The race for the 33rd Legislative District, Position 2, will likely come down to two elected officials.
The incumbent, state Rep. Mia Gregerson, has represented the district since 2013. Alex Andrade has been a Burien City Councilmember for two years.
Both are Democrats and have strong ties to the district. Though there is a third candidate, Republican Yuri Marinchik, when it comes to governing with the future of the entire state in mind, Andrade is the better choice for the 33rd District.
Andrade is the owner of Citlali Creativo, an invitation and stationery business in Burien and would bring to Olympia the experience of a job creator and business taxpayer as well as resident.
“Local elected officials feel disconnected with some of the decisions made in Olympia. As a council member, I’ve learned that good policy doesn’t end when the bill passes; I think that’s when the real hard work begins,” Andrade said. “Cities are left responsible for implementing the policies the state made. Too often local governments are brought in to the conversation after the decisions have been made.”
When it comes to housing, a hot topic in Washington, Gregerson voted in favor of a bill that passed this year that limits rent increases to 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is lower. Andrade said she understands that many renters are struggling, but that she’s opposed to rent control by itself as a longterm solution.
“We need to figure out how to create new housing … and investing in that. And just make sure we’re creating housing that makes sense and that we’re upzoning in areas that make sense. The goal should be that people can stay where they live, landlords should be able to maintain their properties. We don’t want to displace the small mom-and-pop local rental communities because those are the ones that are actually able to give affordable housing to their people.”
The issue of homelessness indirectly landed the city of Burien in court over a violation of the state’s Open Meetings Act. Andrade was among the council members who attended a 2024 news conference to discuss King County’s role in enforcing city ordinances around homelessness. The number of council members attending constituted a quorum. Andrade said she attended the event as a business owner, not in her capacity as a council member. Though a King County Superior Court found there was no violation, an appeals court judge reversed that decision. Moving forward, Andrade should exercise more discernment as an elected official.
When it comes to transparency, Gregerson supports the use of legislative privilege, a practice that some lawmakers use to shield internal communications and deliberations from the public. Andrade said transparency is for the public good, as is showing how laws are made; she said the exception is legal or confidential information.
Still, given Andrade’s public track record and desire for strict budgeting practices, she deserves the support of 33rd District voters.
