OLYMPIA, Wash. — Democrat Kim Schrier is fighting for a third term representing Washington's 8th Congressional District, defending her seat against Republican Matt Larkin.
It's a competitive race that could decide which party controls the House for the next two years.
Washington's 8th Congressional District is large, diverse and covers both sides of the Cascades. The district includes wealthy Seattle exurbs populated by tech workers and stretches across the Cascades to central Washington farmland in Chelan and Kittitas counties, encompassing Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Ellensburg.
KING 5 interviewed Schrier about a variety of topics, including why she believes she should be re-elected.
KING 5 also interviewed candidate Matt Larkin about why he’s hoping to unseat Schrier. Click here to watch that interview.
Why Schrier is running for a third term
“When I ran four years ago, I told the people in this district that I would go to bat for them the same way I had gone to that for my patients as a pediatrician, that I never asked if somebody was a Democrat or Republican, and I listened to their story and we came up with a plan together and I delivered the best I could,” Schrier said.
“I've taken that same philosophy, working with both parties, holding town halls, listening to the needs of the district and then delivering both here at home and in Washington, D.C. And these are real results that matter to people, like bringing down the cost of insulin, helping to talk with constituents about vaccines, making sure that in a drying, heating up climate, we have a plan for allocating water resources for farmers and for fish.”
On what issues constituents are most concerned about
“I'm hearing a lot of concerns. One is just prices are up. Everything's expensive, and it's really hard to make ends meet,” Schrier said. “That's why I've been so focused on inflation and how we can bring down costs for families, working on supply chains, working on our ports, cracking down on oil and gas companies for gouging. I am trying every which way to give people a break.”
Responding to criticism about the American Rescue Plan and inflation
“The people in the 8th [Congressional District] know that inflation is a worldwide phenomenon with lots of causes, the primary one being the impact of COVID, and then the rebound from COVID,” Schrier said. “We're continuing to have supply chain struggles, as China, you know, essentially shuts everything down and we can't get resources here. And so, what I would say is that there are many causes of inflation.
"My job is to go to bat for the people in the 8th District and do everything I can to just make life affordable. And some of that, like I said, cracking down oil and gas companies, improving our supply chain, but it's also things like we just kept insulin $35 a bottle for seniors. That's a kitchen table issue that makes a difference in their budget. We just passed legislation that will have health insurance premiums at no more than 8.5% of income. That will save the average family in the 8th District about half on their insurance premiums.”
On whether abortion will be the deciding factor in this election
“You know, I just I don't think this is an either-or election,” Schrier said. “I think that people are worried about the cost of living right now. They're worried about gas prices right now, worried about the rise in crime, and wanting to support our police, and also worried about extreme policies that would take health care decisions away from women and hand them to the government, which is just abhorrent, really.
"I'm addressing all of these questions, working with police officers, listening to their frustrations, then going to Congress and making sure we bring $2 million to the King County sheriff to meet their needs. They're asking me for body cameras, they're asking me for social workers to help them on mental health cases. I'm getting it done. I'm going on ride-alongs with police, hearing their frustrations about kind of a revolving cycle, then getting money through the Invest to Protect Act to help them hire up more police officers to keep our community safe.”
On what might surprise voters
“Well, it might not surprise everybody, but it certainly surprises people who have known me for my whole life that I never played sports as a kid,” Schrier said. “When I got to Congress, where the average age is older than I am, I was recruited to play on the women's congressional softball team. We played against the press... and we beat the press this year and had a major celebration. So yeah, most improved player a couple of years in a row.”