Calissa Hagen
Reporter
With the presidential election only a week away, it’s all people want to talk about on campus. However, in Washington State, another important race is underway: the office of Lieutenant Governor. Although very few people have heard of this position, let alone know what the job entails, this election is vital to legislation passed in Washington State.
The Lieutenant Governor is the president of the state Senate, meaning they have a vital role in choosing what legislature advances to be debated on the Senate floor. They are also second in command; so they take over while the governor is gone or unable to perform their duties.
This year, State Senator Marko Liias and U.S. Representative Denny Heck are running for the position. Both men are democrats, and although they do agree on some issues, there are some key differences between the two candidates. I was given the chance to do individual zoom calls with both men the past few weeks, along with the rest of my PLU Writing 101 class.
When asked what is important to him, Liias said there are many issues and he cannot really pick just one, but climate change and LGBTQ+ rights are extremely important to him. He said they require more attention because currently there have been rollbacks for both issues at the federal level.
Liias is the first openly gay man to run for this position. He wants to make sure that, although LGBTQ+ rights are being compromised at the highest level, Washington State law overrides the federal government and protects these individuals.
Heck believes climate change is a huge issue and wants to create policy that helps both the climate and the economy. In response to COVID-19, Heck wants to help the economy regenerate.
During the debate on Oct 22, viewers got a chance to see how the candidate’s opinions differ and what their main goals are while in office. We found out that Denny Heck is on the moderate side of the Democratic party while Marko Liias leans towards the liberal side.
One interesting question came up during the debate about the company Boeing, which is moving their 787 production company to South Carolina from Washington. Both men said that this decision is a disgrace and a betrayal to the state. However, Heck focused on the idea of relying on other aerospace companies that are located in Washington. Liias believes Washington needs to diversify the economy so that the state doesn’t depend too much economically on aerospace companies like Boeing.
Both candidates have faced more challenges with their campaigns this year than in previous years. Liias admitted the biggest struggle for his campaign was funding, as it was difficult to spread the word about his campaign with everything going virtual due to COVID-19.
This election is vital because the current governor, Jay Inslee, may end up leaving his position in Washington state to join Joe Biden’s cabinet if he is elected as President. What this means is the Lieutenant Governor would take over the Governor’s duties.
Both candidates were asked if Inslee moved and the lieutenant governor had to take over as acting governor, would they then run for Governor in 2021? Both men confirmed they would not. During their term as Lieutenant Governor, they would be happy to take over the governor’s duties if needed but they were running to be Lieutenant Governor, not the Governor.
Overall the debate was calm and well-mannered. Both men truly appeared to want to unite a divided Washington State, and increase bipartisanship so they can make real change for Washington citizens.
