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State Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis, represents a brand of conservatism that combines traditional Republican principles with an emphasis on compassion, community service and opportunity for those who too often find themselves left behind.
Abbarno's positions on lower taxes, private property rights, government accountability and fiscal responsibility are familiar conservative priorities. But his focus more frequently extends beyond limiting government to asking what government, communities and individuals can do to help families overcome poverty, create childcare and early learning opportunities, and make meaningful investments in communities often left behind.
It is a distinction worth examining.
Abbarno's approach suggests that fiscal conservatism and compassion need not be competing philosophies. He argues that families should be able to keep more of what they earn, that children deserve safe and supportive environments, and that a person's ZIP code or family income should not determine their opportunity to succeed.
Despite being relatively new to the political scene, Abbarno’s impact has been felt throughout Southwest Washington.
In just six years in the Legislature, Abbarno has moved into significant leadership positions. He became chair of the House Republican Caucus, serves as assistant ranking Republican on the House Capital Budget Committee, and serves on the influential Environment and Energy and Consumer Protection and Business committees.
Those positions reflect growing responsibilities within his party and provide opportunities to influence legislative priorities beyond the boundaries of the 20th District.
But leadership titles alone do not define effective representation. Results matter.
Through his work on the capital budget, Abbarno has participated in bipartisan negotiations that have directed substantial investments toward Southwest Washington. Local projects include schools, water and sewer infrastructure, public safety facilities, behavioral health services, parks, flood protection and community organizations.
These investments are particularly important in communities that often struggle to compete with the political and economic influence of the Seattle metropolitan area.
The capital budget is a collective legislative product, and no individual lawmaker can claim sole credit for its accomplishments. Nevertheless, Abbarno's position as a budget negotiator has given Southwest Washington a voice in decisions that determine where public infrastructure dollars are invested.
The ability to oppose higher taxes while also working to bring existing state resources back to local communities illustrates the balancing act required of a legislator representing a rural and increasingly diverse district.
Abbarno's emphasis on children and families is another defining aspect of his public service.
He has advocated for early learning, childcare, educational opportunity and programs intended to help children succeed regardless of their economic circumstances. His support for initiatives such as Dolly Parton's Imagination Library reflects an interest in literacy and early childhood development that extends beyond traditional debates over taxes and regulations.
He has also spoken frequently about the importance of helping families move out of poverty, supporting working parents and ensuring that children facing difficult circumstances are not forgotten in state budget decisions. Even in leadership, Abbarno has been willing to buck his own party on several issues surrounding childcare, education, and worker rights.
Abbarno’s philosophy presents a broader question for policymakers: How can government encourage independence and personal responsibility while ensuring that children and families have a fair opportunity to achieve them?
Abbarno's stated answer emphasizes education, economic opportunity, strong families, community partnerships and a government that removes unnecessary barriers to success.
His background as an attorney, small business owner, former Centralia City Council member, and active community volunteer contributes to that perspective. However, he often reminds us that he is first and foremost a husband and father raising his family right here in Southwest Washington. His public involvement and community service with the Hub City Mission, United Way of Lewis County, Special Olympics of Lewis County, and more are virtually unmatched, and he carries those stories and that experience to Olympia on our behalf.
His political philosophy appears rooted in the belief that strong families create strong communities, and that the measure of public service should include whether people facing the greatest obstacles have a genuine opportunity to succeed.
Abbarno is being challenged by Democrat Andy Zahn from Toutle, Washington. Zahn’s major campaign issues include creating more public parks and outdoor recreation opportunities, as well as rural job creation. We support those goals, and so does Rep. Abbarno, who has successfully delivered through policy and capital budget on these issues and more.
As voters assess his first six years in Olympia, they have a record that includes leadership responsibilities, participation in bipartisan capital budget negotiations and continued attention to the needs of Southwest Washington.
Peter Abbarno's approach offers a reminder that conservatism need not be defined solely by what government should stop doing.
It can also be understood through the opportunities policymakers seek to create, the families they work to strengthen and the communities they strive to serve.
It is for those reasons that The Chronicle Editorial endorses Abbarno for another term in the Washington state Legislature.
