ELECTIONS 2024: Senate hopeful Janet St. Clair meets and greets La Conner

Bill Reynolds reports on a campaign event for State Senate candidate Janet St. Clair (D-Camano Island) for the La Conner Weekly News.

Renewable energy is a key issue for state Senate hopeful Janet St. Clair, a two-term Island County commissioner with an extensive background in public education and social work.

Renewable energy also defines her campaign style.

St. Clair brought her energetic, bilingual approach to La Conner on June 3, meeting at the Civic Garden Club with local Democrats. State Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, attended and offered a ringing endorsement of her candidacy for the 10th Legislative District seat.

St. Clair, a Camano Island resident, is challenging incumbent Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, ranking member of the senate’s Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee this election cycle.

They Said It

St. Clair expressed her long-held fondness for La Conner during the stop. She said her intent if elected is to pursue policy initiatives to address inflation, housing and food security, education, public safety, equity, health care, environmental protection and support for veterans, among others.

“Some people are in it for politics,” she told the Weekly News. “I’m in it for policy.”

…St. Clair said she has enjoyed serving as a county commissioner, especially in terms of constituent services….

St. Clair said she embraces collaboration and cooperation.

“You work it,” she said. “You talk to people in the community. You listen and do the things that matter.”

St. Clair said when she helped craft national health policy, she often worked with Republicans to achieve common goals.

“There’s enough nonsense out there,” she said. “We need to work together.”

Addressing the 10th District housing crunch, where low availability is causing costs to soar, St. Clair said innovative ideas from all sectors are needed.

“We have to create a pathway for young families to lease farmland and find housing,” she said. Codes supporting on-premises accessory dwelling units could prove “an option for affordable housing.”