The Daily World recently reached out to the candidates in the contested races in and affecting Grays Harbor County and asked the candidates to participate in a written Q&A via email. Each candidate was asked the same questions. Ballots will be mailed out no later than October 16 and the General Election is November 3. Visit VoteWA.gov for more information.
Washington state 19th Legislative District
Incumbent Jim Walsh (R) is facing off against challenger Kevin Moynihan (D) for a seat representing the 19th Legislative District in the Washington House of Representatives. Responses have been lightly edited.
Jim Walsh
The Daily World: What life or professional experience will you bring to bear if elected? If running for reelection, what has your experience in-office taught you about the duties of that office?
Jim Walsh: The father of five adult children, all graduates of Aberdeen High School, I own a small publishing company that produces training materials for the insurance, risk management and asset security professions. Since 2016, I’ve represented the 19th District in Olympia. I’m currently the ranking minority member on the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee and serve on the Capital Budget and State Government Committees. I’ve won various legislative awards from groups like the NRA, Hunter’s Heritage Foundation, Gun Owners of America and Citizens’ Alliance for Property Rights. This cycle, I’ve been endorsed by the WA State Council of Fire Fighters, Fraternal Order of Police, WA Farm Bureau, Association of Washington Business, and many other groups.
TDW: What are your top priorities if elected?
Walsh: As one of the leading voices in the legislative minority in Olympia, I mostly play defense. I’m sort of like a goalie in soccer or hockey or a free safety in football. My goal for the coming session will be fix the malfunctioning “Keeping Families Together Act,” which has caused a spike in drug-related deaths of young children in WA; repeal or reform the “Clean Energy Transformation Act” which is driving up utility bills and permitting costs; and repeal the attack on retirees’ pensions in the Ferguson-Pedersen state income tax scheme. I’ve also sponsored several recent initiatives (I’m most proud of I-2113, which restored police pursuits in WA) and will probably file more next year—to lower fuel and energy costs, reform housing policy and improve state government transparency.
TDW: What is your long-term vision for your constituents, specifically in Grays Harbor County?
Walsh: We’ve secured funding for the North Shore Levee project and the West Aberdeen Mobility project/rail separation overpass. These critical infrastructure projects will help revitalize business and commerce on the Harbor. That revitalization will start around the Port of Grays Harbor, but it will grow outward to the rest of Grays Harbor County. Bad policies out of Olympia (mostly) and D.C (to some degree) have hurt business and jobs on the Harbor for decades. We’re beginning to turn that around. But the work isn’t finished. I plan to stick around to see the Harbor’s recovery completed. We need our local economy strong enough that our kids and grandkids can choose to stay and live on the Harbor.
Kevin Moynihan
The Daily World: What life or professional experience will you bring to bear if elected? If running for reelection, what has your experience in-office taught you about the duties of that office?
Kevin Moynihan: I bring the lived experience of a commercial line cook, an Aberdeen City Councilor, and a parent raising a family right here in Grays Harbor. Serving on city council has given me direct experience with municipal budgeting, land use, and local infrastructure needs. Working in a kitchen keeps me grounded in the daily financial realities that working families face. Running a 100% corporate PAC-free campaign ensures I answer exclusively to our community, not special interests.
TDW: What are your top priorities if elected?
Moynihan:
School Funding Reform: Overhaul state funding formulas so rural districts aren’t forced to rely on burdensome local property tax levies.
Rural Healthcare: Expand local healthcare access, crisis co-response, and mobile behavioral health units while protecting rural clinics from corporate consolidation.
Cost of Living and Housing: Streamline local permitting for workforce housing, lower utility/living costs, and direct state capital into rural infrastructure under Project Labor Agreements to create family-wage jobs.
TDW: What is your long-term vision for your constituents, specifically in Grays Harbor County?
Moynihan: My vision is a resilient, thriving Grays Harbor where our children can afford to live, work, and raise families of their own. That means fully funded public schools, accessible healthcare, modern flood control and Harbor infrastructure, and a strong local economy powered by working families, timber, agriculture, and small businesses. Grays Harbor deserves independent leadership in Olympia focused on practical, local solutions.
