State Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland) wants to leave Olympia for Washington, D.C., as congressman for the 1st District seat being vacated by , who’s taking a run at the governorship.
Goodman, who has represented the north part of Kirkland and other 45th District communities since 2006, is not afraid to take a liberal and even Libertarian stand on controversial issues. He's getting the most attention for is stance on legalizing marijuana and other banned substances, shifting from a punitive policy to one of regulation and rehabilitation.
He also supports allowing same-sex marriage, changing environmental policy to recognize increasing pressures on the planet’s ecosystems and a tax break on college tuition.
“I look at marriage equality as justice equality,” he said in an interview.
The race for Inslee’s seat is getting crowded. Former state lawmaker of Kirkland and Bothell Democrat Darshan Rauniyar are running, as is Republican James Watkins of Redmond, who ran against Inslee in 2010.
“This field is crowded,” Goodman said. “All of us are falling all over each other to hug the trees, protect women’s health and to support marriage equality. The question is, who can get something done? It’s about accomplishments. The one question is, can I get something done, and all you have to do to answer that is look at my record.”
Goodman said he is particularly proud of his work in the state Legislature on toughening penalties on domestic violence and decreasing drunk driving. He was the sponsor on House Bill 1789, which requires drunk driving offenders to install ignition interlock devices that detect alcohol on the breath.
“I arrived in the Legislature and said ‘where is the harm?’ and found that the harm was on our roadways and behind the doors of too many of our homes, and started aggressively to tackle domestic violence and drunk driving.”
To date, Goodman estimates he’s raised about $120,000 and expects the primary race to cost about $500,000. So far his endorsements are from state colleagues, including Rep. Ruth Kagi (32nd District), Rep. Cindy Ryu (32nd District), Rep. Mary Helen Roberts (21st District) and Rep. Luis Moscoso (1st District).
