Shih says experience sets him apart in 43rd District race
Growing up, a run for political office wasn’t really on Dan Shih’s radar.
As a Chinese American and gay — a “double minority,” as he referred to it — the option to serve the public as an elected official wasn’t something that seemed within reach.
Over time, that sentiment gradually changed, and in early March, the Seattle native added his name to the race to replace 43rd District Rep. Brady Walkinshaw in the state House, as the latter runs for Congress.
“I think I have a lot of role models to thank for making me think that being in a racial minority, being gay, that there is a place for me to be running for public office,” Shih said.
‘Vigorous advocacy’
A partner at Susman Godfrey law firm in Seattle and member of the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU), Shih said the district needs an experienced leader and dedicated advocate to get progressive legislation passed in Olympia.
“I think we need a leader who will move the ball forward on the mosaic of issues facing our region; someone who has a broad range of experience who can connect, not just with voters of different perspectives, but also legislators having different experiences and priorities too,” he said. “I think I’m that person.”
Shih said education, particularly K-12, is high on his list of priorities. A first-generation American of Chinese immigrant parents, Shih said his family relied on the public school system in his early years, before later attending a private school.
Shih went on to Princeton University, where he received a degree in computer science before earning advanced degrees in law and economics from Stanford University.
He also stressed that building opportunity for people doesn’t end after high school graduation, making it important to make both college and vocational school affordable and to pursue policies that provide for affordable housing and good transit.
“It’s about making sure there are opportunities for people now, as well as their children, to make sure that our region develops in a way that maintains its diversity and vibrancy and ensures that we have healthy cities where everyone has a chance,” he said.
While an attorney by trade, Shih emphasized the wide range of roles he’s held in the past — from his time as a warehouse laborer to retail, computer programming and teaching — and how that helps him assume a variety of perspectives.
Along with advising on civil rights and civil liberties-impact litigation and serving on both the executive and finance committees for the ACLU, Shih also volunteers for API Chaya, an organization that helps those in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities affected by human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault.
He’s also on the board of QLaw, the state’s GLBT bar association, and the Lakeside School alumni board, the latter of which he said gives him an interesting perspective on different approaches to education.
“I don’t know of any other candidate that has that kind of breadth of experience and dedication to the issues that are of importance to the district,” he said.
Shih — who lives in Eastlake with his husband, Ted, and their three daughters — said he feels honored by the early support he’s received. In a news release, 23rd District Rep. Drew Hansen said Shih would be a “true progressive leader” in the Legislature.
“[He] has a record of vigorous advocacy for civil rights, communities of color, the LGBT community and more,” Hansen said.
List of candidates
Others currently declared for the House opening in the 43rd District are Downtown Emergency Services Center housing director Nicole Macri, Gender Justice League director Danni Askini, labor organizer Marcus Courtney, political consultant and LGBTQ advocate Thomas Pitchford and environmental advocate Sameer Ranade.
The top-two vote getters in the August primary will advance to the November general election.
For more information on Shih’s campaign, visit www.danshih.com.
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