Pramila Jayapal takes early lead in the 7th Congressional District race
Nov 8, 2016, 9:02 PM | Updated: 10:07 pm
In early election results Pramila Jayapal leads by 58 percent in the race for the 7th Congressional District.
Opponent Brady Walkinshaw had about 42 percent.
Jayapal has pushed for better gender and income equality. She told KIRO Radio’s Jason and Burns Show in September, “People are looking for someone who is a fighter and will stand up for working people … A lot of people feel the economy is working against them.”
He argues he has built a record of getting “actual results” in the state Legislature. Walkinshaw has focused on environmental issues. He says the Legislature needs to work better at forging common ground.
Walkinshaw wants to push politicians need to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
“It is a personal issue for me,” he said. “I grew up in a rural part of our state on the Canadian border. A lot of immigrants where I grew up. My mother ran the migrant education programs in the public schools I went to.”
He says immigration reform needs to be passed for several reasons, including the benefit it would bring to the economy. Jayapal says immigration reform is something she has worked on for more than a decade.
“I think we have a real shot of getting this done,” she said. “People believe we need a pathway for undocumented immigrants. People believe we should have families united.”
Democrat Jim McDermott announced his retirement in January after leading the 7th District since 1989.
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