Enough is enough. Since winning a House seat back in 2010, Rep. Mark Hargrove has shown not only to be extreme, but unwilling to represent all voices in the 47th.
Even his own colleagues in the House have referred to him as a tea party zealot.
As we know, a productive legislator crosses the party aisle and works with fellow conservatives, moderates and liberals together to better our community with thoughtful and effective legislation.
As a voter, it’s difficult to understand how someone with such regressive beliefs has repeatedly been elected in this district. If you’re not entirely familiar with Hargrove, please do a little research to see if he is really representing your voice in Olympia.
In 2014, Hargrove was one of only four members of the House to vote against a ban on gay conversion therapy to minors. While it’s fair to say that the societal view towards the LGBT community has shifted over the last few decades, some still believe in more “traditional” roles when it comes to gender and marriage. Conversion therapy treats homosexuality as a mental disorder and has been repeatedly condemned by the American Psychiatric Association. The evidence against conversion therapy is quite damning and the practice is actually illegal in other states. To be supportive of such primitive practices demonstrates a true disconnect from our community values.
Mark Hargrove voted no on a feasibility study that would examine the safety impact of putting seatbelts on school buses. Despite no reported fiscal impact, Hargrove took the floor and claimed that the $15,000 to conduct the study was “too much money” to spend for the six children killed annually in school bus accidents. Not many will argue about the importance of smart fiscal spending, but there is no excuse for dismissing any number of children’s lives claimed in school bus accidents.
Sadly, votes such as these are merely the tip of the iceberg. While he is a “nice guy,” he certainly isn’t when it comes to voting for issues that affect equal rights for all.
Mark Hargrove is truly out of touch with those that he is paid and elected to represent.
It is time for new leadership in the 47th district. Hargrove’s opponent, Brooke Valentine, offers a fresh and rational perspective. With a strong background in education and community leadership to her name, Valentine is a candidate that will seek to represent everyone in this diverse district, rather than trying to force her views on everyone else.
Hargrove has defeated deserving candidates in the past, and we simply cannot afford to allow that to happen again.
I’ll be voting Valentine on Nov. 8, and I hope you will too.
– Jennifer Harjehausen
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