Two Republicans are seeking the position in the 47th Legislative District, Position 2 — Brian Lott and Ted Cooke. Neither made the case to replace the incumbent. Democrat Chris Stearns is the unequivocal choice.
Before his election in 2022, Stearns was an attorney for a national law firm specializing in protecting the rights of Native Americans and helping them gain access to health care and education. He also served on the Auburn City Council, where he helped the South King County city address issues such as homelessness and public safety.
During his first term, Stearns helped secure $1.5 million from the state to rebuild the Auburn Avenue Theater.
Stearns has not been skittish about jumping into the fray of public policy debate. He supported such issues as Initiative 2113, which restored police officers’ authority in vehicular pursuits; and Initiative 2111, which prohibited cities, counties and the state from imposing state income taxes.
He was one of two lawmakers to request a state audit into the Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s Eventual Tenant Ownership program. Designed to turn low-income renters — many of whom are members of Washington’s tribal communities — into homeowners, the program failed to do so.
He also has supported reasonable measures to help assure safety in gun ownership that passed the Legislature over the past two years.
“We’re not really trying to take away guns; what we’re trying to do is just make our society and our country safer,” Stearns said.
When it comes to social justice, Stearns sponsored a bill this past session that would have been a continuation of corrective justice in prison sentencing. In 2023, the Legislature passed House Bill 1324, which ended the practice of increasing adult sentences based on an offender’s juvenile record. Stearns said the use of juvenile records disproportionately affected Indigenous people and people of color. Stearns’ bill this year, HB 2065, would have made the law retroactive. The bill, however, failed to gain enough support.
For his experience in protecting the human rights and civil rights of those in his district and beyond, and his sound stewardship of the people’s trust, Stearns deserves another term as the representative of 47th District, Position 2.
The Seattle Times editorial board members are editorial page editor Kate Riley, Frank A. Blethen, Melissa Davis, Josh Farley, Alex Fryer, Claudia Rowe, Carlton Winfrey and William K. Blethen (emeritus).
