Brian Gunn - 93

A friend and I decided to help plant some trees, and on the drive to the site, I was reminded of how lucky I am to live in this beautiful corner of the Pacific Northwest. On either side of the road were small, family farms while in the distance towering over the fields and woods was Mt Rainier, but you could see that the glaciers have been receding. I wondered how the farmers were doing this year. Climate change and big Ag consolidation have made things tough for folks in my district, but the people here are tough, too, and these farms have kept going through good times and bad. I want to make things better for the folks who live here, preserving and protecting the environment, and giving them an ally in their fights against big money interests. That’s why I want to be a national delegate. I believe the Democratic Party is the only party that will stand up for the people who live in my district and work to make their lives better.

I have been a precinct committee officer in Auburn since Barack Obama ran for president on a message of Hope and Change in 2008. Since then I have served the 31st LD Democrats in many roles, including Website Coordinator, State Committee Person, 2022 Convention Delegation Chair, LPO Chair (from 2017-2022), and as a candidate for State Representative in 2012. While the 31st LD is still represented by Republicans in Olympia, I’m proud to say that during my tenure as Chair, we built our bench of Democratic elected officials on city councils and successfully defended our local school boards from attacks by right-wing radicals determined to undermine our system of public education. I’ve also served two terms as Chair of the Washington State Progressive Caucus. I’m currently Vice Chair of the 31st LD Dems and will be Convention Delegation Chair again this year.

I am running for delegate and asking for your vote. I have a good understanding of the Convention process, and I believe I can serve my district and the State well in the role of national delegate, but that’s not the only reason you should vote for me. This is not the time for people of good conscience to remain silent. I will make sure that the voices of those who favor progressive, inclusive public policies are heard and respected. We all know that wealth begets power, but the only legitimate governance comes from the people who give their consent through the exercise of their unalienable right to vote.

I also believe in the Rights of Nature, and the need to protect and preserve our planet and the amazing diversity of life that it supports. That belief is at the core of why I became involved in politics and will be the basis on which I make decisions regarding the policies and politicians that I choose to support.