Chair Of Centrist "New Democrat Coalition" Faces Progressive Challenger
Derek Kilmer (D-WA), chair of the corporate-friendly "New Democrat Coalition" is facing a progressive challenger in Washington's 6th congressional district. Rebecca Parson is an activist, organizer, and self-proclaimed democratic socialist.
The incumbent has taken exorbitant amounts of corporate donations from the healthcare, insurance, securities and investment, and technology industries, with "Microsoft Corp" being the single largest contributor. Kilmer is the chair of the corporate-friendly "New Democrat Coalition", a group of elected Democrats whose stated purpose is to "bridge the gap between left and right". This, and his list of donors, is borne out in his voting record, which can be found here.
I spoke with Kilmer's progressive challenger, Rebecca Parsons, who expressed support for a number of progressive policy proposals and ideas about some of the issues facing her district, and the nation at large. Parson advocated for a Green New Deal, a federal job guarantee, and a living wage. Parson is also an advocate for "a single-payer, Medicare-for-all system", and ties these policies together, discussing how homelessness, the opioid epidemic, and other crises are interconnected with our action, or inaction, on these issues.
Parson is also an outspoken proponent of national rent controls, which she says is "legal, constitutional, possible, and necessary", and empowering workers by bringing democracy into the workplace.
Parson is also an outspoken proponent of national rent controls, which she says is "legal, constitutional, possible, and necessary", and empowering workers by bringing democracy into the workplace.