(The Center Square) – Primary results are still being tallied across Washington state from the Aug. 4 election, but at the same time, the campaigns are looking ahead to the Nov. 3 election.
In the weeks to come, Washington voters will be flooded with TV and radio ads, as well as social media feeds dominated by campaign ads for and against candidates, and initiatives to the ballot.
Let’s Go Washington has officially launched campaigns for the three initiatives that will appear on the ballot.
Initiative 645 seeks to repeal the state’s new income tax on high earners.
Initiative 001 would reinstate an initiative to the Legislature that was passed via I-2081. The re-enacted law would list certain rights of parents and guardians of public-school children, including rights to review materials and student records, receive certain notifications and opt students out of certain activities.
Initiative 638 would require policies prohibiting students it defines as “biologically male” from competing with or against female students in certain interschool athletic activities that are intended for female students only.
LGW held an Aug. 8 campaign kickoff event in Olympia urging support for all three initiatives.
Gina Carlson, President of Olympia Master Builders, attended and spoke in support of I-645 to repeal the newly passed income tax.
“I’m currently trying to prepare for my retirement,” she said.
“And after being a single mother for most of my years, I just recently remarried. And now I face the biggest marital tax that this country has ever seen,” said Carlson, referring to the income tax, which amounts to 9.9% on income above $1 million or combined household income above that amount each year.
“I, for one, am sick of the parasitic, victim driven politics that we see here in our state….I say, vote them out, and let’s rebuild our state with a better-balanced budget,” she added.
The Center Square requested an interview or comment from Invest in WA Now, the political action committee behind the No on I-645 campaign, but were unsuccessful.
On the Washington Education Association page detailing opposition to the initiatives, it states I-645 would create a $13 billion hole in the state budget -nearly half of which directly funds schools – leading to reduced access to universal meals, larger class sizes and less one-on-one support for K-12 students.
Additionally, the group contends the measure would increase healthcare and childcare costs for working families while cutting higher education funding and driving up college tuition.
As noted by LGW and other opponents of the income tax, there is nothing in the legislation creating the income tax that requires lawmakers to direct 95% of the proceeds to any particular funding priority.
Initiative 001 would reinstate an initiative to the legislature that was passed via I-2081 concerning parental rights.
North Thurston School District fifth grade teacher Travis Reep spoke in support of the initiative at Saturday’s event.
“I’m a father of four and I don’t agree with WEA and their position in keeping parents out of the classroom,” said Reep to cheers from those in attendance.
“I’m not the parent, you are. You are responsible for raising your children. Under law you are the primary caregivers and I happen to be a teacher that respects that. My job is to partner and support you in whatever you decide is best for your children. Right now, Chris Reykdal and WEA say they know better than you know your own children,” Reep said.
The Center Square repeatedly reached out to WEA for comment on the initiatives, but received no response.
According to the WEA website, I-001 would force educators to put children in danger by removing protections for victims of child abuse and students from unsafe homes.
The organization also contends the measure would worsen the student mental health crisis by limiting access to trusted adults and confidential resources, including protections for counseling and medical records for students facing domestic violence, abuse, bullying or depression.
The third initiative to appear on the November ballot is I-638, which seeks to require middle and high school students to compete based on their biological sex assigned at birth, which would ban male students from joining girls’ sports teams, regardless of how they identify.
Seventeen-year-old Frances Staudtl who will be a senior at Tumwater High School for the 2026-27 school year refused to play against a male who identified as female on an opposing team in a basketball game and was subsequently investigated for harassment and bullying by the Tumwater School District and the WIAA for “misgendering” the athlete on the other team.
She has become the face for I-638 in Washington and has been featured on several national media platforms over the last year.
“There has never been a genital exam required for me to obtain a sports physical,” she said, refuting talking points against I-638 which have suggested that young people will be required to undergo invasive genital exams to prove their gender, if the measure is approved.
“As a 17-year-old female my entire life, I can confidently say my doctor has known I’m a female since the day my mom first brought me into the doctor’s office. There has never been a genital exam required for me to participate in a school sport, ever,” Staudt added.
Per the WEA page on I-638, the initiative would force tens of thousands of Washington girls each year to undergo invasive, embarrassing and medically unnecessary exams just to play school sports at any age or level. Birth certificates would not be accepted.
“I can’t believe I even have to come here and clarify something so obvious. The opposition is counting on you to not pay attention,” Staudt said.
“They are counting on you to ignore what is actually happening in our schools and sports. The real perversion is allowing situations where females are put at a disadvantage.”