An Underdog Victory
August 8th, 2022
Friends,
I am absolutely thrilled to share that not only are we continuing on to the general election, but we are heading there in first place! You read that right, we won the primary!!! I’m so proud of my team and so proud of each and every one of you who stepped up to make this possible. We simply couldn’t have done it without all of you who donated, phone and text banked, canvassed, and to borrow the phrase from a friend, you told your friends that “you know me and you like me!” And that is what made the difference.
I’m completely honored and humbled by these numbers! We are one step closer to making history for the district and the state. We are one step closer to electing the youngest person to serve the 46th district and the first ever Middle Eastern Woman to the Washington State Legislature. I am thrilled to share this victory with other women of color across the state who are also winning this week. Representation matters!
So with all of this excitement, my team and I took this last week to rest, relax, reflect and celebrate. As I reflect on this moment, I’m thinking about my family. My parents fled Iran because of the revolution. They told me stories of what it was like to participate in politics, vote, and speak up for what you believe in while living in Iran. My family instilled a deep appreciation of democracy and placed high importance on participating in the civic process. I have (obviously) taken it to heart. I am my ancestors' wildest dreams because they could not fathom a reality in which a young woman of color who speaks out against injustice would run for office, and WIN. Today I’m more confident than I’ve ever been that my ancestors are proud of me, and I see that reflected in my parent's faces.
I’m honored that out of five candidates, three who raised almost $200,000 each, we have received the vote of confidence from 32% (and counting) of voters. I’m excited to bring my in-depth experience centering those most impacted and delivering on human services to hit the ground running. We can deliver compassionate, effective, and long-term solutions to behavioral health crisis, homelessness, and criminal legal reform. But to make this a reality, we have to elect experienced leaders. We have to elect leaders who know how to lift every voice. I’m humbled to know that my community sees this in me and incredibly proud to have your support.
This was truly an underdog victory, and we are so ready to keep moving towards November! A big, heartfelt thank you to all of you who attended and rejoiced in this amazing news with me. Thank you to The Stranger for believing in our mission and covering the election night party. And thank you to all of you who also attended and rejoiced in this amazing news with me. Thank you to Mangia Bene Catering, Joon Sweets, and SeaTango for feeding us, and thank you to Hellbent Brewing for providing libations. Thank you all for believing in me and our movement to lift every voice. It’s time to double down and get elected!
In deep gratitude,
Darya
P.S. Big thank you to Hannah Krieg at The Stranger for celebrating with us and capturing the center photo.