Longtime District 35 rep. faces two opponents in primary election

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Aug. 4’s primary election for Legislative District 35, State Rep. Position 1 (2-year term) includes the following candidates: longtime incumbent Dan Griffey, a retired firefighter; Shaena Garberich, a certified peer recovery coach; and Jim Pierson, a veteran who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

The district encompasses parts of Kitsap County and Thurston County, and all of Mason County.

Griffey began his firefighter career at age 16. He worked for Central Mason Fire and EMS for over 30 years before retiring. He was first elected as District 35’s Position 1 State Rep. in 2014 and has been re-elected multiple times. A priority for him is to protect private property rights. He has helped pass bills supportive of survivors of violent crime. His community service includes supporting Turning Pointe for domestic violence survivors, Homes For Our Troops, Habitat for Humanity and United Way.

Garberich is a litigation paralegal and advocates to help communities access housing, healthcare, and recovery. She has testified before the state legislature on housing, recovery and behavioral health issues. The candidate has volunteered at the Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center. She reports being driven to bring underserved voices into state legislative conversations and ensure all members of the community have an opportunity to be heard without fear of judgment, retaliation, or harmful consequences.

Pierson, following military service, started his industry career as a union cable installer before transitioning into engineering, quality assurance, product management, and executive advisory roles. Over three decades, he worked for Apple, Microsoft, and GoDaddy. He served as a Democratic Precinct Committee Officer and Resolution Officer in the 35th Legislative District. Endorsements include Kitsap, Mason, Thurston, and 35th District Democrats, the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO, and the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council.

Kitsap Daily News reached out to the three candidates and asked them to answer two questions.

What would be your top priorities if elected?

Griffey (Republican)

There are many things that need to be addressed in Washington State that affect the 35th district. The top three are affordability, crime and businesses leaving the state. There was a time when we were thriving and we seemed to have lost that edge. It is retrievable. We can turn our state around and support our citizens.

The state income tax on “millionaires” is driving away jobs and shrinking income expansion in our state. It comes at a hefty price for those of us living paycheck to paycheck, as living wage jobs shrink away and opportunities decrease. While the “millionaires” can afford to leave the state and take company jobs with them. The billions they paid in taxes will also disappear with them. Since this is part of the budget, the money will have to come from somewhere else and that is likely to be from those of us who cannot afford another financial hit.

Garberich (Democrat)

If elected, my top priorities will focus on ensuring that every family in our district has access to affordable housing, especially our seniors, who are often left behind.

I will work to expand recovery services so that every person struggling with addiction has the support they need. Tackling the fentanyl crisis will also be a top priority, as this epidemic devastates families across Washington.

Beyond that, I will focus on strengthening public safety by supporting law enforcement and community programs alike. I will ensure that government works are accountable with your tax dollars, and every dollar is used where it’s supposed to be. Ultimately, I will fight for a future where every person, no matter their background, has a chance to be heard, and I will be a voice for those who have been overlooked.

Pierson (Democrat)

My priorities come directly from the thousands of conversations I’ve had while door-knocking across Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties. I knock on every door, not just Democratic households, because I want to hear from everyone, including independents, conservatives, young voters, and people who rarely participate in politics.

The issues I hear about most often are environmental stewardship, including AI and data centers, clean energy, and wildfire prevention; healthcare affordability and access; mental health and homelessness; reproductive freedom and voting rights; housing affordability; immigration and government overreach; tax fairness and property tax relief; public education; retirement security; permitting reform; and transportation safety.

If elected, I will focus on making healthcare more affordable, expanding access to mental health treatment, addressing the root causes of homelessness, increasing housing supply, strengthening public schools, protecting Washington’s natural resources, improving wildfire preparedness, and ensuring that new industries pay their fair share of infrastructure costs instead of shifting those costs onto working families. I also support a fairer tax system that provides property tax relief for seniors and working families while asking the wealthiest individuals and corporations to contribute their share.

I believe policy should be guided by facts, data, and the real experiences of the people who live here, not by partisan politics.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents?

Griffey: We are suffering from regressive policies that have been enacted by the majority (Democrat) party in the state. Crime is running rampant and driving up costs for consumers as those losses are passed on to them. Whether it is a store closing due to vandalism or theft, stolen cars, or telecom copper wire theft that impacts the ability in rural communities to call 911, these policies are unsustainable.

These issues directly affect affordability. Crime rates are increasing as the measures we use to stop them are being dissolved. Businesses are leaving and taking family wage jobs with them. Our gas tax is the second-highest in the nation, and those costs are passed on to consumers buying transported goods.

We can turn all of this around quickly by applying the law as written, lowering the gas tax, supporting our businesses, and establishing a welcoming environment to attract new businesses that, in turn, will provide additional state revenue. We can support victims of crime instead of making excuses for their attackers, ensuring criminals know that crime won’t pay here.

I have made lasting relationships with leaders and stakeholders in Washington State. I work with all parties to support real solutions for our state. Every perspective is important. I would be honored to have your vote and will work tirelessly to make Washington State the best place to work, live, and pursue your dreams. Together we can accomplish great things.

Garberich: Voters should choose me because I bring something to Olympia that’s often missing: real lived experience combined with a deep dedication to this district. I am not a career politician; I am a mother, a survivor, and a peer recovery coach who knows the struggles families face because I’ve been there.

My work as a nighttime advocate, resource navigator, and volunteer with immigrant families has taught me that when we work together, we can build a better future.

My campaign is rooted in listening, compassion, and practical solutions, not ideology. I will work across party lines but never forget who I serve: my neighbors. I know this district because I am part of it, and I will never stop fighting for you.

Pierson: I bring a different perspective to Olympia. My background includes Army Special Forces training and more than 30 years leading complex projects in the technology industry, where success depended on understanding root causes, not just treating symptoms.

What sets me apart is that I don’t start with ideology. I start with the problem, follow the evidence, and work toward practical solutions.

When I hear about a problem, I ask why. Then I ask why again.

For example, when voters tell me housing costs are too high, I look beyond affordability to the underlying causes, including permitting delays and barriers to condominium construction. That led me to construction-defect liability and how new incentives could encourage better prevention, earlier detection of problems, lower insurance risks, and ultimately more opportunities for homeownership.

When families struggle with healthcare costs, I look beyond insurance premiums to administrative overhead, provider shortages, and the incentives that drive prices higher.

When communities raise concerns about data centers, I examine electricity demand, water consumption, infrastructure impacts, and who ultimately pays the bill.

When pension funding becomes a concern, I look at the underlying financial structure rather than political talking points.

That is how I approach public policy. I believe government works best when we combine data, technical expertise, and practical experience to solve problems at their source rather than arguing endlessly about the symptoms.

Most importantly, I spend my time listening. I’ve knocked on doors across the district and spoken with voters of every political viewpoint. I am running to represent the entire 35th District, not just one party or one group of supporters. Voters deserve practical, data-driven leadership that puts people first and focuses on results rather than political drama.