Joe Fitzgibbon was first elected to the state House representing the 34th Legislative District — West Seattle, Vashon Island, Pioneer Square — back in 2010, when he was 24.
Again seeking reelection, Fitzgibbon transitioned from a wunderkind to an accomplished lawmaker, helping earn big wins for climate and other environmental priorities. Democrats made him House Majority Leader in 2022.
This year, however, the board endorses his opponent, newcomer Mary Anito, a fellow Democrat.
For all his good works, Fitzgibbon has become distant from those he represents, making poor personal choices, discounting ethical questions and angrily noting that as a father of young kids, he doesn’t always have time for community events. It is as if he only knows one job — working in politics, blessed with a safe seat.
It is time for a new sensibility and set of experiences.
Anito is a residential real estate investor with a background in engineering. She is the mother of three.
Her key issues are education, housing and healthcare. Rightfully, she laments that legislators increased the size of the state budget but made painful cuts to promising education programs. Health outcomes are not where they ought to be, and as someone who builds attached dwelling units, or ADUs, she understands the challenges of red tape.
“We have a really generous constituency, but I think they’re getting a little fed up,” she told the board. “They’re losing faith in how Olympia’s been spending the money and fiscal responsibility, and that’s really important to me.”
Case in point: Last year, the Legislature passed a measure seemingly extending new taxes to schools and PTAs, which caused a lot of consternation before being sorted out.
“When I sit in a hearing in Olympia, I see all these lawyers that are there to advise, and I’m like, how did this bill get through? I’m not a career politician. When someone’s been in Olympia their entire career, I think it shows,” Anito said. “I think there’s a disconnect. I’d like to make sure all of the legislation coming out of Olympia really serves our community rather than landing and then causing chaos and stress.”
Earlier this year, Fitzgibbon apologized for being inebriated during a budget hearing, which he characterized to the board “as an act of disrespect to my colleagues, my constituents.”
Fitzgibbon’s wife is a lobbyist at the powerful healthcare union, SEIU 1199NW. In 2022, The Olympian reported that during the state redistricting commission’s efforts to draw new electoral maps, text messages were exchanged between a redistricting commissioner, Fitzgibbon and his wife in a group chat.
When asked by the board how he managed to keep his work and family life separate, Fitzgibbon replied: “We’ve always understood that our roles were very different, and that we answer to different people. And we don’t agree on everything — when it comes to what to feed the kids for dinner or what’s the right way to balance the budget.”
After Anito questioned him about his visibility on the campaign, Fitzgibbon shot back that he had attended many community events, adding: “There’s only so many Saturdays I’m going to have with my 6-month-old and with my 2-year-old, and sometimes that means I’m not at the West Seattle parade.”
People make mistakes. Folks in power run in small circles. Campaigning can be a drag. That’s all understandable.
So is wanting to make a change. Voters ought to choose Mary Anito for Legislative District 34, Position 2.
