Letter to Editor | Why I Support Debra Lekanoff for 40th District

— from Cindy Wolf —

Debra Lekanoff is an experienced, progressive public servant. Decisive and forward-thinking, she recognizes every decision today impacts future generations. Community is her strength, and she is committed to finding real solutions for the long term good of the 40th. She believes people have the right to individual choices about health and welfare and as our Representative she will empower individuals and communities to make choices that work best for them. She has a solution-oriented leadership style that brings people to the table to roll up their sleeves and find creative, innovate solutions. In her role as the Swinomish Governmental Affairs Director she has approached divisive of issues, created partnerships on common ground and moved the needle. She will not only bring you to the table but make sure you get heard!

Two decades ago Debra made the Salish Sea her home and her work since then is a roadmap of her values – especially her commitment to protecting our natural resources and the Salish Sea. She spoke at Goldman Sachs’ to request that the company divest from the Cherry Point coal terminal and worked directly with lobbyists, leaders, organizations and legislative members passing legislation that will phase out farming of invasive Atlantic Salmon in the Salish Sea. Debra is a national, regional and local leader on Climate Change. She served as an adviser to EPA Administrators and Region 10 Administrators in the previous 3 Presidential Administrations. Her experience includes climate change policy and programs, water quality and quantity regulations and laws, transboundary environmental permitting to vessel traffic and does not stop there. She has engaged with the past Climate Change Carbon Bill and supports Initiative 1631. Her network includes relationships with federal, state, provincial, first
nation and tribal governments.

Debra hears the 40th’s call to action on affordable housing and fair wages. She will work hard to protect our jobs today and build jobs for the future. At a meeting of the WWU Young Democrats Debra asked, “At what age do you think you could afford a house around here?” The leaders of
tomorrow answered back “never” and “when I am a hundred years old.” Debra is determined to use the building blocks of local, state and tribal organizations to change this situation, because when our youth feel defeated, how does the future look for us all?

Debra is a mother and a peer leader. Her childhood and cultural upbringing in a small Alaska Native Village make her a unique leader for the 40th. It is from her education in Alaska that Debra grew to appreciate the value of public school systems. She knows our communities can build
healthy and vibrant citizens by supporting our children from early education through job placement and making college and advanced skills training affordable. Debra does the hard work and shows the people-savvy needed to get our schools funded. In 2016 Debra successfully led an initiative with community members to pass a levy for La Conner Schools that originally failed by 26%. Nevertheless, the team persevered, bringing teachers, business owners, families, and students together to pass the levy by 13%.

Diversity in experience like Debra’s matters because the 40th is diverse, and a candidate like Debra – one who has dedicated her life’s work to the success of others – is crucial to making decisions about fiscal responsibility, economic development, natural resource management and justice that work for everyone. Debra is a straight to the matter person, whip smart, and eager to serve us. Her energy is infectious, and her community-focused work leads to innovative solutions, unique partnerships and opportunities. If we genuinely wish to construct a fair, inclusive future kind to our friends, our families and our Earth, we need to support leaders like Debra who have the skills and courage to serve.