Campaign Phone Number
2064197340
Biography (max 750 char)
Democratic Senator Jamie Pedersen serves as the Senate Majority Leader. The son of two teachers, Jamie worked his way through college at McDonald's before attending law school. An activist and advocate for marriage equality and LGBTQ+ civil rights before joining the legislature, he led the successful six-year effort to win marriage equality in the legislature, making Washington State one of the first states in the nation to have full marriage rights for same-sex couples. As the most progressive Senate leader in Washington's history, Pedersen secured historic investments in public schools, affordable housing, transportation, and paid family medical leave. In the 2026 session, he led the effort to pass the Millionaires Tax.
My top budget priority is establishing a fully funded education system. I will work hard to provide better-funded classrooms, increased support for special education, safer school transportation, and expanded access to extracurriculars and enrichment opportunities.
As the prime sponsor of the Millionaires Tax, I strongly support additional progressive revenue measures. This includes replacing the B&O tax with a tax on corporate net income, eliminating the uniformity clause for property taxes, and substituting a significant portion of the sales tax with taxes on high incomes.
Through my position as Senate Majority Leader, I am committed to advancing policies to create a more equitable system that supports working families and strengthens our communities.
As Senate Majority Leader, I am committed to defending Washington’s election systems and expanding civic participation.
In the 2026 session, I served as a co-sponsor of SB 5892, which protects sensitive voter information from inappropriate federal access. This bill ensures that confidential information like drivers’ license numbers, social security numbers, and full birth dates are not disclosed by county election officials. I also voted in support of HB 1710, which creates a state-level preclearance process for local election changes to prevent discrimination on the basis of race, color, or language.
I strongly support passing additional measures like this to maintain voter confidence and protect the integrity of our elections.
I believe that the most effective strategies to improve public safety are reducing gun violence and increasing police accountability.
In the legislature, I have strongly advocated for gun violence prevention. I led efforts to require gun manufacturers to impose controls to prevent their products from being accessed by dangerous individuals, and to create a first-in-the nation program for people with mental health challenges to waive their firearm rights voluntarily.
I have also worked to ensure police accountability. I passed legislation limiting police use of deadly force, supported legislation promoting accountability of our state’s sheriffs, and prohibited ICE and law enforcement from wearing masks. I look forward to supporting legislation like this that saves lives across the state.
I am deeply concerned about the decline in local news. Once communities lose access to trusted reporting, it is more difficult for residents to participate in democracy. I was interested to see the introduction of legislation to tax social media platforms to fund local news. I am committed to exploring this proposal and other innovative measures to sustain local journalism.
Outside of state government, I am encouraged to see the development of nonprofit and community-based journalism models. I met last year with the team at Comma, a nonprofit collective showing how local media can thrive with combination of reader support, philanthropy, advertising, and community partnerships. I hope to see these innovative approaches expand and look forward to preserving this vital public service.
I am appalled that the Supreme Court dismantled the Voting Rights Act, allowing extreme gerrymandering to turn states into single-party voting blocs in Congress. Washington State must develop a strategy to protect its values and interests.
Any change to our redistricting system requires a constitutional amendment and so a two-thirds vote in the legislature. Having helped bring our Senate Democratic caucus from a minority into a 30-19 majority, I am working hard to build a Democratic supermajority in the state legislature.
When we get there, I am committed to examining every available tool, including redistricting, to ensure that Washington values are fully represented in Congress.
The greatest challenge facing the 43rd district is high cost of living. Housing and childcare costs have surged while wages have stagnated. This leaves too many people struggling to keep up.
If re-elected, I will continue my work fixing our upside-down tax system and making Washington more affordable. For too long, Washington’s working families have carried an unfair share of the tax burden. By advancing progressive revenue, we can invest more in education, childcare, and affordable housing while lowering costs for those who need it most.
These are practical, achievable solutions. We must enact policies expanding essential services and putting money directly into the pockets of working Washingtonians. By doing so, we can make our state more affordable, equitable, and stable for all.
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