By CHARLOTTE MCKINLEY
THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) – “We’re operating on the plan that we’ll win,” Washington State Republican Party Chair Caleb Heimlich said of Tiffany Smiley’s run against Sen. Patty Murray, D-Bothell, for Sen. Murray’s U.S. Senate seat.
He spoke at the Washington State Republican Party’s fourth annual “Heart of the Party” reception.
Republicans gathered Tuesday to hear from Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, and Ms. Smiley alongside local government candidates and officials.
Eventgoers appeared ecstatic at the prospect of flipping Washington red, with Mr. Heimlich claiming the eyes of the United State were on the outcomes of Washington’s political races.
One candidate of special interest to the people was Ms. Smiley.
Ms. Smiley is the wife of Scotty Smiley, a blinded Iraq War hero and subsequently America’s first blind active duty soldier. She made waves nationally when she called for reform in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Now, she is running against Sen. Murray with the plans of turning Washington red and the nation with it.
Ms. Smiley, after announcing candidacy in April of last year, has started what many have called a “grassroots movement,” similar to Sen. Murray’s “mom in tennis shoes” run in 1992.
Ms. Smiley is running on a law and order platform, promising to make sure that Washington’s finest “have everything they need” to do their jobs.
She also insists that part of those jobs consist of stopping the fentanyl crisis.
At the event, Ms. Smiley admitted that Sen. Murray had made efforts to address the great number of deaths stemming from fentanyl poisoning. However, she said Sen. Murray’s proposed solutions neglected the securing of the U.S.-Mexico border over which drugs flow in great quantities.
In addition to securing the southern border, Ms. Smiley called for American energy independence, saying that it would both save money and strengthen national security.
This is a position that Rep. McMorris Rodgers has been staking out for the party through the promotion of her American Energy Independence from Russia Act.
If enacted, the bill would require President Biden to create an energy security plan within 30 days to unleash America’s oil and natural gas production, offsetting any Russian imports.
Ms. Smiley also promises to reduce the strain Washington taxes are taking on individuals, noting that for working class families, especially farming families, the tax increases have been difficult.
“Patty Murray has not met a tax hike she did not like,” Ms. Smiley said.
She promised to cut taxes if elected, which elicited cheers from the crowd.
The institutional Washington State Republican Party fully endorses Ms. Smiley’s run for office with Mr. Heimlich noting that Ms. Smiley has thousands of supporters to doorbell for her and spread the word about her campaign.
“[Smiley] clearly wants to serve the people of her state,” Mr. Heimlich said.
The statewide primary election is Aug. 2.
