My Endorsement: Hannah Sabio-Howell for WA State Senate
As all of you already know, I'm a barista. I've been making coffee for a living for years, and I do my political content on the side — not because I'm trying to be some internet guy, but because I genuinely give a damn about this stuff and apparently some of you do too.
I tell you that because it matters for what I'm about to say.
I work full-time. My partner works full-time. We both hustle on the side because it's 2026 and that's just what you do. We're careful about groceries. We plan our budget. We rent not because we want to, but because we don't have a choice. We owned a house in Michigan. Out here, that's not a conversation we get to have.
I'm not unique. My coworkers bust their ass every single day and most of them are just scraping by. And we live in Seattle, one of the wealthiest cities in the history of human civilization, home to two of the biggest companies ever to exist on this planet. So I need someone to explain to me how this is the deal we got.
That is exactly why I'm endorsing Hannah Sabio-Howell for Washington State Senate in the 43rd District.
Who She Is
Hannah is running to unseat Jamie Pedersen, a 20-year incumbent who has held this seat since 2007. Before anyone slides into my comments with "but he's done good things", I know. Hannah knows. She said it herself, and she meant it. This isn't about erasing his record.
This is about who that record was built for.
Hannah comes out of community organizing and the labor movement. She spent years working in and around the state legislature. She is a renter. Her partner is undocumented. She is a queer woman who is not insulated from the crisis she's running to fix, she is living it, right now, the same way most of us are.
And she is taking zero corporate PAC money. *I smiled lots when she kept mentioning this*
Pedersen's war chest? About a third of it comes from corporate PACs (yeah ew), Amazon, major tech companies, the Realtors Association. You want to know why things move the way they move in Olympia? Start there.
The Rent Thing
The 43rd District has more renters per capita than any other legislative district in Washington State. Three-quarters of this district rents. Three. Quarters. 🙃
When rent stabilization legislation was moving through Olympia, it had a 7% cap. Pedersen helped water it down to 10%. A 10% year-over-year rent increase — in the most renter-dense district in the entire state, represented by a senator bankrolled by the Realtors Association.
I'm not going to call that a coincidence personally, but you can guess what my thoughts are here…
Hannah’s position: fight to bring that cap back down, incrementally, and don't treat "we passed something" as an excuse to stop pushing. She's not naive about how legislation works — she's been in those rooms. She knows you sometimes take what you can get and come back for more. But she's not going to spike the ball at 10% and call it a win for renters.
What She's Actually Fighting For
Three things. She laid them out clearly and I'm going to give them to you the same way.
1. Housing affordability and real tenant protections. Already covered above, but it goes beyond rent stabilization. Her framing is that housing should be a right, not something Democratic leadership gifts us when it's politically convenient. She talked about homeowners who bought in the 80s whose adult kids now can't afford to live near them — can't be close to their grandchildren. This isn't just a renter problem. It's a generational one.
2. Universal childcare — and she has an actual roadmap.Her vision is extending Washington's K-12 public education guarantee all the way back to birth. Zero to twelve. Here's how she'd get there:
● Expand paid parental leave so it actually covers minimum wage workers and gig workers — people who currently don't qualify because of job eligibility requirements. More parents home with their babies in that first year.
● A "home care benefit" — a state cash subsidy for ages one and two that lets parents choose their own care arrangement. Nanny share, part-time daycare, whatever fits a schedule that changes week to week. She specifically mentioned baristas. She gets it.
● Universal pre-K for three and four year olds.
● Then, eventually, the full zero-to-twelve guarantee. Her proof it's possible: New Mexico already did it with fewer resources. If they can, we can — we just need leaders with the courage to get there.
3. Making corporations actually pay. Washington is home to some of the wealthiest companies in human history. Our safety net — childcare, healthcare, schools, roads, public transit falls overwhelmingly on working people. That's not an accident and it doesn't have to stay that way. She's pushing for a millionaire's tax, a statewide Jumpstart-style payroll tax on high earners, and a corporate income tax. The weight needs to shift.
The Case for Change
I know how people are going to react to this. I know because I make content about politics and I've watched the comments. "He's been there 20 years, he knows how things work." "You're going to give up power in the majority." "Don't rock the boat right now."
Here's Hannah’s answer to that, and it's the right one: We have a Democratic trifecta in this state. We have had Democratic leadership for years. And we are still struggling to afford our lives here. We are still watching the richest corporations on earth get carve-outs while working people carry the load. If that's what the power we supposedly have looks like — what exactly are we protecting?
She's not running a protest campaign. She's not in this to be a thorn in anyone's side. She believes she can win, and I believe her. She was instant and certain in her answer that she knew she could win, I saw the fire.
The 43rd is the most progressive district in Washington. It should have a senator who doesn't need to be dragged into the future.
I'm proudly endorsing Hannah Sabio-Howell for Washington State Senate, 43rd District. She is one of us, she is running like it, and she is going to Olympia to fight like it. I’m excited to help her get there, and fight alongside her.
If you're in the 43rd, get out and volunteer for her! Hannah is collecting signatures and looking for volunteers as soon as this weekend!
If you're not in Seattle, share this post. Either way — watch this race.
My time over coffee spent with Hannah was inspiring to say the least. I’m excited to chat more with her as the race unfolds.
Make sure to subscribe here for the latest news on this race and other local and state elections in the Seattle area.
For more on Hannah and on how to get more involved in her campaign:
EVENTS: https://hannahforwashington.com/events/
DONATE: (100% grassroots & individual donor powered!) https://secure.anedot.com/hannah4senate/donate
LEARN MORE:
https://hannahforwashington.com
Until next time,
Take care everyone!
- Sean
(For your viewing pleasure, my cat Ikora!)
