Just a reminder that there will be no ERC meeting in November. Please take the time to remember our Veterans on November 11. Registration for the Annual Holiday Dinner will be available soon!

Please join us for the monthly meeting of Eastside Republican Club on Tuesday, October 8, at 6:30 PM. We’ll meet at the Hilton Garden Inn, 16630 Redmond Way in Redmond. See the Location page for driving directions, a map, and parking information. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu. Please RSVP if you plan to attend! 

WAGOP Chair Rep. Jim Walsh

Our special guest this month is Jim Walsh, chair of the Washington State Republican Party. Jim has represented the 19th Legislative District in the Washington State House since 2016, when he stunned state politics by becoming the first Republican that LD19 had sent to Olympia in decades. While some media outlets focused on him breaking a “Blue Wall” in a traditionally Democrat district, Jim explains his election—and subsequent re-elections—in nonpartisan terms: “The people of LD19 don’t care so much about Republican or Democrat. They just want someone who will represent them and their values with passion and energy.”

In 2020 and 2022, Jim was re-elected with more than 60 percent of the vote and, more importantly, helped turned his region “Red” by organizing and supporting a wave election of conservative legislators, county commissioners and local officials. Jim has served in leadership positions on various policy and budget committees in the WA House: Ranking Member on the State Government and Tribal Relations Committee, Assistant Ranking Member on the Transportation Committee and—most recently— Ranking Member on the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee. He has also served on the House Education, Capital Budget, Human Services and Rural Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committees.

During his seven years in the legislature, Jim has received Legislator of the Year awards from numerous groups—including Citizens Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR), Citizens’ Voice, Gunowners of America, Permanent Offense and Hunters’ Heritage Foundation. In 2022, he received the Washington State Republican Party’s Kemper Freeman Courage Award for his work articulating common-sense, conservative values.

He appears regularly on radio and television in Washington state, including KXRO, KTTH, KVI, KBKW and KEDO. Jim is a widower—his wife, Jamie, was killed tragically in car accident in the fall of 2022. He and the youngest two of his five children live Aberdeen, in a 19th Century Victorian home that he and Jamie bought and began restoring in the early 2000s. The Walsh children range in age from 31 to 17.

Aside from his work in the legislature, Jim owns and operates Silver Lake Publishing—a technical publisher that specializes in insurance, risk management, cyber security, asset protection and related nonfiction topics.

We look forward to hearing from Jim about the upcoming election and state issues. We’ll also hear from other state and local Republican candidates!

Please RSVP!

If you plan to attend the meeting, please click RSVP to register, and pay online in advance. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for College Republicans and Young Republicans) to cover the cost of the meeting space. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu.

Please join us for the monthly meeting of Eastside Republican Club on Tuesday, September 10. Our special start time this month is 6:00PM. We’ll meet at the Hilton Garden Inn, 16630 Redmond Way in Redmond. See the Location page for driving directions, a map, and parking information. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu. Please RSVP if you plan to attend! 

Our special guests this month will be David Olson, candidate for state Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Sharon Hanek, Republican candidate for State Treasurer. We look forward to hearing about their plans and priorities, and learning how we can help their campaigns. You can read about them below.

This meeting will also be a Debate Watch Party! Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will be debating on ABC 6:00-7:30PM, and Dave Reichert and Bob Ferguson will be debating 8:00-9:00PM on KING 5. We’ll watch both debates on the big screen, and hear from our special guests during the time between. Come join your friends in cheering the Republicans and jeering the Democrats!

David Olson for Superintendent of Public Instruction

David Olson is running for Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction this year. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is the primary state agency overseeing public K-12 education in Washington. The office channels funding to schools, implements state education laws and sets curriculum standards. SPI is a non-partisan office. David is recommended by the Washington State Republican Party and King County GOP.

David is a husband, father of four, a retired US Navy Chief Warrant Officer. He has served on the board of directors of Peninsula School District since 2014, including being board chair in 2021 and the current vice chair. He sits on the Board of the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation, serving on the Education Cabinet and as Chair of the Students of Distinction Committee, and is a member of the Friday morning Rotary Club. He previously served as President of the City Club of Tacoma, Vice President of the Hilltop Business Association, and served on the board of the local FISH Food Bank.

Sharon Hanek for State Treasurer

Sharon Hanek is running this year to be Washington State Treasurer. The State Treasurer is Washington’s chief financial officer. The Office of the State Treasurer (OST) serves as the bank for Washington State government; its divisions manage public investments, debt, and cash for the State of Washington and leads policy initiatives affecting the State Treasury and the state’s long-term fiscal health.

Sharon holds a BA in Business Administration and Accounting from the UW Foster School of Business. She went on to get her Certified Public Accountant license in 1980. After acquiring several years of experience in accounting, auditing, tax, and finance she established her own private tax and accounting practice. For the past several decades, she has been active in seeking to influence public policy, researching and analyzing bills, working with legislators, and testifying on issues related to budget, taxes, transportation and education. Recently she combined her interest in politics, financial background, and research skills to form a public policy research company.

Please RSVP!

If you plan to attend the meeting, please click RSVP to register, and pay online in advance. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for College Republicans and Young Republicans) to cover the cost of the meeting space. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu.

It was great seeing so many of you at the ERC Picnic on July 9! Thanks to everyone who brought desserts and side dishes to share, to our chefs, to our board members and officers who shopped for food and provided the raffle prizes, and to everyone who came early and stayed late for setup and cleanup. We hope you all had a good time hearing from and mingling with the candidates!

As usual, there’s no ERC meeting in August; our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10. We’re working on confirming availability of speakers, and will have details for you soon.

Don’t forget to vote in the Primary! You should have already received your ballot — be sure to return it by August 6!

Have a great summer!

Please join us for the monthly meeting of Eastside Republican Club on Tuesday, June 11, at 6:30 PM. We’ll meet at the Hilton Garden Inn, 16630 Redmond Way in Redmond. See the Location page for driving directions, a map, and parking information. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu. Please RSVP if you plan to attend! 

Todd Myers of Washington Policy Center

Our very special guest this month is Todd Myers, Vice President of Research at Washington Policy Center. He is a voice of reason in countering the climate change hysteria, a best-selling author, and an all-around great guy. His book “Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism Is Harming the Environment” documented how our environmental policies are driven by a desire to look good rather than to help the environment. His new book, “Time to Think Small: How Nimble Environmental Technologies Can Solve the Planet’s Biggest Problems“, outlines how small technologies are empowering people to protect threatened wildlife species, and make a real difference in protecting the environment.

With more than two decades in environmental policy, Todd’s experience includes work on a range of environmental issues, including climate policy, forest health, old-growth forests, and salmon recovery. A former member of the executive team at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, he is a member of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council.

His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Seattle Times, and USA Today, and he has appeared on numerous news networks including CNBC, Fox News, BBC, and CNN. He served as vice president of the Northwest Association of Biomedical Research and received their Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for his support of bioscience. He has also served as president of the Prescription Drug Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit providing medicines to low-income patients.

Todd holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from Whitman College and a master’s degree in Russian/International Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. 

Please RSVP!

If you plan to attend the meeting, please click RSVP to register, and pay online in advance. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for College Republicans and Young Republicans) to cover the cost of the meeting space. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu.

Please join us for the monthly meeting of Eastside Republican Club on Tuesday, May 14, at 6:30 PM. We’ll meet at the Hilton Garden Inn, 16630 Redmond Way in Redmond. See the Location page for driving directions, a map, and parking information. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu. Please RSVP if you plan to attend! 

Randy Kessler of Stand with Us Northwest

Our special guest speaker for May is Randy Kessler, Executive Director of the Northwest chapter of Stand With Us, an international, non-partisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism. 

Randy was born and raised in Bellevue, and he has been a lifelong member of the Greater Seattle Jewish community. His mother’s family arrived in Seattle in the early 1900’s from the Island of Rhodes, while his father’s family came to New York in the 1880’s from Russia and Poland. 

Randy has always felt a special connection to Israel. In 1992, he and his wife spent seven months there immersed in Hebrew language and Israeli culture and building lifelong friendships.

Randy earned a business degree at the University of Washington and an MBA at Seattle U, which led to a successful career in the corporate technology and education industries. In 2017, he assumed the leadership of StandWithUs Northwest. In this role, he spearheads efforts to educate people about Israel and the Jewish people and to fight antisemitism across the states of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana.

Kerry French of Culture Crossroads USA

We’ll also hear from ERC board member Kerry French about a new organization, Culture Crossroads USA, focused on helping conservative kids and kids of faith in the junior high, high school, and college age range get into arts, business, law, and education. They will be having a kickoff event on June 22 at Lake Tanwax near Eatonville (Pierce County). For more information, visit https://culturecrossroadsusa.rsvpify.com.

Please RSVP!

If you plan to attend the meeting, please click RSVP to register, and pay online in advance. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for College Republicans and Young Republicans) to cover the cost of the meeting space. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu.

Please join us for the monthly meeting of Eastside Republican Club on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30 PM. We’ll meet at the Hilton Garden Inn, 16630 Redmond Way in Redmond (note new location for 2024!). See the Location page for driving directions, a map, and parking information. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu. Please RSVP if you plan to attend! 

Our special guest speakers for April are the chairs of the King, Pierce, and Snohomish County Republican Parties: Mathew Patrick Thomas, Dave McMullan, and Bill Cooper. 

With the Washington State Republican Party Convention coming up April 18-20 in Spokane, and candidate filing week coming up May 6-10, we look forward to hearing from our county chairs regarding hot issues and races, and opportunities to help our candidates win!

Please RSVP!

If you plan to attend the meeting, please click RSVP to register, and pay online in advance. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for College Republicans and Young Republicans) to cover the cost of the meeting space. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu.

Please join us for the monthly meeting of Eastside Republican Club on Tuesday, March 12, at 6:30 PM. We’ll meet at the Hilton Garden Inn, 16630 Redmond Way in Redmond (note new location for 2024!). See the Location page for driving directions, a map, and parking information. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu. Please RSVP if you plan to attend! 

Guest Speakers: Tony Gill and Dave Workman

We’re pleased to welcome back long time friend of Eastside Republican Club, Anthony (Tony) Gill. A professor of political science at the University of Washington, Tony is a frequent contributor to the American Institute for Economic Research, and a member of the Mont Pelerin Society (founded by Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, and others). In addition to receiving the 1999 UW Distinguished Teaching Award and 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year, he was also an expert witness in Borders v King County dealing with the 2004 gubernatorial election recount (Tony was on the losing side of that court case). Find out more fun facts about this prolific professor of politics and puppets at https://anthonygill.org. Tony will address us on student preparation and the lowering of standards, academic misconduct by faculty (beyond the Harvard Gay scandal), and the impact of DEI policies on free speech.

We’re also pleased to welcome back Dave Workman, editor-in-chief of TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press in Bellevue, and is the Communications Director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. and the Second Amendment Foundation. A career journalist, Dave is widely regarded as an authority on firearms and gun rights. He authored a book titled “Washington State Gun Rights and Responsibilities” in the 1990s with the final edition appearing in 2012. He has authored Op-Ed pieces in several major national newspapers, and he has co-authored seven books with Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation. He also writes a monthly column on “2A Defense” for GUNS Magazine, and a weekly on-line column for “American Handgunner.” His articles have also appeared in Northwest Sportsman, where he writes a monthly column on guns and hunting, and his byline has also appeared in GUN WORLD, American Shooting Journal, Fishing & Hunting News, Gun Digest and other publications. Dave is a certified firearms instructor and has taught firearms and self-defense at Highline Community College. Please join us to hear from Dave on threats to our 2nd amendment rights and actions you can take to defend them!

Please RSVP!

If you plan to attend the meeting, please click RSVP to register, and pay online in advance. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for College Republicans and Young Republicans) to cover the cost of the meeting space. Food is available from the Fork and Spoke restaurant in the hotel, which is open from 5-9PM for dinner; you can preview the menu on ZMenu.