Voters in the 41st Legislative District should re-elect Tana Senn, a reliable voice for women and families in the Legislature.

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Although Rep. Tana Senn from the 41st Legislative District is best known as a voice for women and families in the Legislature, she also has made her mark on business-related policies.

Senn, who has a master’s degree in public policy and administration, is an effective lawmaker who should be sent back to Olympia for another term. The Mercer Island Democrat is vice chair of the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee.

She is knowledgeable about education from birth through college and has her eyes on the continuing school budget and policy needs in Washington state for special education, school counselors, equity, career and technical education and school construction. She rightly believes that investing in early learning is a key to closing achievement gaps between children from different ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

Why we endorse

Read editorial page editor Kate Riley’s column about the editorial board’s endorsement process and criteria. Go to st.news/whyweendorse

Senn has some concrete ideas for addressing homelessness at the state level, including revising condo liability law and adding resources for mental-health and addiction services. She was the primary sponsor on a slew of bills during the past biennium, including successful endeavors on diverse issues, from workplace equity to modest fee increases for building permits.

Senn’s wrongheaded vote to insulate the Legislature from the state Public Records Act was disappointing. She says she saw the bill that was eventually vetoed by the governor as a step toward more openness and calls the rushed process to pass that bill ridiculous.

The Republican candidate in the race, Tim Cruickshank, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who works in health care, is running on a platform focused on cutting taxes and making sure there are equal education opportunities for all students. He believes anyone from either party who voted for the Public Records Act restrictions should be voted out of office.

Her Libertarian opponent, Nathaniel Deily, a Microsoft employee, has some interesting ideas about state government. He says he is running to give voters a choice, and he certainly offers alternative views on many issues, from school choice to taxation.

The best choice for voters would be to re-elect Senn.