Manka Dhingra is an accomplished and committed professional who should be returned to the Senate representing the 45th Legislative District. The Redmond Democrat’s experience as a county prosecutor and work on mental-health issues are assets as the Legislature continues work to solve the state’s response to its mental-health crisis at a state hospital and in communities.
Englund has less but still credible experience, having worked as a staffer for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R‑Spokane, and as spokeswoman for the Bitcoin Foundation.
Recently, Englund comanaged a team that developed a phone app for the U.S. Marine Corps. Her husband is a Marine.
Englund makes a persuasive case that her election will preserve a “balance of government” that will better serve Washington state. For that reason, voters in the 45th should elect her.
The voters of the 45th, in their wisdom, proceeded to ignore the Times and elect Manka Dhingra to take over for Dino Rossi last year. The Senate consequently gained a true Democratic majority for the first time in five years and Dhingra went on to have an incredibly successful inaugural session, sponsoring and cosponsoring bills to strengthen gun safety and improve mental health.
In the August Top Two election, Dhingra crushed her Republican opponent Dale Fonk, the chair of the 45th District Republicans. Her seatmates Larry Springer and Roger Goodman also won with well over 60% of the vote, leaving little doubt that the 45th Legslative District has firmly swung into the Democratic column.
Voters in the 45th have now enthusiastically backed Dhingra in three consecutive elections (August 2017, November 2017, August 2018) — all without the Times’ endorsement. Now, just in time for her fourth election in sixteen months, she has the editorial board’s support, for whatever it’s worth.
