prevented other stores from replacing them. I also worked to introduce HB 2297, which would create incentives for grocery stores to move into and stay in underserved communities. Grocery margins are incredibly thin and are only getting worse, and simultaneously, we rely heavily on private business to address our most basic need: access to fresh and healthy food. Thus, we must get creative quickly to make it profitable for grocery stores to stay and move into places where they are most needed, which is exactly what I hope to do.
Biography (max 750 char)
Born in Pawtucket Rhode Island May 16th 1951 Member of the Nipmuc Nation native American tribe of Massachusetts My in District Schools: John Marshall Jr., High, Roosevelt High School, (69) North Seattle Community College (AA), (71) Seattle Pacific College, (72) University of Washington , BA in Kenesiology/Education Retired 49 year JH Health and Fitness Teacher (Rose Hill) plus 1 year ( TimberlineMS, i1 year High School Fitness teacher. (Eastlake) Currently 3rd year as a substitute teacher at Roosevelt HS & JV Boys basketball coach my alama mater Current Ride share driver for Uber, Lyft & HopSkipDrive Union Rep 35+ years Lake Washington Education Association American Red Cross first Aid CPR & AED instructor ( over 9 gallons of bl
Reduce the deficit to zero.
Look for immediate savings through department mergers, staff reductions through attrition, and improved efficiency by updating outdated systems. I do not like to lay people off. Whenever possible, vacancies created by resignations and retirements should be used to reassign employees into needed positions.
Expand the State Highway Work Zone Traffic Safety Program to include cameras on sections of highways with high rates of accidents and speeding.
Reduce the B&O tax for small businesses to encourage new business growth.
The current opportunity for shared investment with South Korea and the federal government to build large commercial ocean transport vessels should also be explored.
I believe our election system is top-rate, and I do not think people want to return to waiting in long lines to vote.
One improvement would be a national database that interacts with death records so concerns about deceased individuals remaining on voter rolls can be addressed.
If the federal government requires voter identification for presidential elections, we should focus on helping people obtain the necessary documents rather than spending time arguing about the requirement.
Transition to’ Star Chase’ technology during vehicle pursuits rather than relying on high-speed chases. Continue the state's Vision Zero Highway Safety Initiative, and address legal loopholes involving repeat offenders and recurring criminal activity.
I am not sure of the specific issue being addressed. In general, I do not believe the state should be involved in journalism.
I have suggested a law that would prevent the names of accused individuals from being released until a conviction has been reached.
I like the current independent State Redistricting Commission format.
The most challenging part is the guideline to "preserve communities of interest." I would favor using the state's townships to form legislative districts, with everyone who resides within a district being represented as part of that district.
We often talk about unity while creating rules, regulations, and laws that perpetuate divisions into smaller groups.
We need to work together. One example is housing permits. A single master permit that includes state, county, and city requirements in one process would encourage better coordination, reduce duplication of regulations, save time and money, and speed up the permitting process.
