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It’s a tale as old as political time. An upstart new candidate takes on the old-school incumbent with the hope that maybe this time something different will happen.
That story is playing out in the 39th Legislative District Senate race this November. Republican Sen. Keith Wagoner, a two-term incumbent, is fending off a challenge from Navy veteran John Snow, a Democrat. District 39 encompasses portions of Skagit and Snohomish counties.
Wagoner hails from Skagit County, having grown up in a forested area of Alger, and now lives in Sedro-Woolley, while John Snow lives in Arlington, Snohomish County.
In previous interviews with Cascadia Daily News, both said the cost of living crisis is at the top of their minds ahead of the election.
Snow, 32, believes restructuring taxes could help families squeezed by the cost of living.
“That will help get more people a little more money in their pocket, help people pay the rent, all that stuff,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wagoner, 63, thinks fixing the Climate Commitment Act, which has likely driven gas prices up, could help families forced to make difficult decisions at the grocery store and at the gas pump.
“We need to get the cost of living in Washington state under control,” he said in June. “Nobody can afford a house, and people can’t afford their necessities because we’ve let inflation get out of control. Fuel is the starting point.”
Snow has had his work cut out for him since the Aug. 6 primary. Wagoner finished first in the primary with 60% of the vote to Snow’s 31%. Wagoner is also out-fundraising his opponent, with nearly $77,000 in campaign contributions as of Sept. 10, while Snow has raised just over $10,000.
Snow is aware of the battle ahead of him. But he told CDN in June he believes he can win moderate conservatives over.
“As long as we can have a conversation,” he said. “If you avoid certain trigger works, most people want the same thing.”
Over Wagoner’s six years in Olympia — he was appointed in 2018 — he has steadily risen through the Republican ranks to become the No. 4 Republican in the Senate. He also sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
“I worked hard to get there because agriculture is the heart of our way of life in Snohomish and in Skagit County,” he said, noting he’s aware of his constituents’ concerns about how logging and riparian setbacks could impact agriculture.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
