SERIES | The Election Is Over. Time to Advance Progressive Education Policy.
by Leo Falit-Baiamonte, Sophia Hernandez, James Young, and Bailey Medilo
As fascism took center stage across the country with the November election results, Washington State held the line. Now — with Washington voters making their stances loud and clear — our elected leaders have the opportunity to move the needle on progressive policy.
While our adult peers point fingers — blaming communities of color and the youth vote — young leaders recognize that advocacy does not end or begin at the ballot box.
Young people already have experienced suffering and marginalization under the president-elect's first administration, and there is no debate about the extent of the damage that this election has done and will do to the well-being of youth across our nation. However, instead of reiterating the victim narrative, this collective of young organizers is responding to this election proactively, outlining solutions and local impacts that we know will protect and build a better future for all people in our state. Organizations that center and focus on youth, like Washington Bus, have shown us that low youth voter turnout in recent elections reflects systemic issues in political engagement rather than apathy.
Young people are angry with the options they have and aren't afraid to demand more in the face of historic corporate wealth and legislative inaction. This election and the treatment of youth in the organizing space have once again exposed the false reality that Washington is a national beacon of progressivism and protection for communities of color.
As a group of youth advocates working with Washington Bus, Seattle Student Union, and Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN), we offer a collective response to the election results in Washington State and their implications for the upcoming 2025 legislative session.
This is part of a series in the South Seattle Emerald called Back to School2: An Educational Series on Education highlighting advocacy efforts in education policy from the local School Board to the State Legislature.
State Superintendent and Gubernatorial Races
by Leo Falit-Baiamonte, Seattle Student Union
At the executive level of our state, the governor's race went to Democrat Bob Ferguson, while the race for superintendent of public instruction (the head of our state's lead education agency), went to Chris Reykdal. The majority of voters turned down the candidates who were against taxing the ultra-wealthy, showing mass support for fully funding our schools across the state, both red and blue districts. Ferguson defended the capital gains tax that funds our public schools.
When speaking to students about what we need, we hear the same thing: more money in schools. We are not apathetic to politics. We lack the support to effectively engage in the issues facing our communities, as if by design.
With classrooms of 30-plus students at Lincoln High School, which some might consider an affluent school, we clearly have a problem with how our schools are funded. Currently, we are cutting culturally sustaining programs like ethnic studies and Black studies when we should be investing in these programs.
To fund the shifts we need, we need an income tax — and students want an income tax — on the ultra-wealthy of Washington State. Washington has 13 billionaires and Seattle has 54,200 millionaires, yet our state has the second most regressive statewide tax model in the nation.
If our state passes a tax on the ultra-wealthy, our schools can thrive like we want them to, and we will finally be able to fully fund mental health resources, something the City of Seattle has been neglecting.
Not funding our schools limits critical thinking and stops youth from fully understanding the world around them. We haven't afforded students the ability to discuss global conflicts and our personal opinions in our classrooms. For example, recent guidelines provided by Reykdal to address rising antisemtism and Islamophobia let school districts make decisions on students' freedom of speech. Students feel silenced and afraid to speak their minds, and we need protections to feel safe so that our schools remain bold spaces for civic discourse.
We will not quietly watch decisions about our futures being made on our behalf.
State Legislature Election Results
by Sophia Hernandez and James Young, WAESN
In 2023, Democrats supported redistricting efforts in the 14th and 15th Legislative Districts in an effort to increase the impact of Latino voters in the Yakima Valley. In this new district, three Latina Democrat candidates, Maria Beltran, Chelsea Dimas, and Anna Ruiz Kennedy, ran for office in the 2024 election.
Unfortunately, all three lost in their respective races, once again raising concerns about how Washington's Latino community is represented in the Legislature.
Democrats have stated that, in Olympia, they will advocate for the priorities of Latino voters. We expect them to uphold this commitment despite the election of a Republican candidate. We expect both major parties to support the working class, immigrant, low-income, BIPOC communities that are constituents of the 14th Legislative District, no matter the party in office.
Given that Democrats maintain the majority in the state House and Senate, as well as the governor's office, there is no excuse for Democratic representatives to remain idle.
As students from Central and Western Washington, we are tired of calling for protections for LGTBQ+ youth, educational equity, and immigrant rights. Right outside Washington's borders, we are witnessing active exclusion and violence against immigrant communities. These policies are about survival, not comfort. It is more urgent than ever for legislators to uphold the rights of our state's youth.
Similarly, we must target opportunity gaps and eliminate the systematic incarceration that impacts both LGTBQ+ and BIPOC students. Along with supporting K–12 schools, we want legislators to create accessible and sustainable pathways to higher education and post-graduation opportunities for those who are often left behind.
We call on Democratic leaders in power to protect our rights and those of our communities. Jamie Pederson, the Senate majority leader representing the 43rd Legislative District, must not only support LGTBQ+ protections but must advocate for the rights of Washingtonians in districts with minimal Democratic representation. Given the membership of Sen. Lisa Wellman (41st LD) in the Legislature's education committees, we expect her to have a more prominent role in supporting educational equity efforts and closing opportunity gaps.
Despite the results of the federal election, our state Democrats have the structural power to enact progressive legislation that protects and supports Washington's youth.
Ballot Initiative Results
by Bailey Medilo, The Washington Bus
With questionable "wins" and widespread losses this election, a silver lining shone through as Washingtonians soundly defeated a multimillionaire hedge-fund manager's attempt to defund climate commitments, schools, education, and health care. Young voters in particular fiercely defended a decade of progress from this damaging, misleading, anti-investment onslaught.
The defeat of I-2117, I-2124, and I-2109 — three anti-tax initiatives championed by Let's Go Washington, which was backed by Brian Heywood — sends a powerful message: Voters — especially youth — are pro-investment and pro-services, and are ready and uniquely positioned to push the needle forward to hold the wealthy accountable through legislation like a narrowly tailored tax on extreme wealth.
Young people know what's at stake: They want fully funded public schools, expanded and electrified public transit, and sustainable comprehensive revenue across the board. As we see major losses to education funding at the federal level, we expect more state-level investment in our communities, and we know where the funds should come from: a fair, just, and uncompromising tax model. The voters' ringing defense of the Climate Commitment Act, the capital gains tax, and WA Cares shows a clear pro-investment mandate from the people of Washington.
Young people demand that our newly elected senators and state reps ensure that we create a future where critical services are fully funded, paid for by fair and progressive taxes, not by squeezing working families. As Washington becomes a beacon for those escaping fascist and regressive policies on the federal level, it's time for lawmakers to step up and meet this moment by passing the wealth tax, securing lasting progressive revenue streams for future generations.
Call to Action
The call from our peers is undeniable: Tax the rich, fund our futures.
At the Washington Bus, our youth organizers are gearing up to defend a decade of progress and seize the newly energized movement for progressive revenue this upcoming legislative session in Olympia. We need your support. Sign up for Washington Bus volunteer emails to learn about digital actions for the upcoming legislative session.
The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.
Leo Falit Baiamonte (he/him) is a sophomore at Nathan Hale High School. He serves as an executive board member of the Seattle Student Union, and he joined in August 2024. He also is on his school's senate, where he sees firsthand how the school's budget is made. Leo joined SSU to advocate for educational justice and ensure every student has equal access to education.
Sophia Hernandez (she/her) is a senior at the University of Washington earning degrees in political science and education, communities, and organizations (ECO). As the current youth advocacy manager at WAESN, she is committed to supporting youth in advocating for educational equity across all of Washington State.
James Young (he/him) is a current junior at Mercer Island High School. As a member of WAESN, he's focused on reforming educational institutions to both close opportunity gaps and advance equality in curricula.
Bailey Medilo (any pronouns) is a youth organizer from Southeast Seattle with a focus on economic justice and anti-imperialism as a member of Anakbayan South Seattle. They are the digital and communications organizer at Washington Bus, a statewide movement-building organization that increases political access and participation for youth across Washington.
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