Biography (max 750 char)
Kim Harless is a Vancouver City Councilmember in her second term, now running for State Representative. She has a strong record of addressing affordability, homelessness, climate, and transportation. Her other elected experience includes the 2021 Clark County Charter Review Commission, where she was co-chair and led efforts to put ranked choice voting and non-partisan county elections on the ballot. She was raised in Vancouver and is multi-racial with Indigenous, Mexican American, and white ancestry. As a young mom, Kim worked multiple jobs and navigated poverty but still became the first in her family to earn a degree. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from WSU, and built her career in non-profit and public service.
Everything the state does is downstream of the budget, and the budget is a moral document that should match its money to our values. My top budget priorities are protecting the things families depend on such as housing, schools, healthcare, and healthy, clean water and air. Washington has one of the most regressive tax structures in the country, so before cutting the services people rely on, I would look first to progressive revenue. That includes defending the capital gains and millionaires taxes we have already won, expanding taxes on concentrated wealth, and ensuring large corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share. If reductions become necessary, I will protect core services and make sure the budget is not balanced on the backs of the people who can least afford it.
Public confidence starts with protecting what works, so I will be a fierce defender of Washington's vote-by-mail system against any federal interference or attempts to undermine it. I also support strengthening the Washington Voting Rights Act and advancing proportional and ranked choice voting reforms that give voters more voice. While on the elected 2021 Clark County Charter Review Commission, I helped put ranked choice voting and nonpartisan county elections on the ballot. Civic participation is more than just voting; it is also bringing people into government year round, making decisions with those most affected rather than just for them, and creating pathways for new community leaders. I won my first city council race by just 55 votes, so I know that showing up changes outcomes.
Real safety comes from trust, not just enforcement. The most effective thing the state can do is help fund and expand new approaches to emergency response, such as mental health co-responder programs and diverting 911 calls that do not need an armed response to trained crisis responders. Right now only those communities with access to resources are able to build them. We also have to invest upstream in housing stability, economic opportunity, and behavioral health, which prevent harm before it happens. Funding is also needed for community-based violence intervention, focused on the communities hit hardest. I have the experience from being on Vancouver City Council, where we have implemented body cams, added co-responders, created and expanded our HART team, and other approaches to safety.
Democracy runs on people knowing what is happening locally. In the 49th, we sit in the Portland, Oregon media-shed, so residents sometimes know more about Oregon than their own state. Local news is also harder to sustain financially and our local paper, The Columbian, has lost nearly half its staff over the last 20 years despite a rapidly growing population. When local news dies, civic engagement drops. People then only hear about federal politics where things may feel too big and overwhelming, and miss the opportunities to engage locally. To support local news, let’s maintain and expand the Murrow News Fellowship that places journalists statewide but has had cuts. I also support having the large tech platforms that profit from local news content help fund grants to keep them alive.
Washington’s redistricting commission is said to be independent, but every voting seat is filled by a party appointee. The 2021 cycle showed the cost of that because the commissioners went past their deadline in a closed-door session that broke our open meetings law. Most importantly, a federal court later had to redraw a legislative district because the map diluted Latino voting power in the Yakima Valley. For 2031, I would support a more independent, transparent process that puts people over politics or party, with real public input at every stage. I would also keep communities whole and strengthen Voting Rights Act compliance so the voting power of communities of color and Tribal members is protected the first time and not left waiting for the courts to fix.
Across the 49th what I hear most is that people are being priced out of the community they helped build and want to raise their families in. That rent is too high and wages are not keeping up with costs, homeownership feels out of reach for multiple generations, and although they are working harder than ever they feel more behind and burnt out. This is where the state comes in as it sets the rules of the housing market, controls the funding and zoning tools. Programs to prevent homelessness or a crisis for people and families can create unnecessary barriers and actually keep people in poverty. In Olympia, I will fight for the revenue, the protections, and the housing that let people stay in their homes, especially seniors, families with kids, survivors, and people with disabilities.
Campaign Phone Number
3602103986
Biography (max 750 char)
Sarah Mittelman, DNP, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, former emergency nurse, union leader, proud union member, and mother with more than 20 years of healthcare experience. She works alongside people experiencing mental illness, addiction, and homelessness, meeting them where they are and helping them access treatment, housing, and support. As a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner, she is trained to improve healthcare systems, solve complex problems, and help organizations deliver better care. She has also served as a healthcare educator, mentor, and quality improvement leader. Sarah lives in Vancouver with her family.
My priorities are public safety, education, and behavioral health because those are core responsibilities of state government. Before asking taxpayers for more, we need to make sure existing dollars are producing results. I would require stronger performance audits, sunset reviews for ineffective programs, and greater transparency so taxpayers can see what is working. If reductions became necessary, I would look first at administrative growth, duplicative programs, and spending that cannot demonstrate measurable outcomes. Washington doesn't have a revenue problem as much as it has a prioritization and accountability problem.
Confidence in elections comes from transparency, consistency, and public trust. Washington already has strong safeguards, including ballot tracking, post-election audits, and opportunities for the public to observe ballot processing. We should continue investing in these practices while making them easier for the public to understand. Washington also requires civics education in our high schools. I would build on that by ensuring students graduate with a practical understanding of how our constitutional system works, how elections are administered, and how they can engage effectively in their communities.
Public safety means more than responding after a crime has occurred. It means supporting law enforcement, holding offenders accountable, protecting victims, and addressing the root causes of crime through effective behavioral health and addiction treatment. We also need strong prosecution, timely courts, better reentry programs to reduce repeat offenses, and continued efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I've seen that prevention and accountability work best together. Government should invest in strategies that produce measurable improvements in safety and quality of life.
A free and independent press is essential to a healthy democracy. Journalists play an important role by striving to report accurately, verify facts, act independently, and be transparent when mistakes occur. Government's role is not to fund or influence news organizations, but to ensure public records, meetings, and data are accessible so reporters can hold government accountable. The best way to strengthen local journalism is through transparency, open government, and a commitment to the free exchange of information.
Washington's redistricting process is designed to require cooperation between both parties, but no system is above review. I would support greater transparency, stronger public participation, and clear, consistently applied criteria so people understand how district boundaries are drawn. Redistricting should respect communities of interest, comply with state and federal law, and earn the public's confidence by being open, fair, and free from political favoritism.
The greatest challenge facing the 49th District is affordability. From the new state income tax to rising childcare costs, higher gas prices, increasing housing costs, and the everyday cost of groceries, families are being asked to do more with less. State government should focus on its core responsibilities, spend taxpayer dollars responsibly, and measure results. My goal is to make Washington a place where families can afford to live, businesses can grow, and people have confidence that their tax dollars are being used wisely.
Campaign Phone Number
3604331288
Biography (max 750 char)
Mike Pond is a 5th-generation Washingtonian, lifelong Southwest Washington resident, labor organizer, and community advocate. He has spent his career bringing people together to solve problems, strengthen communities, and advocate for working families. Mike serves on the board of the Queer Community Network and has volunteered with organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Friends of Trees, and the Clark County Food Bank. A graduate of Clark College and Western Washington University, he is committed to making housing more affordable, strengthening public schools, expanding access to healthcare, supporting workers, and ensuring government works for everyone.
Washington's budget should reflect our values. My priorities are fully funding public education, expanding access to affordable healthcare, addressing the housing crisis, investing in transportation, and protecting the services that seniors, people with disabilities, and working families rely on.
Before making cuts to essential services, I would pursue a fairer tax system by asking the wealthiest individuals and the largest corporations to contribute more. If reductions become necessary, they should focus on improving government efficiency, eliminating duplication, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent effectively, not balancing the budget on the backs of students, workers, or vulnerable communities.
Washington already has one of the strongest election systems in the country, and we should continue building on that success. We should invest in voter education, protect election workers from harassment, combat misinformation with factual information from trusted sources, and ensure every eligible voter has access to secure, convenient voting.
We should also strengthen civic participation by expanding civics education, increasing language accessibility, engaging young people in the democratic process, and making it easier for people to serve as poll workers and participate in public meetings.
Public safety means preventing crime as well as responding to it. The state should support well trained law enforcement while also investing in behavioral health, substance use treatment, affordable housing, violence prevention programs, and services for victims.
Addressing the root causes of crime, including homelessness, untreated mental illness, addiction, and economic instability, makes communities safer over the long term. We should also support first responders with the resources and training they need while promoting accountability and public trust.
A healthy democracy depends on informed communities. Local journalism helps hold government accountable, informs residents, and strengthens civic engagement. While government should never influence editorial decisions, the state can support local journalism through policies that encourage nonprofit and community news organizations, improve public access to government information, expand media literacy, and explore sustainable funding models that preserve independent local reporting.
Washington's bipartisan redistricting commission has helped reduce overt partisan gerrymandering, but the process can be improved. I support increasing transparency, expanding opportunities for meaningful public input, using modern technology to make draft maps easier to review, and strengthening requirements to keep communities of interest together whenever possible. Any reforms should prioritize fair representation, public trust, and compliance with the Voting Rights Act.
Affordability is the defining challenge facing the 49th Legislative District. Families are struggling with the rising costs of housing, healthcare, childcare, and everyday necessities, even while working full-time.
State government has a responsibility to make Washington more affordable by increasing the supply of housing, investing in public education and transportation, expanding access to healthcare, supporting family wage jobs, and ensuring our tax system works for everyone, not just those at the very top. The goal should be a community where people can afford to live, work, raise a family, and retire with dignity.
