Earlier this week, Jaelynn Scott, executive director of the Lavender Rights Project, announced a campaign for state representative in Washington’s 37th Legislative District, launching a bid centered on housing stability, public safety reform and protecting civil liberties from federal overreach.
Running on a platform of “Solutions for All, Sanctuary for All, and Democracy for All,” Scott said the campaign is grounded in lived experience and a record of policy work aimed at strengthening safety nets for working families and marginalized communities.
“We are living in an unprecedented moment where our civil liberties, our diverse communities, and our ability to afford to live in our own neighborhoods are under attack,” said Scott. “We already have socialism for the rich; it’s time for politics for the people. I am running because you cannot solve a crisis you do not understand, and my lived experience has given me the pragmatic expertise to fix the safety nets that have failed too many of us. It’s time to move beyond soundbites and start passing legislation that works.”
Scott, a community organizer and ordained minister, said personal experiences with job loss, addiction and housing instability shaped a commitment to policies that prioritize housing, health care and economic dignity. As a policy leader, Scott successfully led an effort to redirect $16 million in city and county funding intended for jails into permanent supportive housing and wraparound services. Scott also developed a partnership with the Chief Seattle Club to construct LGBTQ permanent supportive housing.
Scott said the work demonstrates that housing-based solutions are more effective than punitive responses for people in crisis.
The campaign platform is built around three core pillars – .Care for Our Neighbors, Stable Sanctuary, and Real Public Safety.
Under “Care for Our Neighbors,” Scott calls for establishing the Washington Health Trust to provide universal, state funded health care, expanding access to universal child care and advancing health equity policies designed to protect working families and marginalized communities from actions by the current federal administration.
The “Stable Sanctuary” pillar focuses on housing and economic justice. Scott supports progressive revenue measures, including a wealth tax, to fund social housing and guaranteed income programs. Scott argues that community-based housing models are a fiscally responsible strategy to address homelessness and ensure that residents can remain in their neighborhoods.
The third pillar, “Real Public Safety,” emphasizes aligning the state’s crisis response system so behavioral health professionals respond to mental health emergencies, fully funding violence prevention programs and protecting data privacy to prevent federal targeting.
Scott enters the race with endorsements from several prominent leaders, including King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña of the 37th Legislative District, Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth, Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans, Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Seattle City Councilmember Dionne Foster, Port of Seattle Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa, Seattle School Board Director Kathleen Smith and former Seattle School Board Director Michelle Sarju.
“Jaelynn Scott is exactly the kind of pragmatic, compassionate leader the 37th District needs in Olympia right now,” said Zahilay. “Jaelynn doesn’t just talk about housing and public safety, she delivers real results. She has successfully built desperately needed housing, and at a time when our civil liberties are under threat and working families are being squeezed out of the neighborhoods they built, we need leaders who understand both the urgency of this moment and how to turn vision into policy. Jaelynn has the courage, the lived experience, and the skill to protect our communities and move Washington forward.”
Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck said Scott’s experience positions Scott to address public safety and affordability challenges in the district.
“Jaelynn Scott has spent her career fighting for people who are too often pushed to the margins,” said Rinck. “She understands that real public safety means investing in housing, behavioral health, and economic opportunity, not doubling down on systems that have failed our neighbors. Jaelynn leads with integrity, accountability, and a deep commitment to equity. The 37th District deserves a representative who will stand up to federal overreach, defend working families, and deliver solutions that make our communities safer and more affordable. Jaelynn is that leader.”
The 37th Legislative District includes neighborhoods from the historic Central District to South Seattle and Skyway. Scott said the campaign will focus on mobilizing working class voters, renters and marginalized communities throughout the district.
“I know what it means to rebuild a life from the ground up,” said Scott. “And I will bring that same fierce resilience and deep love for our neighbors to the state legislature. I am ready to stand on business for the 37th.”
