Democrats Tana Senn and My-Linh T. Thai are seeking re-election for their Legislative District 41 seats beginning with the Aug. 2 primary leading into the general election on Nov. 8.
Overall, five candidates are running for seats in the district, which covers King County and includes Mercer Island. King County Elections (KCE) mailed primary ballots to registered voters on July 13.
State Representative Pos. 1
Islander Senn is running for another two-year term for State Representative Pos. 1 after winning unopposed in 2020. The former Mercer Island City Councilmember has held her current position since 2013.
This year, she’ll run against Bellevue’s Mike Nykreim, who prefers the Election Integrity Party.
In her KCE candidate statement, the co-president of the National Association of Jewish Legislators and Hopelink board member noted: “My signature bills on equal pay and affordable childcare will have positive impacts on women and generations to come. Reducing gun violence, expanding access to mental healthcare, and addressing climate change continue to be among my highest priorities.”
* Nykreim, who ran against Lisa Wellman (D) for State Senator and lost in 2020, is a longtime member of the Eastside Chamber of Commerce, Master Builders Association, Kiwanis and Knights of Columbus.
In his candidate statement, Nykreim said: “You have a right to assurance of election security and integrity, and our elected officials have an obligation to provide verifiable information so you can pursue and obtain that assurance. Washington voters are expected to ‘Trust’ the system, yet we cannot verify that our voter rolls are clean, that our ballot chain-of-custody is sound, that our tabulation process has integrity, that our routers aren’t vulnerable to exploitation, that our systems aren’t being misused, or that our election management system is secure enough to withstand cyber attacks.”
State Representative Pos. 2
Incumbent Thai, who hails from Bellevue, aims to serve her third two-year term as State Representative Pos. 2 while stepping into the ring against Al Rosenthal (R) and Elle Nguyen (R).
Thai serves as House Majority Caucus vice chair and House Democratic Members of Color Caucus vice chair along with sitting on the board of directors of the Vietnamese Scholarship Foundation.
She noted in her candidate statement: “As a healthcare professional, I stand to protect reproductive rights and access to affordable healthcare. As the first refugee elected, I am a strong voice against hate crimes and work toward a more just and equitable society. I believe by prioritizing affordable housing, behavioral health services, workforce development, and transportation improvements for our region, we will ensure our communities thrive.”
* Bellevue resident Rosenthal, who ran against Thai and lost in 2020, was an aircraft structural engineer from 1977-2014 at Grumman, McDonnell Douglas, and Boeing. He also served on the city of Redmond Homeless Task Force from 2015-2017.
He wrote in his candidate statement that he and his wife have enjoyed raising their family in the area since 1991 and felt safe along the way.
Rosenthal added: “For real safety, crime must be stopped and not allowed to spread. The state must provide facilities where drug-addicted persons who engage in criminal activity, will be detained, and receive mandatory treatment, with the goal of reuniting them free of addiction with family or friends that will house them. We must support our kids to excel academically while ensuring all parents have a voice.”
* Mercer Islander Nguyen has worked in the aerospace, accounting, fashion and real estate fields and has degrees in theology/biblical studies and practical industry, according to her candidate statement.
She has also volunteered at local schools, given coaching assistance for her boys’ football and basketball teams and donated thousands of dollars to the homeless.
She said that with families not being able to afford to pay bills, businesses closing and people leaving Washington in numbers, “I will be a gatekeeper ‘For We The People,’ ensuring all persons are treated fairly with respect. I will approach each day with an attitude of inclusion. I will invite stakeholders to the table to identify and align resources in order to expand the options for accountability and foster transparency.”
The top two candidates in the primary advance to the general election. A drop box was scheduled to open on July 14 at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St. Ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 2 or placed in the drop box by 8 p.m. that evening.
