Much has been made of the Cook Political Report’s claim that Washington’s Third Congressional District is a +2.5 Republican district. That number has become a crutch for Democratic leaders who tell U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez to lean on bipartisanship and avoid sharp contrasts with Donald Trump.
But the history and voting behavior of Southwest Washington tell a different story. Voters here have supported minimum wage increases, union rights and public utility districts even while sending conservatives to Congress. They backed $30 car tabs out of frustration with Olympia, but they also defended community-owned power against monopoly control.
That is not Trump country. It is populist country, skeptical of elites, loyal to authenticity and ready to support leaders who fight for working people.
Gluesenkamp Perez has shown up at union halls and public works projects, speaking to the dignity of labor. The challenge is to connect that presence into a campaign that unites Democrats around a working-class populist vision. If Democrats keep hiding behind PVI labels, they risk becoming managers of decline. If they fight like Roosevelt pit bulls, building turnout in younger, renter-heavy and immigrant communities, this district can become a showcase of renewal, not retreat.
Southwest Washington remembers when government had its back. What we need now is leadership that bites back at corporate power and builds a durable base, not caution that leaves the future to chance.
Warren Neth
Thurston County
