Many Whidbey residents who watch TV have likely seen the competing commercials for the Legislative District 10 state senate.

The senate race in the district, which covers Island County, parts of Skagit and Snohomish counties, has been hotly contested in recent years, with the candidates and groups spending large amounts of money on advertising. The seat has been seen as a key political position in Olympia.

This year is no different.

The incumbent, Republican Ron Muzzall, a Whidbey resident, is facing a Democratic challenger Janet St. Clair, a Camano Island resident and Island County commissioner.

Four years ago, Muzzall narrowly defeated Helen Price Johnson, who was also a county commissioner.

The primary election showed a tight race. Muzzall earned the most votes with just over 48%, but the Democratic vote was split between two candidates. St. Clair won nearly 46% while Denny Sandberg got just 6% and was eliminated from the race.

Muzzall’s family has been on Whidbey Island for over a century. He worked as a firefighter for North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, was an elected fire commissioner for years and served 15 years on the board of Skagit Farmers Supply. He was first appointed to the senate seat before winning an election.

During her 30-year public service career, St. Clair has been a social worker and a nonprofit executive. She was a Navy daughter and a foster parent. She has served as Island County commissioner since 2018.

Perhaps the biggest factor setting this race apart is the dollars raised. No other legislative candidate has Muzzall’s backing. According to the state Public Disclosure Commission, he’s raised $658,368 to St. Clair’s $395,694.

District 10 is one of only two purple districts left in the state. Muzzall said that with a Republican senator and two Democratic house members, this seat could flip the whole district.

“I’m humbled honestly by the support we’ve got in the way of the campaign,” he said. “One, I’m pretty moderate, and two, the other side has made it very obvious that this was a targeted race.”

St. Clair said she has around 1,400 donors, most of whom have given $100 or less.

“I have concerns about (my opponent’s contributions) of course. We always have concerns about that, but I run a different campaign,” she said. “In the primary, a lot of his money is coming from big oil and corporations. I was at a meet and greet in Coupeville yesterday and another one a few days ago, so I’m doing a much more of a grassroots approach.”

The Public Disclosure Commission shows that nearly half of Muzzall’s donations are made by something other than businesses, political action committees and individuals. For St. Clair, nearly half of her donations are made by individuals.

Muzzall was one of only seven Washington legislators — less than 5% — to pledge to not employ legislative privilege, a legal theory enabling the withholding of documents from the public, when asked by the Washington Coalition for Open Government.

Typically, legislative privilege is used if a lawmaker is in the middle of a compromise for a piece of legislation, and releasing the information would be detrimental to the compromise, Muzzall said, and he has never been in that situation.

Washington has a history of public disclosure laws, such as the Public Records Act, and Muzzall sees legislative privilege “flying in the face of that.”

“A democracy has to have the light of day on at all times,” he said.

St. Clair, too, said she would take the pledge. She is used to working under Washington’s sunshine law and said it has been bothersome to those in local governments that legislators don’t hold themselves to the same standards.

Muzzall said his experience in both the public and private sectors is vital to considering the issues independently and in a nuanced way.

St. Clair said between the two candidates, the difference is less about effectiveness – as both have experience in public service and government – and more about policy choices.

Muzzall has been criticized for voting against expanding and codifying abortion protections into state law, though he has also voted against policies restricting access. According to his website, he will not work to ban abortion because the state has set a clear precedent in ensuring the right to choose.

St. Clair, on the other hand, has championed her stance on protecting abortion rights as well as access to health care for all people.

Since the primary election, St. Clair has heard from Boeing workers on strike. Stable wages and health care costs have come to the forefront. She plans to go to battle with surprise billing and prescription drug prices.

She also wants to do better with school funding. The McCleary decision, which brought on greater state funding, was a good start, she said, but it shouldn’t end the conversation.

Muzzall has brought millions of dollars to the district for education. He secured $27.5 million in state funds to rebuild two schools in Oak Harbor.

Muzzall takes umbrage with the cost of living. Washington has the fourth highest food prices in the nation, he said.

“I’m a farmer, and I understand that the product makes four separate trips before it ever gets to the grocery store,” he said. “Our price of fuel has had an impact on the base price.”

Public safety raises concerns also.

“For God’s sake, we’ve had several school threats and a murder in the last week,” he said.

Declining public safety, cost of living, behavioral health, homelessness and substance abuse has led to a “deteriorating society,” he said.

Muzzall has been involved in a push for civility in politics and society in general, he said, though independent campaign supporters have sponsored negative ads toward St. Clair’s campaign.

“I appreciate that my opponent has tried to run a civil race based on the issues, and I’ve tried to run the same,” St. Clair said. “This is the time when it gets a little frenetic in the independent mailings and that big money starts rolling out. I hope we can continue through November with the civility that we both say we commit to.”

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