John –

My mother was an intrepid woman – one of the strongest people I've ever known, as well as one of the most resourceful and most resilient.

So when my abusive biological father ran off, leaving her with no job and two kids, she knew just what to do. She said good riddance, packed me and my brother up the next morning, borrowed some money from a friend, and caught a bus back home to Vancouver, Washington. She joined the local Communications Workers of America (CWA) again and went back to work as a telephone operator.

She later married a good man who adopted me and my brother. He was my dad. Like Mom, he was a union member: a teamster who supported our family by driving truck. We weren't wealthy, but my dad's union job meant that if he worked hard (and he did), we'd always have enough.

(That goofy looking kid front and center is yours truly.)

My mom walked miles to work every day when she was the sole provider for our family, and later, my dad drove truck day after day so my siblings and I could have a roof over our heads, and I remember those who fought for me and my family when we needed a champion.

Today I advocate for hard working Washingtonians and their families because I understand firsthand the challenges they face.

Everyday this work looks different. Some days it has been the struggle for affordable housing, to make sure every family can have a roof over their head. Other days it has been the investigation to impeach Donald Trump. But regardless of what the challenge looks like, I always know whose side I'm on: folks like my mom and dad, who work hard for Washington's communities and families.

Denny