With Kshama Sawant out of the race, incumbent Rep. Smith is overwhelming likely (according to polls) to secure another term in office against right-wing challenger Doug Basler. 

Two years of the second Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress have seen numerous unabashed government attempts to gut federal civil rights protections and social welfare programs, undermine electoral integrity and the free press, and enrich the ultra-wealthy. Smith is running a campaign alongside other House Democrats to undo these harmful actions. 

Chiefly, in a Democratic-controlled House, Smith would lead the House Armed Services Committee in investigating and challenging the administration’s jingoistic militarism abroad. 

He also has set out a policy platform to address the struggles District 9 voters are facing. To address rising housing costs and the capture of the market by private equity firms, Smith in 2023 introduced the “End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act” to level the playing field for first-time homebuyers. He also cosponsored several pieces of legislation, such as the Women’s Health Protection Act and Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act to codify abortion rights nationwide. 

In contrast, Basler, lacking any sort of coherent policy platform or notable credentials, has instead opted to co-op an amalgamation of cringy, Fox News taking points in order to paint his competitor as an ideologically radical malfeasant, a boilerplate strategy for Republicans’ depictions of Democratic candidates going back to Presidents Obama and Biden.

This is reflected on his campaign website, where AI-generated slop accompanies blurbs on the dangers of “socialist” policies. Under the “Socialism Revealed” section, headed by an image of Smith against a Soviet hammer-and-sickle background, Basler’s campaign derides what it deems “socialist” principles, such as “economic equality” and workers’ rights, compared to his “Free Market American Results” — what amounts to another uninspired version of right-wing libertarianism. 

In light of the mass deregulation and underfunding of vital federal agencies these last two years (not to mention record high inflation and cost of living), most Americans have indicated their strong disapproval of the consequences this extreme vision of government the Republican Party has instituted since 2016. That has only been exacerbated by the Trump administration’s malicious targeting of marginalized groups, from the Trans and Queer community to immigrants and others. 

Rep. Smith in that regard has been very consistent in his support for LGBTQIA+ rights in the near three decades he’s served in office. However, during that time, he has not always voted in a “progressive” manner compared to other members in the House, like Rep. Pramila Jayapal. And yet, recent circumstances have led him to change his approach on certain issues.

As a ranking member and former chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Smith of late has evolved his stances. particularly as they pertain to Israel and Palestine. In July, he voted against a $3.3 billion military aid package in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. In October, Rep. Smith repeated his criticisms of Israel’s complacency in the face of settler violence in the West Bank.

“Unchecked settler violence in the West Bank is unacceptable. Within the last several days, Palestinians, European diplomats, and American journalist Heidi Levine have faced horrifying attacks by settlers,” Rep. Smith wrote in a statement. “Those threatening peace and stability in the West Bank must face consequences to prevent further terror and unrest.”

No doubt, the change in Rep. Smith’s approach has been informed in part by mounting constituent pressure to take stronger actions in curtailing US financial and military support of Israel, as well as other conflicts, like Iran. The presence of antiwar protesters outside his home in Bellevue this year might have even played a role in this, which also led the Bellevue City Council to vote to ban targeted protests outside private homes. 

Sometimes, it takes both the carrot and the stick to persuade elected officials to change their policy stances. And in this instance, we believe the congressman is owed his carrots for taking these principled stances that still remain controversial in the US and among his own party. 

Vote Smith.