Community Education Government

Local students grill 26th Legislative District candidates, write op-eds 

Ah, summer. Time for hanging out with friends, having fun and just relaxing in your room.  

Nope. Not for this group of rising seniors, heading into their last year of high school and aiming for the college of their choice. 

Hailing from Gig Harbor and Tacoma, these five students spent a sizable chunk of their summer break researching then interviewing candidates for the 26th District state Senate seat, up for grabs in a special election Nov. 4. State Rep. Michelle Caldier, R-Gig Harbor, and incumbent Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, D-Gig Harbor, will first face each other in the Aug. 5 primary. 

The culmination of the students’ work is a series of op-ed articles outlining their impression of the candidates, their strengths and their approach to issues that are top of mind for Gen Z. You can read their op-eds here. 

Now, here’s more on the teen town hall. 

Meet the students 

Mimmi Beck, a Gig Harbor ACT/SAT tutor and college admissions coach, invited five of her students to take part in the interview project.  

In past summers, Beck’s students have embarked on learning experiences beyond the classroom. In 2021, for example, students paired with older adult mentors for a “Senior 2 Senior” exchange. Students in 2023 researched immigrants’ rights. Last year, students interviewed candidates for the Sixth Congressional District. 

Meet this year’s team: 

• Pearce Eyford of Tacoma attends Bellarmine Preparatory School and plans to major in health care and technology. 

• Sofia Estudillo of Gig Harbor attends Bellarmine and is considering a degree in science or poli-sci. 

• Matthew Titus attends Gig Harbor High School and plans to major in pre-law. 

• Nathan (Nate) Lillie of Gig Harbor, also at Bellarmine, is aiming to become a pilot and hopes to get into the U.S. Air Force Academy. 

• Noah Lamberton of Gig Harbor attends the Science and Math Institute in Tacoma. He plans to major in business and finance. 

State Rep. Michelle Caldier, R-Gig Harbor, (seated) recently met with local students who interviewed her about her candidacy for the 26th District Senate seat. Standing from left, Noah Lamberton, Matthew Titus, Nate Lillie, Pearce Eyford and Sofia Estudillo. Photo by Christina T. Henry

High-stakes race 

Krishnadasan, a former Peninsula School Board member, was appointed in December to fill the vacancy after then-state Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.  

Caldier, now in her sixth term as a 26th District representative, announced in December she would challenge Krishnadasan for the 26th Senate seat. 

The 26th, encompassing parts of Pierce and Kitsap counties from Bremerton to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, is seen as a potential swing district. A strong showing in the primary is crucial for either candidate to maintain momentum and garner campaign funds heading into November. 

‘It flipped my perspective’ 

The group organized and executed the project. They researched the candidates’ legislative bios, delved into the election process and developed questions for interviews that each extended beyond two hours. 

“I think this project gave me an insight into politicians as people,” Lillie said. “Honestly, I thought of them as just legislative robots with zero personality. But sitting down with these candidates, they are coming from both sides. They’re both real people, real personalities, and they’re genuine people as well. They’re there for the people of our communities. And I think that they genuinely want the best for all of us. … It flipped my perspective completely. 

State Rep. Michelle Caldier, R-Gig Harbor, speaks with students during an interview they recently conducted with her about her candidacy for the 26th District Senate seat. Photo courtesy Mimmi Beck

“They were really easy to talk to,” Lamberton said. “And they were really able to give us a lot of different insights into both the processes that go into legislation as well as the different issues that they have to deal with on a daily basis.” 

After hearing from the candidates, several said they might consider running for public office. But there was one outlier. 

“OK, definitely not,” Titus said. “That’s a lot of work. I could not do that. That’s … good luck to them.” 

Top issues and priorities  

The students shared their top priorities in an interview with Gig Harbor Now.  

“Well, we’re already facing the effects of climate change,” Eyford said. “I think another thing that a lot of public-school kids are facing is lack of funding in some programs.”  

They also worry about the impact of cuts to Medicaid on the most vulnerable. But the prevailing theme was the economy.  

“I think the housing market right now is a little scary to be looking at,” Estudillo said, “because you see prices being raised so high, and then you think, oh, in my future, a couple years down the line, am I myself going to be able to afford that?” 

“It’s very difficult for our generation to be able to become homeowners,” said Titus. “And that’s definitely something that is a scary reality that we have to do something about to fix.” 

They see artificial intelligence as a potential tool but are wary of its impact on their careers. 

“Obviously, we see AI changing that landscape constantly,” said Lamberton. “I think really our future pathways and how they’ll change as we grow older is going to be our biggest concern at the moment.” 

State Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, D-Gig Harbor, speaks with students during an interview they recently conducted with her about her candidacy to retain the 26th District Senate seat. Photo by Christina T. Henry

Candidates’ comments 

Both Krishnadasan and Caldier were impressed with the students’ knowledge and interest in the Legislature. 

“I love how engaged that the students are,” said Caldier. “The questions that they asked were very thoughtful, very deep, and it’s just kind of exciting to get young adults involved in the civic process.” 

“Engaging young people in the democratic process is so important,” said Krishnadasan. “Their voices matter, and I’m thrilled to see them stepping up and taking part in civic life in such a meaningful way.” 

Advice to voters 

Eyford and Lillie will vote for the first time in the primary. The rest are eager to become registered voters. Their advice: do your research and look beyond party labels. 

“This project was really cool because it made me realize how important it is to look into local government,” said Titus. “And do the research and understand how important it is to vote, not just every four years, but in your local government.” 

They all agreed teens could benefit from becoming more engaged in social issues and the political process. 

“If you want the people who are providing for you to give you the things that you need, you need to be informed, and you need to put your own voice out there, despite it being small,” said Estudillo. “And it’s easy to think that your voice can be drowned out, but every vote does count.” 

State Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, D-Gig Harbor, recently met with local students who interviewed her about her candidacy to retain the 26th District Senate seat. From left: Matthew Titus, Nate Lillie, Pearce Eyford, Deb Krishnadasan, Sofia Estudillo and Noah Lamberton.