During an appearance on KELA/KMNT Radio, Rep. Peter Abbarno explained why Mittelman’s experience and practical approach make her a strong fit for downtown Vancouver
Washington state Rep. Peter Abbarno praised Sarah Mittelman’s campaign for the 49th Legislative District during a Friday appearance on KELA/KMNT Radio’s Let’s Talk About It.
“Sarah Mittelman is the perfect candidate for the 49th,” Abbarno said. “She fits the district to a tee.”
Mittelman, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with more than 20 years of health care experience, is running for the Washington House of Representatives in the 49th Legislative District, Position 1. Her campaign is focused on affordability, public safety, behavioral health, transportation and greater accountability in government.
Abbarno highlighted Mittelman while discussing the work of Cascade PAC, an organization supporting candidates in races throughout Washington. He argued that successful candidates must genuinely understand and reflect the communities they hope to represent.
The politics of downtown Vancouver, he noted, are different from those of the 20th Legislative District, which Abbarno represents. Applying the same political checklist to every district is not a winning strategy.
Instead, Abbarno said political organizations should ask whether a candidate fits the district, can earn the trust of its voters and will make a positive contribution to the Legislature.
For Abbarno, Mittelman checks those boxes.
He described her as someone who would be good for both the voters of the 49th District and the Washington Legislature.
Abbarno also explained that Cascade PAC works with candidates at the city, county and state levels, helping promising leaders communicate with voters through grassroots outreach, radio, digital media and direct mail.
Listen to the complete excerpt from Abbarno’s KELA/KMNT Radio appearance.
Transcript
Rep. Peter Abbarno:
So, Cascade PAC—our website is CascadePAC.org—is an organization that supports all kinds of candidates throughout Washington, whether at the local level, nonpartisan, or at the state level, statewide level, or actually go to your federal stuff. We do all that different stuff.
And it really is focused on, on electing leaders who are going to lead, and electing candidates that truly fit their district.
You know, before we— you mentioned earlier, you’ve been in, in, in politics a long time. I know we have a great candidate, for instance, in the 49th—Sarah Mittelman, right?
Sarah Mittelman is the perfect candidate for the 49th. She fits that district to a tee.
That is downtown Vancouver, right?
Um, you know, if you’re mailing something out that’s the Republican platform as a whole, you’re probably going to turn off, probably, 60 percent of the voters in that, that district.
Host:
Yes.
Rep. Peter Abbarno:
And so, what our organization is there to do is say, look, man, you know, whether you’re nonpartisan or, or you’re talking partisan, does she fit the district? Would she be a great candidate? Would she be somebody who would be very good for the Legislature?
She would.
So Cascade PAC comes in and helps candidates like that. We’ll help city council, PUD, port, county commissioners and, and at the state level.
And, you know, we try to find people who truly fit their district.
You know, the reality—all, all politics are local. You know, you’re seeing primaries in [unclear] right now.
You know, Peter Abbarno, if I were running in the 49th District, probably would not get elected there. [Brief crosstalk.] I think I would have a big shot, but, but, but, but my politics are probably not downtown Vancouver politics, right?
So the idea that we’re going to have a litmus test for the party to say, “You have to do X, Y and Z to get our support in the 49th,” just doesn’t—it doesn’t pencil out if we’re going to get a majority or add seats in the Legislature.
Now, that’s where Cascade PAC comes in, and we work with parties, all the organizations, to get people on the ground, to get them on the airwaves and in the mail, and get people elected.
And like I said, it—it is all about electing good leaders and promising leaders.
Sounds good to you, you should look at CascadePAC.org and help us out.
