SEN. TORRES ENCOURAGES SEN. KING TO RUN IN GERRYMANDERED LD 14

Contact:
RJ Elliott, 253-820-2924 | rj@srcc.org

SEN. TORRES ENCOURAGES SEN. KING TO RUN IN GERRYMANDERED LD 14

April 17, 2024 - Sen. Nikki Torres offered the following comments with regards to the gerrymandered Democratic maps in the new Legislative District 14 (LD 14).

“I am so disappointed that Democratic special interests have gerrymandered new maps, which take me out of representing the majority minority Hispanic legislative district in the Yakima Valley.  I was the first Latina Senator elected in Eastern Washington and have loved serving all my constituents.  My district was 73% Hispanic, which made me especially proud to serve those newer to the district who came from the same background as I did.

“My parents immigrated from Mexico.  To put food on the table, we all worked picking crops in central and eastern Washington.  I became a teen mom and to continue my education I got my GED my senior year.  I then became the first in my family to get a college degree.  After going into the business world and serving on the City Council in Pasco, I was elected in 2022 to the State Senate. 

“I wish I could move into the new LD 14, but family obligations prevent me from doing so.  Because of my decision not to move, my deepest hope is that Sen. Curtis King will run and continue being the great Senator serving the 14th District as he has for the last seventeen years.”

“I have worked alongside Senator King for two years and know how much he cares for all the constituents in his district.   He works hard and is greatly respected by both parties.  There is no better candidate for the job and I am very proud to endorse Sen. Curtis King in the 14th Legislative District.”

Democratic special interests drew up gerrymandered maps which affected over 500,000 people in the state of Washington.  These maps were adopted by a Democratic judge and were specifically drawn to disadvantage Republicans.

Sen. Torres, the first Latina Senator in eastern Washington, was put in a new district as far away from the majority minority district in the Yakima Valley as they could place her.  Although she can finish her term in her current Legislative District 15, Democrats put her in a Walla Walla-based district.  

Democrats not only redistricted Sen. Torres out, they reduced the amount of Hispanics in the majority minority district.  Democrats said they needed to do these things in order to help Hispanics because Hispanics really wanted to elect Democrats.  Those claims are refuted by current polling and data.

Sen. King has been the LD 14 Senator for 17 years, but he would need to move into the new gerrymandered LD 14 in order to continue to represent it.  

The election for the LD 14 Senator is this November.

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