‘The status quo hasn’t been working’: Democratic Socialist Sabio-Howell on her bid to unseat Jamie Pedersen

Hannah Sabio-Howell, a Democratic Socialist, is running to unseat 20-year incumbent Jamie Pedersen, arguing the status quo has left Washington residents struggling with rising costs.

Sabio-Howell joined “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio to explain some of the topics she is looking to address during her term if she’s able to unseat Pedersen, using her more than a decade of experience in politics.

“What kind of pushback have you been getting from, I would imagine, like very entrenched politicians in Washington who have kind of had their run of however they want to run things for a long time? What kind of pushback have you been getting as you’re stepping in now?” KIRO host Jake Skorheim asked.

Sabio-Howell found common ground with Jake on the idea that what’s currently being done isn’t cutting it, noting elevated living costs, underfunded schools, and expensive housing costs as reasons for her push to run.

“This is a great question because this is something I think you and I can agree on: the status quo hasn’t been working,” Sabio-Howell said. “The cost of living has only gotten so much harder, so much higher over the last two decades. I’m running against a 20-year incumbent, so I would say that on his watch, our schools have been underfunded. The cost of housing has doubled. Childcare and healthcare have gotten increasingly out of reach.

“What pushback I’ve gotten from the Democratic establishment is this idea that the status quo is good enough, and more of the same is what we need,” she continued. “My campaign would say, and fellow challengers to longtime incumbents would say, believe your eyes. One of the Democratic establishment policies has been working for us if we can barely afford to buy a home, raise a kid, and retire in Washington state.”

Jake, Sabio-Howell agree on the need for government transparency

Jake explained why he is not a fan of Sabio-Howell’s opponent, to which she responded that Pedersen has favored a lack of transparency over building legislation with voters’ needs in mind.

“I’m not a fan of Jamie Pedersen, in no means, because he got a bill pushed through, which the governor then signed to bring an income tax to Washington,” Jake said. “I don’t support that because, I think you would probably agree, Washington voters should have a say in how they’re going to be taxed.”

“I totally hear that. I super agree with you that transparency and accountability in government have to be really present,” Sabio-Howell responded. “One of the things that I would criticize Senator Pedersen for, and other incumbents like him, is this idea that policy isn’t something that we build together; rather, it’s something they hand to us, and it feels rushed, and it feels opaque. I think one of the things that I am excited to bring to policymaking, not only as someone who worked in the legislature, but as an organizer, is buy-in and coalition building, and the sense that everyday people get to shape outcomes that are supposed to serve us.”

Sabio-Howell explains what she’d change about the current income tax approach

Though Sabio-Howell supports the so-called millionaires’ tax, she believes the current bill fell short by failing to lower other costs for residents.

“What I think it should have done that it failed to do was reduce costs elsewhere,” Sabio-Howell said. “What I’m really excited about is making our tax code more progressive, instead of it being one that right now asks so much of you and me, than the biggest and wealthiest corporation is our state, and the ultra-wealthy individuals in our state. I think we can and should lower some of those regressive taxes like sales taxes and property taxes and business and occupations taxes, and then use things like the income tax, a broader-based tax code, to reduce those costs and invest in our services.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3