With general election voting starting this month, there’s no time like the present to get familiarized with Snoqualmie Valley legislative candidates.

Overall, candidates are focused on public safety, affordable housing and public education. Candidates for the 12th Legislative District are also focused on getting to know the residents of Duvall, Carnation, Fall City and North Bend who are part of that district as of this year.

Read on for a recap on the 12th and 5th Legislative District candidates who advanced from the August primary.

5th Legislative District, Pos. 1

MARK HARGROVE (R)

Mark Hargrove, a U.S. Air Force veteran and retired Boeing instructor pilot, resides in the Black Diamond/Covington area. He was a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 2011-2019. His campaign website touches on affordability, public safety, education, transportation and natural gas. He wants to hire more police officers, lower taxes and regulations for small businesses and get rid of Washington’s Growth Management Act.

The Growth Management Act requires cities and counties to have a comprehensive plan to manage population growth. During primary election coverage, Hargrove told the Snoqualmie Valley Record that the Growth Management Act contributes to unaffordable housing by restricting development and driving up prices.

“It should be scrapped and replaced with a less restrictive plan,” he told the Record.

Hargrove has stated on his website and in commentary that education outcomes will improve when teachers can focus solely on teaching, and not “all the other distractions.” He did not elaborate on what those distractions are.

According to his website, Hargrove also believes the state should “re-prioritize” the transportation budget to focus more on improving road conditions for those who drive as a primary mode of transportation.

VICTORIA HUNT (D)

Victoria Hunt was first elected to Issaquah City Council in 2019. She has a PhD in Ecology and helped Issaquah develop a Climate Action Plan. Her campaign website mentions affordable housing, education, environmental stewardship, public safety, accessible transportation and reproductive rights.

Hunt, a former faculty member of the University of Washington’s Department of Urban Design and Planning, believes the state needs more affordable housing but wants to ensure development is done in a way that protects the environment, according to her website. She previously told the Record that she wants to allow density, build more quickly and see more middle housing.

Funding of public schools is “the paramount duty of the Legislature,” Hunt told the Record. She also said she will fight for educators’ ability to teach “fact-based curriculum.”

Hunt, who refers to herself as a climate scientist, told the Record the effort to repeal the Climate Commitment Act is a “huge threat” and that protecting the climate for future generations motivated her to run for office.

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5th Legislative District, Pos. 2

LISA CALLAN (D)

Lisa Callan is the incumbent for the 5th Legislative District’s second position. She was first elected to her position in 2018 after serving her community of Issaquah for many years, including as president of the Issaquah School Board. Her campaign website mentions public school leadership, community safety, small business success and affordable housing.

Callan’s website says she will get public schools back on track after pandemic setbacks and increase trust between law enforcement and the public. She wants to see new community investments so small businesses can “grow, thrive and create jobs.”

Callan is also invested in reducing housing costs for families and seniors alike so people can afford to remain in the communities they grew up in.

PATRICK PEACOCK (R)

Patrick Peacock’s family has multi-generational roots in the Hobart area. He currently serves in the Army Reserves after specializing as an Intelligence Warrant Officer in the U.S. Army. His priorities, according to his campaign website, are safer communities, financial stability and quality education.

Peacock believes that Washington will have safer communities as a result of “effective laws, quality policing and the prosecution of criminals,” according to his website. He wants to provide more resources to law enforcement and ensure laws that prioritize public safety are being created and enforced.

A combination of lower taxes and policies that strengthen the economy will provide Washingtonians with financial stability, Peacock’s website says. He wants to see more job growth and entrepreneurship and find a balance between “revenue generation and economic prosperity.”

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12th Legislative District, Pos. 1

BRIAN BURNETT (R)

Brian Burnett, who lives in Wenatchee, was Chelan County Sheriff for 12 years. In July, he told the Record that he has been “hard at work” traveling around and meeting the residents of the Snoqualmie Valley that are now part of the 12th District. He also said his top three priorities are public safety, lower taxes and growing small businesses. His website lists other priorities, including private property rights, fiscal responsibility and autonomy of local government.

Two of those issues, taxes and fiscal responsibility, Burnett says go hand-in-hand. To lower the tax burden on Washintonians, he will “only support legislation that supports vital and important tax based programs, departments, and projects.” In particular, Burnett takes issue with Washington having some of the highest gas taxes in the nation despite the state’s “failing” infrastructure.

When asked about the issue of widening State Route 18, Burnett told the Record that he will make sure the state is properly prioritizing funding for projects, being “proactive vs. reactive” in terms of infrastructure.

“We should be planning 20 to 30 years in advance,” he said.

HEATHER KOELLEN (D)

Heather Koellen is a North Bend City Councilmember, is on the King County Board of Health and is an intensive care unit nurse. She told the Record that her top three priorities are improving access to and quality of healthcare; improving public education; and addressing housing affordability. Her campaign website also mentions access to childcare, reproductive health, environmental sustainability and workers’ rights.

Koellen would tackle housing affordability by supporting tenants’ rights and sustainable development practices, as well as ensuring diversity in housing options. She wants to stabilize rents and increase housing density near public transit, her website says.

The widening of State Route 18, Koellen told the Record, is a critical project that the next 12th District legislators need to complete. To make that happen, she says she will secure state and federal funding, explore public-private partnerships and encourage community involvement in the process.

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12th Legislative District, Pos. 2

DANIEL SCOTT (R)

Daniel Scott is an electrical engineer who served on the Cashmere City Council from 2017-2021. According to his LinkedIn, he has also been on the volunteer ski patrol for Mission Ridge Ski Resort for more than 30 years.

The Record was not able to locate a campaign website for Scott.

MIKE STEELE (R)

Mike Steele, the incumbent for the 12th Legislative District’s second position, was first elected to office in 2016. He has also been the executive director of the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce for more than 14 years. His website lists his priorities as affordable housing, greater educational opportunities, including increased access to technical training, and a “more friendly business climate.”

“Small businesses have a difficult time absorbing health insurance costs, dealing with burdensome regulations and paying heavy B&O taxes. That needs to change.

Steele wants to help small business by decreasing health insurance costs, regulations and business and occupation taxes.

“We must focus on public policy that allows businesses to thrive and job creators to prosper,” his website says.