Heck, Matthews weigh in on Lt. Governor priorities

OLYMPIA — Lt. Governor Denny Heck, a Democrat from Vancouver, is running for reelection and voters will choose between him and Republican challenger Dan Matthews this November. Heck said his goal in an upcoming term is to keep moving toward better discourse across the aisle to improve the quality of life for Washingtonians. 

“I firmly believe there’s only one reason to run for office on any level, doesn’t matter whether it’s school board or governor — that's to make a difference, improve the condition of our community and our neighbors,” Heck said.  

Matthews said he wants to run because he’s been frustrated with the Washington Legislature’s negative impact on what he feels are traditional family values and parental rights.  

“I have not been at all pleased with how the legislature has attacked the issue of family and children in our state,” Matthews said.  

Matthews said he decided to run after he felt the position of Lt. Governor wasn’t addressed as well as he’d have liked at the Washington GOP convention in Spokane earlier this year. 

Matthews said he wants to ensure Republicans are heard in Olympia and as Lt. Governor, he’d be able to do that. Like Heck, he acknowledged that Washington is facing a lot of challenges, though the two candidates disagreed on how to approach them.  

“People are hurting,” Matthews said. “You know, I tell the story of talking to my neighbor and I said, ‘Well, man. I just paid $45 for a tank of gas.’ He said, ‘Well, that’s not so bad, Dan.’ Yes, but now I have to mow my lawn. “

Matthews said what used to be a $25 trip to the grocery store is now around $80 in some cases.  

According to the USDA, prices for groceries in general have gone up about 5% annually for the last few years, and both candidates acknowledged that concern as valid. They differed on how to address it though. Heck stood firm in support of legislation like the Climate Commitment Act to ensure the environment was protected while Matthews felt eliminating the cap-and-trade carbon rules would reduce prices for consumers statewide.  Heck said working on the cost of housing would help offset the increased cost of groceries.  

Housing 

“The first (priority) is advocacy for improving advocacy for the housing shortage,” Heck said on what he’d like to accomplish in another term. “... We’re in crisis.”  

Heck said the Washington Legislature had made progress on the housing issue in 2023, but he’d been disappointed in that regard with this year’s legislative session.  

Matthews said inflation and increased cost of living have impacted people’s ability to buy homes, especially younger Washingtonians who are trying to move their lives forward.  

“(It) really hits young people who can least afford it ... Our kids on the west side, particularly, you don’t get young kids buying homes over there, because King County is now seven figures for the median price of homes,” Matthews said.  

Housing costs have increased statewide. In Grant County, the Median price for a home in 2020 was about $270,000 in September of 2019, according to Redfin. That cost has increased to about $350,000 as of July of this year, the last month for which Redfin has data. 

Heck said he would use his position in setting debates on the Senate floor to ensure the issue was addressed, while Matthews said he would generally prioritize ensuring the American Dream of home ownership was possible for all. Both said owning a home was often the start of establishing generational wealth for families.  

Agriculture 

Matthews acknowledged that farming is a challenging industry and referred to Eastern Washington as a “breadbasket.” He said his intent is to ensure that the farmers themselves aren’t lost in the dialogue in Olympia but are represented. The economic contribution of Eastern Washington farmers cannot be overlooked, he said.  

Heck agreed that it was vital to protect agriculture and said he was aware that the industry is incredibly challenging. To offset those challenges, he said he would continue the efforts he’s already taken on to continue making progress. He cited his leadership of a delegation to the Washington Farm Bureau tradeshow, work with Canadian officials to open the Canadian market for Washington wine grapes and other trips overseas and in Mexico to represent the state’s agricultural industries.  

Matthews said he’d like to appoint people to committees in a manner that brings their expertise in agricultural issues to a place that can benefit the state and farmers. Multiple legislators have farm and ranch experience, and that can go a long way. He said he would also work to develop relationships that supported Washington’s economy. 

Heck said he has experience in agriculture and recently attended a Tri-Cities conference with a variety of stakeholders to identify the problems facing ag professionals. 

Equitable floor time 

Both Heck and Matthews said it was important for the Lt. Governor, who serves as president of the Washington Senate, to be fair when making committee assignments and ensuring that both the majority and minority parties’ ideas are discussed on the Senate floor.  

“A lot of this just has to do with the manner in which you preside,” Heck said. “Are you fair? Do you call on equal numbers of members of both political parties on pro and con sides of the issue, whatever it may be that day?” 

Matthews said he felt the balance Heck said he was trying for was not necessarily present in the state Senate, but an initial review of floor time was inconclusive. In bipartisan issues, both sides of the aisle often yield floor time. Partisan issues on the Senate floor appeared generally equitable in most instances, but no official data could be found prior to press time. 

Reducing vitriol 

Both Matthews and Heck said it was concerning that the political environment in the state and nationally has become difficult and that much of the discussion around political issues has been stifled due to extreme partisanship.  

Heck has an initiative in place that he’s been working on to ensure political dialogue happens at the state and local level. He said the goal is to ensure all ideas are heard and that local and state leaders can come to agreements in the best interests of their constituencies. 

Heck said he is proud to have helped establish the Project for Civic Health – projectforcivichealth.org – to promote better civic dialogue in the state. The project is also supported by the Jackson Foundation, the University of Washington’s Evans School for Public Policy and others.  

Matthews said his approach to cross-aisle dialogue would be to build bridges as best he could and work to “build bridges” between different groups to talk out points of conflict. He said his experience as an airline pilot taught him that everyone must be on board and have the benefit and safety of everyone in mind before taking off, and he’d take much the same approach when moderating on the senate floor to ensure consensus on bills before moving them forward.  

Matthews did say his approach to some things would depend on who ends up in the governor’s mansion. If Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, wins the race, but isn’t willing to work with Republicans, Matthews would need to take a more aggressive stance. However, if Republicans win the governor’s seat or if Ferguson is open to working together, then he’d take a more diplomatic and team-based approach.  

Both candidates said it was important to ensure the entire state is considered when making decisions. 

Matthews said he’d broker the influence of various economic delegations to ensure the Columbia Basin’s interests were addressed.  

“I see that as a unique opportunity to build bridges with Eastern Washington and let them feel like they’re part of the process outside of the goings-on down in Olympia,” Matthews said regarding appointments to economic committees and groups.  

Heck said he would continue to work for everyone in the state and noted that he has East Washington roots with a business he and his wife own in Spokane, among others.  

“I grew up working on a farm. I was in the legislature. I represented Eastern Washington as part of my legislative district,” Heck said.  

Both candidates invite the public to reach out to them directly with questions they may have. Contact information may be found on their campaign websites – www.dennyheck.com and www.electdanmatthews.com.  

Both candidates also asked Washingtonians to get out and vote in greater numbers and expressed disappointment in the turnout for the August primary election.

    Lt. Governor candidate Dan Matthews, a Republican, speaks at a Grant County Republican Party event September 1. Matthews said he is interested in ensuring Republican voices are heard in Olympia and that more of the state’s minority party’s priorities are realized.