Smith and Basler vie for US representative position

Smith and Basler vie for US representative position

Published 4:30 pm Friday, October 2, 2026

Adam Smith and Doug Basler will face off for the United States Representative, Congressional District 9 position in the Nov. 3 general election.

Incumbent Smith prefers the Democratic Party and Basler prefers the Republican Party, according to the King County Elections website.

Ballots will be mailed to voters on Oct. 14 and must be postmarked by election day or returned to ballot drop boxes by 8 p.m. on election day.

The Reporter asked each candidate why they are running for office and what are some of the key issues that they’re focused on.

SMITH

Smith said the 9th is a tremendously diverse and hard-working community, one that he has been proud to call home his entire life.

“As our nation faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, I am focused on strengthening the middle class and investing in our future,” he said.

“Working class families, like the union one I grew up in, do not have the same opportunities as previous generations. This needs to change. We must bring down the cost of housing and make homeownership achievable again. We must grow our economy from the middle out, increase economic opportunities, protect unions, expand job training and workforce development programs, create good paying jobs and protect the ones we have,” Smith added.

Smith said that people of all backgrounds should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. He feels that the healthcare system should be restructured to create a path to a single-payer plan like Medicare for All.

“As the past chairman and top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, I have also prioritized making sure that all of our service members and their families, no matter who they are, receive the support they need and have earned,” he said

He added: “And I will continue fighting to rebuild our representative democracy that Trump has tried to tear down, restore accountability, and lower the cost of everyday life by making sure our government delivers real results for working people.”

BASLER

Basler is running for Congress because he believes the families of Washington’s 9th District deserve greater opportunity to build a good life.

“I call that vision the Opportunity Revolution. Government can’t promise you a great life, but it can and should protect your freedom, reward work, remove unnecessary barriers, keep communities safe and give people the opportunity to build one,” he said. His Opportunity Revolution says: Dream. Work. Save. Own. Prosper.

Basler said he won’t avoid difficult issues.

“When President Trump is right, I’ll work with him. When I believe he’s wrong, I’ll say so. My responsibility is to represent the people of the 9th District,” he added.

Further in Basler’s statement to the Reporter, he noted: “I’m pro-life and hope people choose life, but I do not support a federal abortion ban. I strongly support IVF and contraception, and I believe we should do much more for children and families, especially children at risk.”

He added: “I also urge a YES vote on all three statewide initiatives: IL26-001 for parents’ rights, IL26-638 to protect girls’ sports and safe spaces, and IP26-645 to repeal Washington’s new income tax.”

Basler delved into how he feels government programs should look like.

“Before creating another government program to make something affordable, I believe we should first examine the policies that helped make it expensive in the first place. Before we subsidize the price, let’s attack the cost,” he said. “That means making housing more attainable by reducing unnecessary barriers to building, encouraging businesses to grow and create high-paying jobs, rewarding work, saving and investment, supporting reliable and affordable energy, and keeping our communities safe.”

The 9th Congressional District includes all or parts of Mercer Island, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, Des Moines, segments of Seattle and Bellevue and more.