State Representative, District -- 48, Position -- 1

Party: Republican

Date of birth: December 14, 1970

Residence: Kirkland

Education: B.A. with Honors in Communcation

Political offices held: Elected Precinct Committee Officer
Elected to the Executive Board, Washington State Republican Party

Public service and volunteer experience: Employed as Sr. Officer of the statewide non-partisan, non-profit Washington Health Foundation helping to find bipartisan solutions to health policy issues. Volunteers as a VP of Lakeview Elementary PTA; VP of the civic engagement organization, CityClub; YMCA Eastside District Board; and Bellevue Rotary. Former roles include service with Medina Children’s Services, the Washington Policy Center Small Business Conference, UW Health Policy Program, and as an appointed Planning Commissioner.

Endorsements: Rated “Outstanding” (highest) by the Municipal League.

Endorsed by elected officials including Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, Governor Dan Evans, Senator Slade Gorton, The Honorable Dan McDonald, King County Councilmember Rob McKenna, and others including city council members and mayors from throughout the district.

Endorsing organizations include the Affordable Housing Council, Washington State Medical Association, Association of Washington Business, and primary election endorsements by the Seattle Times, King County Journal, and Seattle Weekly.

Campaign theme: “Whitfield Works for You”.

James’ personal experience – disadvantaged youth, academic scholarship that made college possible, purchasing a company at 26 years old – puts him in the unique position of having walked in the shoes of a diverse array of the people in the 48th District. His policy and political background reflects a history of hands-on experience helping real people deal with the real issues they face. Electing James will allow him to expand and extend the work he is already doing on behalf of the people of Washington.

Questions for candidates

What are the biggest differences between you and your opponent(s)? I firmly believe that my opponent went to Olympia two years ago with every intention of following through on his potential by fulfilling his campaign promises. While he is campaigning this year as if he has been successful, inspection of his voting record reveals a different story. My candidacy, on the other hand, is built on a proven track record of bipartisan progress in the areas of job creation, health care, education, and transportation.

What are your highest priorities for state government? If you had to close the projected $1 billion gap between state government revenues and expenses, how would you do it? My highest priority is to accelerate our economic recovery by supporting job creation and job security for employees of small businesses through a bill that I have already begun developing - a “Small Business Bill of Rights.” I support the “Priorities of Government” approach to establishing funding priorities while making tax increases a last resort. I believe we will need to further restrict overall state government spending and focus on areas necessary to deal with increased education, healthcare, and job training caseloads resulting from the lagging economy.

Do you support the initiative to raise the sales tax 1 penny to raise money for schools and higher education? I have joined Dino Rossi and Christine Gregoire in not endorsing this proposal. I disagree with the funding mechanism because it disproportionally impacts lower income families while jeopardizing jobs. I am also concerned about the fact that it does not address many identified education problems – including the Special Education issues that have forced east King County school districts into court. As a health policy professional, I know that I can help our state government reduce its health care costs to free up long-term funding for education.

Are you happy with Washington's new primary? Are you supporting the initiative that would give Washington a "top 2" primary system that the parties oppose? I believe that the “new primary” is a reasonable compromise in the wake of the unconstitutionality of the old “blanket primary.” I do not believe the “top 2” primary will stand up to constitutional scrutiny. Moreover, I am confident that the state parties will essentially opt out of the “top 2” primary and nominate their candidates by caucus and conventions, ultimately decreasing the public’s ability to participate in the primary process.

What do you think of the initiative to expand the use of slot machines to reduce taxes? I am opposed to this initiative because it pre-empts local zoning authority and expands the state’s dependency on gambling as a revenue source. Like an increase in the sales tax, it disproportionally rests taxing burden on lower income families. It also fails to adequately address financial impacts associated with the increased crime that often follows expanded gambling.

Contact

PO BOX 2706
REDMOND, WA 98073
(425) 891-6103
james@whitfield2004.com

Campaign Web site:
www.Whitfield2004.com