State representative candidates Q&A for November general election

The Northern Light asked candidates running for 42nd Legislative District position 1 and 2 seats about their top priorities, if elected to the state House of Representatives, and what makes them fit to represent north Whatcom County residents in the state Legislature. The November 8 general election candidates provided written responses to the questions.

State representative position 1

Alicia Rule

What are your top three priorities for Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer and Point Roberts if elected? How will you work to ensure those priorities are met?

1: Fight for economic opportunity for everyone and support working families by increasing the number of family wage jobs, ensuring strong wages and protecting jobs at our local refineries. I will work to reopen Intalco and support our local businesses. Everyone deserves a shot at a good paying job, whether you go to college or not.

2: Support law enforcement and improve public safety while building a robust mental health and addiction recovery system that saves lives and keeps people off the streets. Continue to improve the child welfare system and keep children and families safe.

3: Continue to bring our tax dollars home and put them to work in our communities, supporting infrastructure projects like making train crossings work better, fixing roads and bridges, and working with our military department to create a statewide disaster program so our state can respond with relief that is fast and effective for our local communities, including the unique needs of Point Roberts.

What makes you the best candidate for the position?

I am the current state representative for our district. I have previously served on the Blaine City Council and as the president of the Blaine Downtown Alliance. I live in Blaine as your neighbor. I own a mental health practice and have worked as a social worker as my career. I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and my masters in social work from San Diego State University. I have earned the endorsement of organized labor, business, law enforcement, teachers and nurses, including the sole endorsement of the Washington Fraternal Order of Police, Washington State Labor Council, Association of Washington Business, and Planned Parenthood.

What else do you want people to know about your campaign?

I genuinely and passionately care about the community that has been home to my family for five generations and I am invested in ensuring this can continue to be a home for our children and grandchildren.

Tawsha (Dykstra) Thompson

What are your top three priorities for Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer and Point Roberts if elected? How will you work to ensure those priorities are met?

1: Public safety: Blaine, as a municipality, has its own police department but Custer, Birch Bay, and Point Roberts all receive public safety services through the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. Staffing shortages impact those hard to reach areas, such as Point Roberts. We need to ensure that laws negatively impacting law enforcement are repealed and legislature empowering our officers is enacted to assist with recruiting good people to become law enforcement officers in Washington.

2: Internet and broadband services: There has been progress made in these areas but we need to continue working toward good internet and broadband service to unincorporated areas of Whatcom County.

3: Infrastructure: Both Birch Bay and Point Roberts have experienced flooding issues. Better planning and development is needed to protect those communities.

What makes you the best candidate for the position?

As a 25-year veteran of law enforcement I have the training, skills and expertise to tackle the public safety legislation that needs to be repealed and amended to bring the skyrocketing crime problem back down to earth. I am endorsed by sheriff Bill Elfo, Whatcom County prosecutor Dave McEachran (retired) and many more.

What else do you want people to know about your campaign?

My entire professional career has been as a public servant and professional problem solver. I commit to working collaboratively with everyone from both sides of the aisle to complete our common goals. As your state representative I will continue to serve all the people of the 42nd district to the best of my ability.

State representative position 2

Dan Johnson

What are your top three priorities for Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer and Point Roberts if elected? How will you work to ensure those priorities are met?

1: Public safety: As a starting point, I think that Birch Bay has grown to the point where a local police department is warranted. This added degree of law enforcement along with better state laws on crime would be a huge win for that community.

2: Public services & infrastructure: As people move into the area it has been hard for these smaller communities to keep up with basic services like water, sewer, power, internet, etc. I would fight for funding from the state level to build the necessary services to keep up with the housing and business demands.

3: Isolation: From 2020 until just a few weeks ago, Point Roberts has been isolated. This unique community spent over two years unable to connect to the rest of the country. Along with the abovementioned issues, the residents of Point Roberts are dependent on being able to travel freely across an international border and for the last few years that has been denied. Moving forward, I will do better for that community.

What makes you the best candidate for the position?

Other than my service as a Marine, I have always been in the private sector. I owned a small business and understood what it’s like to sign the front and back of a paycheck. I also know that when ends don’t meet you tighten your belt, not raise taxes. I will take that approach in Olympia.

What else do you want people to know about your campaign?

I have lived in Whatcom County since 1980 except for when I was serving as a U.S. Marine. I went to school here, I have owned small businesses here and I raised my family here. Whatcom County is where I want to stay. Whatcom County is worth fighting for. Thank you.

Joe Timmons

What are your top three priorities for Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer and Point Roberts if elected? How will you work to ensure those priorities are met?

Economic development. The pandemic was hard on businesses in Whatcom County, especially in communities closest to the border. Through my job in the Governor’s Office I helped provide funding for the grocery store in Point Roberts, make the case for reopening the border, and establish the state’s Border Business Relief Fund, a grant program that assisted more than 100 businesses and organizations in Whatcom County. Based on conversations I’ve had with residents, I’d also like to help increase access to broadband internet and housing. I have a track record of getting things done in Olympia and bringing resources to Whatcom County, and I will continue that as your state representative.

What makes you the best candidate for the position?

I have spent the past decade working at the local, state, and federal levels of government – including the past eight years working directly with leaders in Olympia. I am running for this position because I love Whatcom County and I am confident I have the experience to hit the ground running on behalf of our community. I am the only candidate that has dedicated their career to public service and I have a proven track record of working with both parties. Whatcom County deserves a representative that is committed to listening to the needs of everyone in the county and working hard on their behalf. If elected I will do just that.

What else do you want people to know about your campaign?

I grew up in a working class household in Washington state. Before a career in public service I worked as a preschool teacher, at restaurants and in retail. My wife Heather grew up in Whatcom County, and we are proud to have set down roots here and to be raising a family here. I was thrilled to receive the most votes in the primary election and our campaign is working hard every day to win in November.