Jan 19: 34th Dems District Legislative to Host Public Meeting to Fill Vacant Seat, or 2 (10am Zoom) | UPDATED

Jan 19: 34th Dems District Legislative to Host Public Meeting to Fill Vacant Seat, or 2 (10am Zoom) | UPDATED

[UPDATED: Correction in “Local Impact;” Original article posted January 17, 2025.]

The following information comes from the King County Democrats Chair, Beth Bazley of the 34th Dems (website 34dems.org):

This is a formal Call to Meeting of the Precinct Committee Officers of the 34th for the purpose of filling a vacancy in LD 34 State Senate, and conditionally in the State House in compliance with the Washington State Democratic Party’s Procedures for Nomination of Candidates for Filling Vacancies in Single or Multiple County Legislative Districts.

The venue has not been confirmed.  We can confirm that an online option will be made available. Please contact Chair Bazley with any questions.

Appointment recommendation processes
Bellevue College, Room, Building N, Room N201
Sunday, January 19, 2025
10:00am
Open meeting, join via Zoom

View a video of our candidate forum on Youtube! 

Candidate Statements are available here.

Regardless of location, this meeting will primarily be in-person and all PCOs will check-in to the meeting and vote at this meeting virtually as an inclusion accommodation. Virtual participants may not make motions or be provided the floor to speak in debate as they are not physically present in the meeting space. If a medical condition or disability necessitates further accommodation, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can arrange an accommodation.

To facilitate an orderly meeting we are asking that only elected PCOs, candidates and relevant support staff join this meeting in-person. Other LD members and members of the general public who would like to observe may follow along via Zoom. Your Unique Voting Identification Number (UVIN) and the Zoom registration link will be provided with the confirmed venue.

We have included a FAQ document addressing many common questions regarding this process; please note that this document was prepared by the state party but if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Beth Bazley, KCD Chair rather than the State Party.

Thank you for your commitment to the Democratic Party, and your willingness to fulfill this important duty as designated by state statute.

Beth Bazley (she/her)
Chair, King County Democrats

P.O. Box 9100
Seattle WA 98109


LOCAL IMPACT:

by Katie Kresly, Burien.News

Burien has two local elected officials who are hoping to fill a potential legislative vacancy in the 34th Legislative District. If one of Burien’s currently elected officials (Moore or Tidholm) is selected by the 34th Dems and then appointed by the King County Council to fill a legislative seat, this may create another vacancy in either the Burien Council or the Highline School District.

[UPDATE 1/18/25: In many cases, it is possible for an official to hold two elected offices; therefore an additional vacancy “may” occur, but not necessarily. Washington State restricts legislators from holding another office that is deemed “incompatible,” but interpretations vary. For example, Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac simultaneously served on the SeaTac City Council for two years after she was appointed by the King County Council to be 33rd Legislative District Representative in 2013. We thank an astute Burien.News reader for calling our attention to this important detail.]

Here are the two 34th district elected officials who are in the running:

  • Stephanie Tidholm, current Vice Chair of the Highline School District.
  • Sarah Moore, newly selected Deputy Mayor of Burien City Council.

Here are their Representative Statements from the 34th Dems Website link:

Stephanie Tidholm’s Statement:

My name is Stephanie Tidholm and I am seeking the conditional
appointment for the 34th State Representative. I am a longtime resident of
the 34th having lived in the Admiral and Fauntleroy neighborhoods and
currently a ten-year resident of White Center. My mother grew up in the 34th
and I am now raising my own children here. I am a mother, a first-generation
college graduate, the community aunty, a social worker, advocate and Vice
President of the Highline School Board.

My involvement in politics is only recent, unlike a lot of politicians, I wasn’t
born and bred for this world. I come from very humble and traumatic
beginnings and thus have always committed to being what I wanted, what I
needed and what I deserved as a child for my own children. This led to me
becoming the community aunty and advocate. I sat on a number of
committees for our school district and was very involved in other community
organizations. When the School Board seat in my District became open and I
was asked to run, I took the suggestion as a joke initially.

I didn’t know anything about the position or politics for that matter. But my community encouraged me to go for it; reminding me that I am already so active and involved, if not me then who?

(LINK to full statement)

Sarah Moore’s Statement:

I believe that individual action is important, and that good governance
makes a profound difference in community wellbeing and in people’s lives. I
am seeking this seat because I am confident that my service can make a
positive difference.

The next few years will be intense, unpredictable, and scary for many of the
people who I represent. I have learned that when people are afraid of issues,
that fear shuts down conversation. We build collaboration when we keep our
focus on what we can do, what we have in common, and what we can
learn from each other. To see people, acknowledge them, and to sometimes
still disagree with them, is hard, but that is what we are called to do.

I will continue pushing strong Democratic values in Washington. We deserve
a state that views healthcare and housing as human rights, safety as an
extensive support network, education as the best strategy to secure our
future, progressive revenue structures as a benefit for all, and climate action
as part of our business model.

I am proud of what I have accomplished in my first term on council:
● Comprehensive renter protections
● A model tree code rolled out to be minimally disruptive to community and stakeholders
● Secured $5 million for flood prevention and mitigation
● Brought back a popular summer camp, allowing families to have affordable summer child care
● Renewed our popular Co-Responder model for police and social workers to respond in tandem to 911 calls
● Introduced council vote to oppose I-2117 (passed unanimously)
● Chair Burien Airport Committee,

(LINK to full statement)


Related Burien.News Article:

Tidholm and Moore Vie for 34th Dems District Legislative Opening


Highline Schools Vice Chair Stephanie Tidholm and Burien City Council Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore at 34th Dems Candidate Forum on January 5, 2025. (images from Zoom meeting)

One Response

  1. All those so called Democratic values that Sarah Moore speaks of are exactly why that belief mindset needs to modified. It’s obvious that under Democratic leadership many of those items have only become worse, and it makes no sense to continue beating the same drum over and over.

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