Candidate Forum: Brown, Pollet stress varied issues in 46th District race

(Editor’s note: This is part of a series of responses to questions we’re sending to candidates running in the Aug. 4 primary election. We will present responses to our questions from candidates for state representative positions in the 32nd and 46th legislative districts. After these general issue questions, future questions will come from readers. Send questions for the candidates to schsmith@frontier.com.)

Pollet - Brown

By Evan Smith

Incumbent Democratic State Rep. Gerry Pollet and Republican challenger Eric Brown stress different economic issues as they get ready to meet in the Aug. 4 primary and Nov. 3 general election.

Democrat Pollet is emphasizing tax fairness as a part of economic recovery; Republican Brown stresses education as the way to achieve economic independence.

Pollet and Brown are running for Position 1 in the 46th Legislative District, which includes Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and northwest Seattle.

With only two candidates on the primary ballot, both will qualify for the general-election ballot.

Pollet and Brown recently sent answers to the question, “What is the most important issue or issues that you are emphasizing in your campaign?” Here are their responses (presented in the order that their names will appear on the primary ballot and in the voters’ pamphlet):

Legislative District 46, State Representative Pos. 1

Gerry Pollet (Prefers Democratic Party)

We face unprecedented challenges to address racism and recovery from the worse economic downturn in our lives while preventing further spread of COVID-19 and losing more of our loved ones. State and local governments have lost a tremendous amount of revenue needed to provide essential services, healthcare, housing and education while more of our neighbors than ever before need our help. I’m working to make our tax system more fair to meet this challenge.

Eric J. Brown (Prefers Republican Party)

Education is just; Eric agrees with Booker T. Washington; blacks’ education equals economic independence. Therein levies are cruel, demanding minority families predominately living in poverty, must lift up kids with fashion bootstraps from higher income families. Elected officials staunchly oppose families getting federal money for education. In 2018 ed Choice found the median percentage of minority parents (75.5%) want tax allocations transferred from districts to parents; giving kids the benefit of better schools.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com