Politics from the Palouse to Puget Sound

Friday, June 06, 2008

"Pullman Democrat challenges Schmick"

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Name: Kyana Kelley
Party: Democrat
Position Sought: 9th District State Representative
Age: 28
Political Experience: None
Qualifications: Dad worked for Kaiser Aluminum
Lived in 9th District: 2 years
Registered to Vote in 9th District: September 7, 2007
Turn-Ons: Disposal companies that sort your recycling
Turn-Offs: Old men who don't represent the "youth and working middle class"

No word yet on whether Kelley will be supporting 61-year old Chris Gregoire over 48-year old Dino Rossi.

From yesterday's Whitman County Gazette:
Pullman resident Tyana Kelley announced Tuesday her bid to unseat Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, from his post as 9th District State Representative.

The 28-year old Whitworth graduate admits she has little experience in politics, but feels her election to the House would expand the representation of 9th District citizens in Olympia.

“We need diverse representation from the 9th District,” she said. “And we need someone who can work with the Democratic majority to really represent Eastern Washington.”

Her youth and inexperience, she added, means she has “no agenda” to push through the legislature and “no baggage” to weight her votes.

Kelley said she intends to spend the summer door-belling the 9th District to better target what citizens of southeastern Washington want from their legislators.

“This position is meant to focus on the needs of the people of the 9th District, not to represent their own agenda and push it across,” she said.

Kelley criticized Schmick for not representing the youth and working middle class of the 9th District.

“The working class is more than just farmers and ranchers,” she said. “We have nurses, teachers and good, hard-working people in this district that are not being well-served by voting down the party line on every issue.”

Coming from three generations of employees of Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane gives Kelley a unique insight into the plight of the working class, she said.

The focus of Kelley’s campaign will be on improvements to the state’s health care and education systems, as well as expanding environmental protection programs.

“Our K through 12 education system is in trouble with the requirements of No Child Left Behind and the WASL,” she said. “We need to re-evaluate those programs.”

She added she will focus on lowering tuition costs and the burdens put on students by expensive student loans.

Kelley added local environmental programs, especially recycling programs, need to be expanded.

She called for stepped-up efforts by waste management firms to sort recycling so individuals do not have to sort their recycling themselves.

“When I lived in Spokane we didn’t have to sort our recycling before they picked it up,” she said. “It wouldn’t take much more for these companies to sort out recycling and it would increase participation dramatically.”

Kelley said she views this election as an opportunity to advance the causes of all the people of the 9th District.

“Any forward progress is good,” said Kelley. “Whether that’s in my own personal life or with the people of this district.”

Kelley has lived in Pullman for two years with her husband, Ryan.

2 comments:

Satanic Mechanic said...

What does she do? Is she a student or a homemaker?
I hate to sound like the prosecuting attorney from "My Cousin Vinny" but all because your most of your family are mechanics does not make you a mechanic. All because three generations worked at Kaiser, does not make you a member of the rank and file. I take it she never worked at Kaiser.
I am sure growing up she heard all the bad things about Kaiser, so she is vindictive towards any corporation/business.
She sounds like the typical Democrat, a proletariat wanna-be.

April E. Coggins said...

She is Caitlin Ross II. Dems aren't stupid, they know they can't be elected. They find a starry eyed young candidate and promise the world. It looks good and pads the candidates resume.