Jason Moon and Strom Peterson on 6 important issues

Snohomish County Elections mailed ballots for the Nov. 3 general election to 500,000 registered voters on Oct. 20. The county previously mailed ballots to military and overseas voters, as well as out-of-state and rural voters.

The Beacon sent questions to Strom Peterson and Jason Moon, both Democrats vying for the Position 1 state representative seat in the 21st Legislative District.

Peterson, a former Edmonds councilmember, began his House term in January 2015 and has won every two-year election since then.

Moon is a councilmember for the City of Mukilteo, where he is the president. The council appointed him in 2022 to fill the remainder of Joe Marine’s term. Marine is now mayor of Mukilteo. Moon was elected to a four-year term in 2023.

He ran against Peterson in 2024 but did not advance out of the primary.

Mukilteo Beacon: The Legislature approved Washington's first tax on personal income over $1 million. It’s now a hot topic in advance of the election. Do you support or oppose the new millionaires tax? Why or why not?

Strom Peterson: I am proud to support the investments the Millionaires Tax provides for our communities. The Millionaires Tax ensures that our state is better insulated from the many federal cuts we are facing in areas such as education, healthcare, and childcare, while the wealthiest among us (only those making over $1 million a year) pay their fair share.

The Millionaires Tax also provides for the largest tax cut to small businesses in state history as well as tax relief that working Washingtonians need.

For too long, the tax burden has been placed on the backs of working families, making Washington the second most regressive state in the nation. This makes our tax system more fair.

Jason Moon: Washington’s tax system is very regressive, placing an unfair burden on working families. While we must fund essential services, I could not support the millionaire’s income tax in its current form. Key consumer protections failed – including amendments to permanently lock in the $1 million threshold.

Without those guardrails, middle-class families risk being squeezed later by a tax code that already includes capital gains and estate taxes.

Beacon: Ferry reliability, as demonstrated in the Oct. 5 “sick out” from the engineering crew, remains a major issue for Mukilteo and Edmonds residents. What specific actions would you support to improve Washington State Ferries service?

Peterson: The ferry “sick out” is a wake-up call that demonstrates our workers are being strained now more than ever. Our ferry system serves as a vital piece of infrastructure, and it needs a continued commitment to shore it up. We need to pay good family wages to our ferry workers and make sure these jobs remain appealing to young people and new talent.

We also need to ensure our ferry infrastructure is not just functional, but world-class. This means investing in new equipment and boats while staying committed to protecting the climate by promoting the use of electric vessels. I am proud to have voted for bipartisan transportation budgets that make investments in infrastructure and people to keep our economy moving.

Moon: Ferries are an important part of our district, yet unreliable service disrupts daily life in Mukilteo and Edmonds. When sailings are canceled, traffic gridlocks our downtowns. While the State Patrol is tasked with managing these highway queues, chronic understaffing leaves local police to pick up the slack.

This forces our cities to divert local officers from neighborhood safety to manage state-level transit issues, straining municipal budgets.
Electrification is a vital long-term goal, but the rollout outpaced the reality of our current fleet. We cannot sacrifice daily reliability for future ideals.

A phased, practical transition would have kept our aging diesel boats running smoothly while new vessels were built. Ambition is no substitute for a dependable schedule. My first priority is restoring reliable ferry service and relieving local traffic, ensuring our cities get their police officers back on local
streets.

Beacon: Do you believe state government has struck the right balance between encouraging housing density and preserving local control over zoning? Why or why not?


Peterson: As chair of the House housing committee, I have worked hard to strike the right balance between local and state, especially when it comes to issues related to housing and zoning. Populations and home sizes are increasing, putting pressure on affordability.

Over the past few years, Washington has done more than any other state to address the housing affordability crisis, and we have done it in a bipartisan fashion.

We worked with housing advocates and realtors, environmentalists and builders, local governments, and state agencies to craft legislation to allow seniors to downsize, house veterans, and create opportunities for young families to achieve the dream of homeownership.

Of course, we also made sure tenants were protected, as nearly half of Washingtonians rent, by passing historic rent stabilization. Very different than rent control, this law limits rent increases to 7% a year (plus inflation), which gives families predictability in the most basic need of housing.

Too many families were spending over one-third of their income on rent, forgoing food, medicine, and other essentials. Every Washingtonian deserves a safe place to lay their heads at night. We have passed housing policy to help achieve that goal.

Moon: We urgently need diverse housing options at every income level, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Olympia are not the answer. Local cities, residents, and private partners are best equipped to build smart, community-driven strategies through their comprehensive plans.
Currently, Edmonds and Mukilteo are mislabeled as "high transit" hubs simply because of our ferries.

A ferry terminal is not a light-rail station, and our zoning laws should reflect that distinction. I will advocate for reviewing these state metrics so our coastal towns are not upzoned as if a high-frequency train stopped there. I choose collaborative, local planning over top-down state mandates.

Beacon: What role should cities like Mukilteo and Edmonds have in making land-use decisions versus mandates from the Legislature?

Peterson: Cities across Washington, including Mukilteo and Edmonds, should make land-use decisions in collaboration with other municipalities, counties, and the state to provide the best opportunities for all Washingtonians.

Washington has a long history of balancing statewide concerns and local needs. Since 1990, a citizen-led initiative (Growth Management Act) has dictated how all levels of government can best contain urban sprawl, save farmland, and help keep our communities such wonderful places to live.

We also have statewide mandates for environmental protections of critical areas, shorelines, and open spaces. In order to address the housing crisis, the Legislature has enacted some statewide zoning mandates, including allowing ADUs and middle housing. All of these decisions, through the years, have been made with significant input and negotiations with local governments and communities.

I appreciate the active role cities continue to play in land-use decisions that affect all of us, whether it’s protecting our environment, reducing traffic congestion, or improving affordability.

Moon: Land-use decisions belong in the hands of the communities that understand their own neighborhoods. If the state mandates rapid growth, it must fully fund the infrastructure required to support it. Our schools are already overcrowded; my sons have been in classrooms
with 30 students, stretching our teachers thin.

We need more paraeducators, classroom support, and fully staffed police and fire departments, not just higher density quotas.
Unfunded mandates force cities into a cycle of local levies and bonds, meaning residents pay twice – once for their housing, and again in property taxes to fix strained roads and utilities.

The state should provide cities with flexible revenue tools to cover the true cost of growth. Government should not mandate expansion and leave local taxpayers with the bill.

Beacon: Crime rates have improved in some areas, but residents remain concerned about retail theft, drug crime, and property crime. What additional public safety legislation would you support?

Peterson: I have always been a strong supporter of public safety and the need to fund our law enforcement. While serving in the state Legislature, I have consistently voted to fund law enforcement, improve training, give local governments more opportunities to make investments, and get the resources needed to adequately respond to crime and fund first responders.

Most cities and counties, and the state, have unused budgets for additional police officers, and we can all work with our local governments to encourage more outreach to recruit the best folks for the job. This also means ensuring that the right people are responding to the right situations.

We need professionals who understand how to work with individuals facing mental health crises, poverty, exploitation, and addiction, working alongside law enforcement to get the best results. We need to respond in ways that make sense for the needs of our community and the issues at hand, with the right people in place to help.

I will continue to introduce and support legislation that strengthens all aspects of our criminal justice system, including public defense, victims’ services, and first responders.

Moon: True community safety requires investment in personnel, not just policy. While body cameras and drones are valuable tools, they require significant administrative hours and training. We have increased the workload without increasing the headcount, and we need more officers on the street to balance the scale.


Furthermore, our vehicle pursuit laws require refinement. When a suspect flees a lawful stop, officers need clear, safe authority to pursue under strict guidelines that protect the public. The current framework inadvertently rewards evasion.

We must also scale up our care infrastructure by funding more prosecutors, behavioral health staff, and detox beds. When someone asks for help, a bed must be available. Accountability and treatment must go hand in hand; compassion without the capacity to act isn't a public safety plan.

Beacon: What additional steps, if any, should the Legislature take to address wildfire preparedness, flooding and climate resilience?

Peterson: Just this past year, our communities have been affected by floods, wildfires, and a record number of unhealthy air quality days. Climate change is real and an existential threat to our planet.

That is why I co-sponsored the Climate Commitment Act, so our state’s biggest polluters pay into a fund that is used to invest in programs like forest health, wildfire preparedness, and communities directly impacted by climate change.

As witnessed by the horrific fires in Spokane as well as the devastation of Pacific Palisades and parts of Los Angeles, fire impacts are not just a rural issue. When we rebuild after floods and fires, what new protections do we need to put in place? How will regulations affect the cost to rebuild? What about exorbitant homeowners insurance (if it’s available at all)? These are questions we will need to address in this upcoming legislative session and beyond.

It is also important to remember that since the Trump administration took office in 2025, we have seen a marked decrease in federal funding for emergency preparedness. The lack of upfront prevention money will only lead to higher costs down the road – costs to our state, costs to our local governments, and costs to the communities most deeply affected.

Moon: As an avid hiker, snowboarder, scuba diver, and forager, I am deeply committed to preserving Washington's natural landscapes for the next generation. That requires practical climate resilience, not just abstract targets.

We need immediate funding for forest management to mitigate wildfire smoke and robust flood control along our local waterfronts and creeks before the next atmospheric river hits.
In my professional career, I work for a low-carbon concrete company where we focus on reducing environmental impact through real-world manufacturing.

Having spent over four years collaborating with researchers and students at the University of Washington, I know that environmental stewardship and economic opportunity go hand-in-hand. I will champion sustainable innovations that cut emissions while protecting local jobs, ensuring our environmental policies don't simply drive businesses and employment out of state.