Longtime state Rep. Michelle Caldier is looking to secure her Position 2 House seat in District 26 for a fifth-consecutive term against first-time candidate Matt Macklin Nov. 8.

Caldier (R), who first entered the House in 2015 after defeating then-incumbent Democrat Larry Seaquist, said she continues to run with a bipartisan mentality that puts common sense over political loyalties. “I’ve always had an open door policy in terms of listening to everyone regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum,” she said.

Macklin (D), served as an attorney and nurse administrator before throwing his hat into the political ring. He said that he was motivated to run by what he called a “fractured health care system” that needs restructuring as well as a lack of proper representation. “I think that it’s time that we have the right people with the right skills in place that can bring the right people around the table to get the bills done correctly the first time around.”

Both candidates participated in a virtual debate Oct. 18 hosted by the League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County in which they were asked questions about their positions on key issues.

One was the current tax structure, which was read to the candidates as one of the most regressive in the nation. Caldier said that she has consistently voted against regressive taxes and pledged to continue to do so with the hopes of changing the system completely. “We need an entire overhaul of our tax structure to make it more fair for everyone in our state,” she said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know if there is a current will of the legislature as we sit to do that.”

Macklin said that the people being hurt most by the tax structure are those in small businesses and middle-class citizens. He said he would like to see large corporations pay their fair share. “The equity that surrounds taxation of things like gas or the way that we tax our small businesses currently is not equitable,” he said. “It’s not sustainable, and it’s really squeezing the mill.”

Issues surrounding health care were also brought up, including whether they support universal health care. Macklin said he believes receiving proper health care is a right of the American people, and it is time to get to work on developing the system.

What benefit will citizens have from it, however? That’s the concern that Caldier addressed. She said that both Medicaid and universal health care proposals continue to fail, but would like to continue to discuss the matter with the patients’ best interests at heart.

A section of care highlighted in the discussion was abortion. While Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, abortion rights continue to be protected under state law with no change in sight. When asked on the positions each candidate took on the matter, Macklin said he supports a right to choose and would vote against any such measure against it.

“I think that anything that prohibits a woman’s right to choose or to have the discussion with their physician about what services are appropriate in their condition or what they’re going through is completely beyond the hands of the legislature.”

Caldier said that some form of access to abortion was not under attack by her, as she acknowledged the will of the majority of voters to keep access. However, she brought up the issue of late-term abortion, which occurs in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy. She said she would vote against those abortions.

One of the last issues was police reform. Caldier said that police were not heard by the legislature in the passing of controversial bills such as the Pursuit Law that restricts when police can engage in chases. She said that the culture of how police are treated needs to change as well.

“Police are afraid to go to work and be killed,” she said, “and we need to change that. We need to make sure that we are valuing our law enforcement and thanking them for the job that they are doing.”

Macklin, as a Black man, argued that while fear exists with police officers, that same fear exists on the other side as well. He also believes that while the bills surrounding police reform “missed the mark,” that work can be done to ensure that they are repaired.