Washington and Oregon voters say abortion, affordable housing among top election priorities

PORTLAND, Ore. – Voters in Oregon and Washington sounded off on their election priorities each regionally and nationally because the midterms method.

“The farther left the higher,” Sydney mentioned in Bellingham, Washington, a metropolis positioned about 20 miles south of the Canadian border.

However excessive candidates will not enchantment to voters like Jon, a Seattle resident whose priorities embody preserving the Second Modification in addition to a girl’s proper to have an abortion.

“I am on the lookout for a Holy Grail candidate,” he advised Fox Information whereas visiting Portland. “The Dems have to put up a extra average candidate to get my vote after which the Republicans have to additionally do the identical.”

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He additionally mentioned he is skeptical voters will discover average candidates in Washington or Oregon, which he known as “primarily one-party states.”

“Quite a lot of Individuals do not need a collaborator or a average candidate anymore. They need somebody who’s gung-ho and going to go full 100 and really emotional,” he mentioned. “I believe that makes our politics extra harmful.”

A 3-way open-seat race for governor is bringing extra competitors to Oregon, which hasn’t elected a Republican to that workplace since 1982. In Washington, a first-time Republican candidate hopes to unseat Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in 1992.

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Brenda advised Fox Information she helps the Second Modification however want to see harder gun management as Portland continues to take care of excessive numbers of shootings. There have been 114 taking pictures incidents within the metropolis in July, in contrast with 34 throughout the identical month in 2019, in accordance with police information.

“That is uncontrolled,” Brenda mentioned.

Amber, a Portland resident, mentioned eco-friendly initiatives had been her primary precedence nationally.

“Understanding that world warming is actual and aiming to make the initiatives that assist push us in the appropriate path and type of fight that,” she mentioned.

However regionally, security was high of thoughts for Amber. She mentioned she needs to see town of Portland deal with making individuals “really feel comfy” downtown once more.

Farther north in Bellingham, many individuals advised Fox Information they hadn’t began fascinated with the election but. Those that had been planning to vote positioned abortion rights, inexpensive housing and the surroundings amongst their high priorities.

Folks collect to protest the Supreme Court docket’s determination to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, in Portland, Oregon. Voters in Oregon and Washington advised Fox Information abortion, inexpensive housing and the surroundings are amongst their high priorities this election season.
(Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Pictures)

Girls’s rights have “been put type of below assault, particularly on the federal degree with the Supreme Court docket and every thing,” Francis mentioned.

Election specialists speculate the Supreme Court docket’s June determination to overturn Roe v. Wade may drive extra Democratic voters to the polls, probably threatening Republicans’ shot at taking management of Congress. Washington and Oregon each have state legal guidelines defending abortion rights, however this week Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a federal invoice to ban abortion after 15 weeks.

“It is necessary regionally to just be sure you deal with candidates which can be going to assist your beliefs … to hopefully have issues go extra to the federal degree and simply type of be like a snowball impact,” Francis mentioned.

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Voters are additionally fearful about housing prices, as hire and residential costs proceed to extend within the Pacific Northwest. 

“It looks like with COVID when everybody began working distant, you bought lots of people from wealthier cities like Seattle which have much more high-paying jobs come into smaller communities” and drive up housing costs, Francis advised Fox Information.

The median residence worth in Washington was $560,400 in 2021, almost double the value of a home simply six years beforehand, in accordance with state information. In 2019, earlier than the coronavirus pandemic started, the median worth of a house was simply shy of $398,000.

Mary mentioned she wished native legislators would deal with inexpensive housing and “unhoused points” extra aggressively. Nationally, she hopes Democrats retain management of the Home and Senate regardless that she would not take into account herself a Democrat.

Mary says she hopes Democrats retain management of the Home and Senate as a result of there was an excessive amount of “hatemongering” when President Trump was in workplace.
(Fox Information Digital)

“I felt like there was numerous the hatemongering that went on within the final Republican president’s time period,” she mentioned. “Not solely BIPOC individuals but additionally individuals’s gender variations, and everyone was a loser in the event that they did not love him.”

Kaelyn and Sydney mentioned they hope to see extra compassionate candidates elected.

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“Caring about like homeless, individuals of coloration, LGBTQ rights, individuals which have been type of like pushed to the aspect endlessly,” Kaelyn mentioned. “Ensuring that each little step is taken to assist these individuals out and work in the direction of a greater equilibrium.” 

Keith was most involved about time period limits and mentioned “it is time for a revolution.”

“We have got to get the incumbents out and put new individuals in,” he mentioned. “The Home of Representatives is meant to get replaced each two years. Why are they in the home for 30 years?”