On a recent Saturday morning, Congresswoman Kim Schrier hyped up a group of volunteers ahead of phone banking and door knocking on a cloudy day in Issaquah, Washington.
She stood alongside three other candidates who are running for state seats. Schrier called them her partners at the state level, and said that they need her as a partner at the federal level whatever the outcome of the presidential election.
“If everything goes sideways, we need me as a guardrail — we all know what that means," Schrier said to the group at her office. "And if everything goes awesome, we need partners for Kamala Harris in the White House because that is how we are going to deliver.”
Schrier, a pediatrician, is the only Democrat to represent Washington’s 8th Congressional District since it was created back in the early 1980s. She won the position in 2018.
Schrier has had competitive races to keep the seat since then. This election is no different.
She's facing a challenge from Republican Carmen Goers, a commercial banker who ran unsuccessfully for a state House position in 2022.
Goers has experience volunteering and serving on boards of organizations, including with the Kent Chamber of Commerce, a Christian school in Federal Way, and an organization that helps young women who are aging out of foster care. In an interview with TV station KIMA Action News, Goers said those experiences sparked her interest to run for Congress.
“As a community citizen, a volunteer – I have learned that as I continue to advocate, there’s a point where you want to be in the room and at the table helping to make decisions," Goers said.
"And I feel that running for Congress, at this point in time, is a great way for me to support my community – in general and at large. Especially when it comes to fiscal responsibilities, as a commercial banker by trade.”
When asked if she supports former President Donald Trump, Goers’ campaign manager did not give a direct answer. They said Goers is a Republican and that she takes issue with false attacks that paint her as someone other than who she is.
One district, a range of issues
The 8th district is vast. It covers large parts of Snohomish, King and Pierce counties. It also reaches east over the Cascade Range to Chelan and Kittitas counties, where much of the state’s fruit and hay are grown. It’s unique in that it spans rural and urban areas, meaning issues range from agricultural concerns to crime and safety.
The race is one of several across the country that has been identified as being vulnerable for Democrats and could help grow the GOP majority in the U.S. House. The National Republican Congressional Committee put Schrier’s name on a list of vulnerable House Democrats that represent what it calls prime pick-up opportunities for Republicans.
This attention hasn’t turned into funding for Goers — something she needs in order to get her name out to voters, according to Patrick Schoettmer, a political science professor at Seattle University.
"The incumbent has more than 20 times the cash on hand from the last I’ve seen from federal filing reports," he said. "It makes it a really hard, uphill slog for any challenger.”
Schrier has raised $5.8 million this election season. Goers has roughly $233,000 for her campaign.
Still, Goers is undeterred.
At a candidate forum at a brewery in North Bend hosted by the SnoValley Chamber of Commerce, Goers met voters and made one of her final pitches ahead of the election.
“I’m out there door-to-door, even talking to Democrats or independents," Goers said. "I’m getting a warm reception, and I feel like just getting to know people is what's helping us make this a very competitive race.”
If elected to Congress, Goers said she'd work to reform federal benefits for foster kids, help balance the federal budget and modernize the farm bill to help small family farms. She said she’s heard from small farmers who want more finance options to buy farmland and to ease visa restrictions to help them find laborers.
“Our current incumbent has not approved the farm bill," Goers said. "And she said she was going to go in there and be the voice of our farmers. And our farm community, our small family farms, are suffering greatly — we’re losing them at an incredible rate and it’s not sustainable for us as a community.”
The farm bill is a complicated piece of legislation that has not reached the U.S. House floor for a vote while Schrier has been in Congress.
Congress needs to reauthorize the bill every five years. It covers everything from crop insurance for farmers to healthy food access for families who are low-income to conserving natural resources. The bill expired in 2023. Congress is set to pick up the issue when it returns to session on Nov. 14.
Schrier said she’d also like to see a comprehensive farm bill passed soon.
“I am going to bat for our farmers to get more provisions in there, whether it’s market access programs, conservation programs that help small family farms — whatever we can do to make sure we keep the character of our farms and to keep supply chains local,” she said.
When it comes to other issues, Schrier said if she’s re-elected she wants to set limits on prices for inhalers and EpiPens, develop regulations on social media companies and restore federal protections for access to abortion.
“Having a woman doctor with the authority to call out the lies that Republicans are saying about abortion is really important," she said.
Goers said she’s against a national abortion ban and thinks the issue should be left up to individual states to decide. She spoke about this with conservative talk radio host Jason Rantz.
“I concur with the Supreme Court, this is not a federal decision," Goers said in an interview in August. "This is a state’s decision. I will protect that, and have that access aligned accordingly.”
One piece in a nationwide politics puzzle
Both candidates agreed the race will be close, but there are signs that Schrier, three terms in, is getting some staying power.
This year was the first time Schrier cracked 50% in a primary since she started running for office. Schoettmer, the political science professor, said that could be an indicator that she is getting more name-recognition in the district.
Schoettmer said another factor that is having an impact on this race between Schrier and Goers is the race in the 3rd Congressional District in southwest Washington. U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat, is seeking a second term. She is facing Republican Joe Kent, who she defeated in 2022.
Schoettmer said the national Republican Party sees Kent as a more likely win than Goers.
“The Republican candidate in the 8th is kind of being left to hung out to dry a little bit,” he said.
Unlike Schrier, who has more longevity in her district, Gluesenkamp Perez is seen as more vulnerable. Schoettmer said the race between Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent is likely soaking up money that would have otherwise gone to Goers’ campaign.
Northwest Issues, Northwest Voices
The latest local news and stories about the 2024 election.
