
2026 Endorsed Champions
Leading the Fight for Children, Youth & Families
Congratulations to the Children's Campaign Fund 2026 Endorsed Candidates! These leaders have earned the Children's Campaign Fund's endorsement for their commitment to transformational policies that uplift children, youth, and families.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 1
Davina Duerr
Rep. Duerr has been a stalwart supporter for children, youth, and family policy issues. Her support as Committee Chair of Local Government was instrumental in passing zoning legislation that made it easier to build child care centers. We are looking forward to more collaboration with Rep. Duerr!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 1
Shelley Kloba
In our conversations with Rep. Kloba, her priority is clear: Washington families. Her advocacy for kids and families drove her path to the legislature, and she always tries to think about policies through the lens of children. We are enthusiastic about what we'll accomplish together.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 3
Natasha Hill
Rep. Hill has been a tremendous ally for children across Washington state. Her dedication and advocacy to protect the most vulnerable and ensure families have access to what they need is exactly what we need in the legislature.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 3
Luc Jasmin III
As a child care center owner, Luc Jasmin will be an essential voice in the legislature. He will be a critical champion for early learning, and we are thrilled to support him!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 5
Lisa Callan
Rep. Callan is a fantastic advocate for children, youth, and families. As the primary author of Washington Thriving and a strong champion of the Early Learning Facilities Fund, she has proven to work hard on behalf of Washington’s children. Thank you for your steadfast work!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 10
Clyde Shavers
Rep. Shavers is a strong ally for children, youth and families and represents his district well. We are eager to continue to work with him to pass good policy solutions to ensure all children in Washington have what they need to thrive.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 10
Dave Paul
We believe in Rep. Paul to bring people together to create a thriving Washington for our youth. Rep. Paul’s work to make college more accessible and affordable for students lowers the barrier to entry for child care providers. We look forward to sending Rep. Paul back to Olympia to keep working!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 11
Steve Bergquist
Rep. Bergquist rose to the challenge of Chairing the House Early Learning Committee in a difficult year. We appreciate his dedication to preserving child care funding and working to secure the Ballmer Group funding for ECEAP expansion!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 11
David Hackney
In difficult financial times for the state, Rep. Hackney understands that budgets are moral documents. We believe he will continue to guide the state in prioritizing critical programs for children, youth, and families.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 12
Mike Steele
Rep. Steele has time and time again gone to bat for early childhood issues. He voted for the Fair Start for Kids Act in 2021 and has continued to be an ally for child care.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 13
Tom Dent
Rep. Dent understands the importance of keeping as many child care providers in the early learning field as possible. He is an important ally to make the business of child care feasible.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 14
Chelsea Dimas
Chelsea Dimas will fight tirelessly for every child to have access to high-quality early learning, as it is a core value of hers. With deep connections to the community, we are excited to support Chelsea and send her to Olympia!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 14
Ezequiel Morfin
Ezequiel Morfin is a dedicated community leader who understands the needs of families in his district. We look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in the legislature!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 17
Ben Christly
Ben has been involved in his district for many years and has a superpower of listening to his neighbors. He knows that good starts for children are essential to have productive members of society.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 17
Diana H. Perez
Diana has an impressive background in equity and elevating child care as a priority in her community. Her work in engaging stakeholders and elevating child care will be a value-add for the legislature.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 18
Randi L. Knott
As a parent, Randi knows firsthand the high costs of child care. Her depth of knowledge and connections with her district will serve her well in the legislature.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 21
Strom Peterson
We look forward to working with Rep. Peterson to find ways to make child care more accessible for families, particularly through opening more facilities.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 21
Lillian Ortiz Self
Children's Campaign Fund is proud to present Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self with the Evergreen Advocate for Children, Youth, and Families Champion Award in recognition of her steadfast commitment to Washington's youngest learners. Rep. Ortiz-Self has been a tireless champion for child care providers and the families they serve — leading on HB 2219 and fighting to preserve critical child care funding in the state budget. Her leadership ensures that children across Washington have access to the quality care and early learning opportunities they deserve. We are deeply grateful for her dedication and proud to call her an Evergreen Champion.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, no matter their background or circumstances. I’m proud to work alongside advocates and community leaders to advance policies that remove barriers, promote access and support children and families, and I’m honored to be recognized as an Evergreen Advocate for Children, Youth, and Families." -Rep. Lillian Ortiz Self

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 22
Beth Doglio
Rep. Doglio is a strong advocate for early learning, particularly as she helped shepherd a child care facility for state employees in Olympia. She has consistently shown her priority are the families in her district, and we anticipate more great policies to work on with her!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 23
Greg Nance
Former CCF House Freshman of the Year, Rep. Nance continues to impress us with his dedication to early learning. He has brilliantly championed our issues in the legislature, and we can’t wait to continue our work together.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 23
Tarra Simmons
Rep. Simmons is a tenacious advocate for Washington’s most vulnerable, especially children, youth, and families. We are glad to have her on our side!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 24
Adam Bernbaum
Rep. Bernbaum is a brilliant strategist for how to get things done in Olympia. We are thrilled to work with him on the Early Learning Committee and are excited to support him as he continues to fight hard for early learning!

State Senator
Legislative District 26
Deborah Krishnadasan
With an impressive background working in public schools, Sen. Krishnadasan knows the importance of prioritizing our youth. We believe she will continue to promote policies that will benefit our children.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 26
Renee Hernandez Greenfield
We are thrilled to support Renee for House, who has a long resume championing early learning. Her immersive knowledge of what families and providers need will be an invaluable resource for the legislature.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 26
Adison Richards
Rep. Richard’s dedication to finding more ways to increase the supply of child care is the right framing to create a more stable system. We look forward to having him back in Olympia!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 27
Laurie Jinkins
Speaker Jinkins has been an incredible ally and steadfast supporter of early learning. She knows that the biggest thing our state has done was pass the Fair Start for Kids Act, and now the biggest challenge is sticking to it. Join us in supporting her to finish the job!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 27
Jake Fey
Rep. Fey’s work championing homeless students and ensuring stability for a population that faces much instability is tremendous. We look forward to working with him to ensure policies are family-friendly and equitable.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 28
Mari Leavitt
Rep. Leavitt’s work on ECEAP expansion to military families in the last session was a huge step forward in helping our service men and women access essential care. We anticipate more innovative policy solutions from Rep. Leavitt!

State Senator
Legislative District 29
Sharlett Mena
As a member of the House, Rep. Mena was a solid supporter of our priorities. We are excited to work with her in the Senate to advance legislation for children, youth, and families.

Senate
Legislative District 30
Claire Wilson
Congratulations to Senator Claire Wilson, recipient of the Senate Champion Award from Children's Campaign Fund!
As Chair of the Senate Early Learning Committee, Senator Wilson has been a steadfast leader for child care providers and the families they serve. She fights hard to preserve critical funding and ensuring Washington's youngest learners get the strong start they deserve.
"The earliest years of a child's life lay the groundwork for everything that follows. High-quality child care nurtures curiosity, builds resilience, and supports healthy development. I'm proud to work alongside Children's Campaign Fund to strengthen these foundations so every child, youth, and family has the opportunity to thrive."
— Sen. Claire Wilson
We are so grateful for your leadership, Senator Wilson. Thank you for championing Washington's children every step of the way.

Senate
Legislative District 32
Cindy Ryu
In the House, Rep. Ryu was a consistent supporter for children, youth, and family policies. If she advances in the Senate, we would love to work with her to create a Washington where every family has what they need to thrive.

Senate
Legislative District 32
Jesse Salomon
Sen. Salomon is a strong advocate for our priorities. His dedication to child care, child welfare, and other pro-kids policies are noteworthy. If he returns to Olympia, we would be glad to work with him.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 32
Danica Noble
Danica is a promising candidate from the 32nd. While all candidates are impressive, Danica rose above the rest with her dedication to children’s well being.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 32
Lauren Davis
Rep. Davis has worked hard to increase access to behavioral health services in her district and is a strong supporter of early learning. Let’s send Rep. Davis back to Olympia to work with her caucus to pass more policies to benefit children, youth, and families.

State Senator
Legislative District 33
Tina L. Orwall
Sen. Orwall has long been a strong champion for children, youth, and families. We look forward to continuing our partnership!

State Senator
Legislative District 34
Emily Alvarado
Children's Campaign Fund is proud to present Senator Emily Alvarado with the Evergreen Champion Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to Washington's children and families. Senator Alvarado has been a powerful voice for child care providers and the families they serve - standing firm to protect critical child care funding in the state budget and championing policies that ensure every child has access to quality early learning. Her leadership in the Senate reflects a deep understanding of what families need to thrive. We are deeply grateful for her advocacy and proud to call her an Evergreen Champion.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 34
Joe Fitzgibbon
Rep. Fitzgibbon’s record of ensuring our state prioritizes the needs of children and families is strong, particularly through championing the Millionaire’s Tax in the House. He clearly values strengthening our state’s programs to ensure families can have what they need to thrive.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 36
Julia Grant Reed
Rep. Reed is a strong advocate for quality education from cradle to career. We look forward to working with her to ensuring our programs are robust!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 37
Sharon Tomiko Santos
Rep. Santos is a solid ally in ensuring we have a strong early childhood education system and K-12 work. We’re eager for her to return to Olympia to protect critical services for families.

State Senator
Legislative District 37
Chipalo Street
In the Senate, Rep. Street will continue to ensure our state budget fairly and restore funding for Fair Start for Kids. We’re excited to support his campaign and see what amazing things he accomplishes in the Senate.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 37
Jaelynn Scott
Jaelynn is a true community leader. We are impressed by her willingness to dive deep into policies affecting her community. We look forward to seeing what she can get done in the legislature!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 38
Mary Fosse
Rep. Fosse has been a true advocate for child care providers, particularly in championing the Child Care Workforce Standards bill (HB 1128). Her dedication to serving families and children in her district makes her delightful to work with!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 38
Julio Cortes
Rep. Cortes has championed juvenile rehabilitation efforts, which has been no easy task. We are proud to recognize his dedication and willingness to work on a multitude of issues, including as Vice Chair of the Early Learning & Human Services Committee.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 39
Ida Keeley
As the former Chair of CCF, we couldn’t be happier to support Ida as she campaigns to succeed our Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Rep. Carolyn Eslick. Ida’s equity lens and child-first mentality has left an impact on CCF, and we hope the legislature gets to learn from her wealth of knowledge!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 40
Debra Lekanoff
Rep. Lekanoff is a tremendous leader and invaluable member of the caucus. We appreciate her work to always include tribal members as an early partner in stakeholder engagement. We look forward to what we can accomplish in the next few cycles!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 40
Alex Ramel
As a member of Finance, Rep. Ramel has a critical role in ensuring our state has equitable fiscal policies that prioritize children, youth, and families. His critical role on passing the Millionaire's Tax is a step in the right direction to restore funding to programs like the Fair Start for Kids Act!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 41
Janice Zahn
Rep. Zahn has worked hard to relieve the tax burden on working families and increase tax fairness. Her well-rounded view of supporting children, youth, and families aligns well with CCF’s.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 41
My-Linh T Thai
Rep. Thai is a strong behavioral health champion as a co-author of Washington Thriving. We are excited to work with her to prioritize funding for critical programs for our children, youth, and families.

State Senator
Legislative District 43
Jamie Pedersen
As the Senate Majority Leader and author of the Millionaire’s Tax, Sen. Pedersen has advanced many priorities to fund essential services for our families. We look forward to continuing our relationship!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 43
Nicole Macri
Rep. Macri’s depth of knowledge on policies affecting children, youth, and families is a tremendous asset to the legislature. Her willingness to work with stakeholders to find solutions is appreciated!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 44
April Berg
Rep. Berg is a big believer in child care as essential infrastructure, and it’s clear she is a champion for advancing good early learning policy. Her work in finding creative solutions to our state’s budget shortfall through the Millionaire’s Tax is noteworthy.

State Senator
Legislative District 44
John Lovick
Sen. Lovick wants to take a whole community approach to solving problems for his district. We believe in him, and we believe we can accomplish great things together!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 44
Brandy Donaghy
Rep. Donaghy is a strong supporter for children and is willing to work with a diverse group of stakeholders to get things across the finish line. We are excited for her to return to Olympia!

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 45
Roger Goodman
Rep. Goodman is an integral member of the legislature. He understands how important the child care crisis is for the workforce, and we look forward to finding ways for child care businesses to stay open!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 45
Vanessa Kritzer
Vanessa is a particularly brilliant candidate and mom. Her breadth of knowledge on how child care affects local governments is impressive. We’re excited to see her skills as a stakeholder convener go to work in the legislature.

State Representative Pos. 1
Legislative District 46
Gerry Pollet
Rep. Pollet is a longtime advocate for children, youth, and families, particularly for special education. His work fighting on behalf of the most vulnerable children is noteworthy!

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 46
Darya Farivar
Rep. Farivar is held in high esteem by many of her colleagues as a disability rights champion. She has advanced incredible policies for children with disabilities in our state, and we look forward to continuing our relationship.

State Senator
Legislative District 46
Javier Valdez
Sen. Valdez’s heart is clearly with underserved communities, and his work in the legislature reflects this. His work to make our communities safer for children does not go unnoticed, and we look forward to more great things to come from his leadership.

State Senator
Legislative District 47
Claudia Kauffman
As Chair of Business, Trade & Economic Development and a Member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Sen. Kauffman plays a critical role at the intersection of business and child care. CCF especially appreciates her work supporting tribal foster children.

State Representative Pos 1
Legislative District 47
Debra Entenmen
Congratulations to Representative Debra Entenman, recipient of the House Champion Award from Children's Campaign Fund!
When it mattered most, Rep. Entenman went to bat for Washington's families — fighting to ensure we delivered on our promise by funding early learning instead of cutting child care for those who need it most. Her commitment to equity and action has made a real difference for providers and families across our state.
"Children deserve more than our words — they deserve our action. When we make child care affordable and accessible, we are giving families stability, dignity, and the freedom to build a better future. I'm deeply honored to be recognized by the Children's Campaign Fund, and I will always fight for policies that put children first and lift up every family with real opportunity, equity, and hope."
— Rep. Debra Entenman
Thank you, Representative Entenman, for turning words into action for Washington's children and families.

State Representative Pos. 2
Legislative District 48
Amy Walen
Rep. Walen understands the need for a comprehensive child care system. We look forward to building a system that works for all Washington families with her!