The 10th Congressional District is like its own state. Straddling Pierce and Thurston counties, it is home to cities, rural communities, military bases, tribal lands and the state Capitol. Democratic incumbent Marilyn Strickland has represented the 10th for two terms. His record of pragmatic bipartisanship and his strong connection to the concerns of his constituents make him worthy of a third term.
The only challenge to raise money is Republican Nirav Sheth, an electrical engineer, former Marine and Lakewood police officer. He is now a small business owner concerned about property crime and the lack of police as well as high gas prices. This is more appropriately handled at the local government level. A district as diverse and complex as the 10th requires representatives who can serve their constituents while navigating the complexities of Congress to get things done.
An important district issue is housing, as it includes Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the largest base in the area. Strickland fought to raise the military housing allowance from 95% of the local average cost to 100% in the 2025 defense budget, stating that this percentage is equivalent to two hundred dollars in the family’s pocket. He knows the challenges military families face, as he was raised. As part of his work on the Armed Services Committee, Strickland is a member of the bipartisan Quality of Life panel, which takes on issues like childcare and employment for military spouses — all factors that affect the readiness, recruitment and retention of the nation’s armed forces. .
As for housing in general, Strickland rightly points out the challenge is a matter of supply and demand. He believes the federal government could do a better job of dealing with lower housing tax credits and larger subsidies so developers would be incentivized to build. In 2021, he voted in favor of The Build Back Better Act, which provides billions of dollars for housing, and announced in early July a $500,000 grant to Tacoma-Pierce County Habitat for Humanity – one of 14 South Sound community projects that benefited from Strickland’s efforts . this year.
It is in line with his philosophy of public service. He’s proud of the “bread and butter” issues his office handles, from helping veterans get benefits to navigating the Small Business Administration — in total, $10 million has been returned to people in the district. His experience as mayor of Tacoma and president/CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce puts him in touch with what makes municipalities, agencies and economies work.
Strickland took a similar approach to solving problems like the fentanyl epidemic and the crisis on the southern border. Fentanyl is a medically approved pain reliever, he noted, that is plentiful and inexpensive. Treatment for addiction is one part of the puzzle, but we also need to understand how these drugs are made and where they come from. Strickland supported a bipartisan border security bill that included $2 billion for fentanyl-detecting technology — a bill held by Republicans.
Security at the southern border is overwhelmed and inadequate, but migrants and asylum seekers keep coming. There must be an orderly way of processing people, he said. It’s not about turning people away, but about identifying the burden on the system. He wants to see the bill enacted. His approach would fill jobs that Americans can’t fill, due to labor shortages and declining birth rates, thus providing a way to bring in talented people “without taking a single job away from American citizens.”
Strickland’s commitment to raising partisanship to govern and his record of success in his district made him a member of Congress for another term.
