Larsen facing seven challengers in August primary for Washington’s 2nd District in U.S. House
The most highly contested race in Whatcom County is the 2nd District U.S. House seat, which is held by a 24-year incumbent Democrat facing seven challengers — including those from the far right and far left.
Washington’s 2nd Congressional District is overwhelmingly Democratic. A Republican last won the seat in 1998.
It includes all of Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties and the western part of Snohomish County.
The two candidates with the most votes advance to the Nov. 5 general election regardless of party.
Following are the candidates’ biographies, in the order that they appear on the ballot:
Edwin Stickle
Edwin Stickle is a Burlington medical doctor whose key issues are Medicare and health-care reform. He served twice as chief of staff at Skagit Valley Hospital, according to his campaign website.
Stickle earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation maintenance management from Andrews University in Michigan, and a medical degree from Loma Linda University in California. He is running as a Democrat.
Stickle has worked for nearly three decades in family medicine, as a nursing home doctor, a hospital physician, and a hospice and palliative care physician. He teaches medical students and family medicine residents and has worked at clinics and nursing homes in Whatcom, Island and Snohomish counties.
Medicare, health-care and student loan reform are among his primary issues, along with support for infrastructure, aviation and housing.
“There are so many issues with Medicare that need to be fixed. No one in Congress is standing up to the Medicare bureaucracy and saying no or stop as they continue to do things that just raise your costs and waste your money,” Stickle states at his website.
“All health-care decisions should be between you and your doctor. No one should be allowed to set themselves in between you and your doctor. It’s no one else business what decisions you make about your health care,” he said.
He would push for student loan forgiveness that includes “teachers, health-care workers, public-service employees and similar professions.”
Stickle has raised $2,000 for his campaign, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Daniel Miller
Daniel Miller of Friday Harbor, an actor and former owner of New England Collectibles, is on the primary ballot as a Republican.
Miller has a bachelor’s degree in public policy and environmental studies from The Evergreen State College. He ran for the state Senate in 2019, losing to state Sen. Liz Lovelett, D-Anacortes, by 70% to 30%.
“Some of my current issues are working on a strong economy, advocating for agriculture and rural communities, keeping the government’s promise to clean up Hanford,” the nuclear waste site in Eastern Washington, he told The Herald in an email.
“Many people are having a tough time making ends meet with the high cost of food at the grocery store or restaurant,” he said. “One thing I would like to do is reduce or eliminate the taxes on tips for restaurant waitresses and waiters, hotel workers or other people who get tips.”
Miller has no campaign website but maintains a social media presence. He has reported no campaign donations to the Federal Election Commission.
Cody Hart
Cody Hart, who lives in the Sedro-Woolley area, lists his political affiliation as “MAGA Republican.”
Hart earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Oregon Institute of Technology and is part of a Sedro-Wooley engineering firm. He served four years in the Navy, leaving as a petty officer second class.
According to his campaign website, Hart is focused on government accountability and has a blog and You Tube channel where he discusses those efforts.
In addition, his website states that he stands for economic reform, border security, election integrity, gun rights, “the sanctity of life,” religious freedom, parental rights, child-care reform and housing, among others.
Tax cuts will help to address the child care and housing crises, Hart told The Herald in an email.
“It is my belief that first and foremost as a U.S. representative our country needs a massive tax cut for all Americans to help address the damage inflation is causing our county and reduce the size of government. As Whatcom County residents know first hand, high taxes are taking away needed funds that could go to the rising cost of child care, housing, and food costs among other necessities. Furthermore, it is long overdue that our nation take a strong stand on the impact that foreign and large corporate ownership of residential and agricultural properties is having on Americans. I propose a law prohibiting foreign ownership of America’s residential and agricultural properties to help reduce market manipulation and lower costs for every American,” he said.
He has reported no campaign donations to the Federal Election Commission.
Leif Johnson
Leif Johnson of Greenbank on Whidbey Island is running as a Republican.
He works in tool manufacturing and also has a poultry products business, he told The Herald in an email.
Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Southern Illinois University.
According to his website, he is focused on term limits, green energy, food independence and border security.
“(My) top two issues are inflation and how it’s caused by the federal governments over spending of our money and over-borrowing. This causes the Fed to print money and the more they print the less value the current dollars have due to being removed from the gold standard. This is a bipartisan issue,” Johnson told The Herald in an email. “The next is the border and how it’s causing the fentanyl crisis, attributing to homelessness from the addiction to fentanyl and the crime it brings with it.”
Johnson has raised $9,120 for his campaign, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Rick Larsen
A Democrat from Everett, Rick Larsen is seeking his 13th two-year term in the House.
Larsen, who has a master’s degree in professional studies from the University of Minnesota, was first elected in 2000.
He serves on the House Armed Services and Transportation and Infrastructure committees and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition Trade Task Force of center-left House members who are considered socially liberal and fiscally conservative, according to his campaign website. He’s also a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, co-chair of the U.S.-China Working Group.
“In the 2nd District, transportation means jobs. I am proud to have brought federal dollars to Whatcom County to invest in our communities’ infrastructure and create jobs that grow the middle class,” Larsen told The Herald in an email.
This session, Larsen ensured key funding for Bellingham and Whatcom County, including:
▪ $25 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Lummi Island Ferry replacement project, which will be an electric vessel.
▪ $17.9 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Port of Bellingham to renovate a shipping terminal for railroad access.
▪ Helped pass the PACT Act, which is bipartisan legislation to ensure veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic substances can get the care and benefits they need.
His priorities for the next two years include bringing “economic investments to the 2nd District that create good-paying jobs that support families” and focusing more resources on the fentanyl epidemic.
“Locally, we need to regain the momentum fighting fentanyl in our communities by supporting prevention, treatment and recovery initiatives and helping law enforcement to hold accountable those bringing these dangerous drugs into our communities. Congress and the Biden administration can and must do more to coordinate with local governments, tribal communities, law enforcement, health care providers and community partners to tackle the opioid epidemic and help individuals suffering from opioid addiction — and I will lead that work,” Larsen told The Herald.
Larsen has been endorsed by a range of local and statewide Democratic organizations and government, tribal and labor leaders, according to his campaign website.
He has raised $1.85 million for his campaign, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Devin Hermanson
Media consultant and filmmaker Devin Hermanson of Northgate is running as a Democrat. He told The Herald that he plans to move to Edmonds, which is in the 2nd District.
Hermanson has a bachelor’s degree in art from Whitman College and an MBA from Boston University.
With his MOYO Media Lab, Hermanson’s films “have largely focused on themes of faith, forgiveness, and acceptance,” campaign official Heidi Marsh said in an email.
“The nonprofit he launched, TrueUSA, is focused on combating right-wing disinformation. Several of TrueUSA’s films celebrating democracy and truth were received very well. The film about Reality Winner, produced in cooperation with her mother, received over a million views, and others about Amanda Gorman and several versions of a film celebrating heroes of democracy were popular across platforms,” March told The Herald.
At his website, Herman lists several key Democratic issues, including passing the Green New Deal, codifying the right to abortion, expanding Medicare for everyone, and addressing immigration.
“If you’re someone who cares about our country, it’s been a disillusioning, heartbreaking few years. Here’s why this election is about more than saving our democracy. It’s our chance to dream big and write a new chapter in the American story,” Hermanson said. “We should celebrate immigrants, not demonize them. Expand legal pathways to citizenship, provide drug-detecting technology at checkpoints, and fund a vastly more efficient processing process. We will take care of Dreamers at long last.”
He has raised $26,400 for his campaign, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Jason Call
Jason Call of Marysville ran unsuccessfully for the 2nd District House seat as a Democrat in 2020 and 2022, and switched to the Green Party this year.
A former high school math teacher who’s now a commercial building inspector, Call describes himself as an “ecosocialist” who opposes capitalism.
He told the League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County in a recorded interview that he is a “lifelong activist” who’s focused on climate change, universal health care and guaranteed housing.
He said that ending the “genocide” in Gaza is his priority. “I think it is the most immediate concern that we need to address right away.”
He says he’s skeptical of the two-party system.
“We have a government that only serves the wealthy. When the Republicans and the Democrats are able to work together, it is generally not for the benefit of the general public,” he told the League of Women Voters.
At his website, Call said he’d forgive student debt and push for free college education.
“A recent study by the National Academy of Sciences stated that over 330,000 COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented if we had a universal health-care program. In order to encourage entry into the medical profession among our graduating high school seniors, we must relieve the burden of student debt. Doctors should not be coming out of eight or more years of school hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Universal health care and tuition-free public college will be key components of addressing pandemics,” he said.
He’s endorsed by the Green Party of Washington and by the Socialist Party.
Call has raised $59,000 for his campaign, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. He said he is not taking corporate donations.
Josh Binda
Josh Binda is an engineer and a member of the Lynnwood City Council. He’s running as a Democrat.
Binda, the son of Liberian refugees, is a community leader and activist. He became the youngest BIPOC elected official in Washington state history when he won the City Council seat in 2020 at age 21, according to his campaign website.
“Since then, I have championed increasing community resources for mental health, scholarships for youth and seniors, increasing access for recreational activities, and adding millions of dollars to the Lynnwood budget for parks and recreation,” he said at his website.
He was one of the 425 Business magazine’s “30 under 30” notable professionals of 2022, according to his biography at the city of Lynnwood website.
At his campaign website, Binda lists priorities such as universal health care, guaranteed housing, addressing climate change and expanding mass transit, mental health services and education accessibility.
“Access to medical care is a human right. Period. Every other developed nation treats it as such. Every other developed nation has better health outcomes than we do. Politicians who don’t acknowledge this have been bought and paid for by those who benefit most from our inhumane system. My generation must finally put an end to this cycle,” Binda said.
He has reported no campaign donations to the Federal Election Commission.
This story was originally published July 20, 2024 at 4:30 PM.
