Violence and Intimidation Have No Place in Washington’s Democratic Process
One of the most sacred rights of Washingtonians is the right of direct democracy — to petition the government through the initiative and referendum process.
Yet, as has been clearly documented across Washington, that right is under attack.
All throughout the state, agitators have engaged in a campaign of harassment and political violence aimed at silencing signature gatherers and intimidating voters in attempt to stop two new initiatives from Let’s Go Washington.
Coordinated Intimidation and Violence
Videos and firsthand accounts show how bad the situation has become:
- Signature collectors have been physically harassed, threatened, and surrounded by organized protestors. In one of the most disturbing incidents a women stole petition sheets and committed a hit and run as he was escaping in her vehicle.
- A bus driver in Vancouver, operating a taxpayer-funded vehicle, parked strategically to block visibility of initiative tables
- At a Tumwater Middle School event on October 4, a peaceful signature-gathering and speaking event turned chaotic when protestors became violent and threatening. Police and even fathers in the audience had to step in to protect a 16-year-old female athlete who was speaking in support of the initiatives.
These are not isolated incidents. Let’s Go Washington has a running thread on X documenting these incidents – sadly as of this publication, that is thread is nineteen posts long. Journalist Brandi Kruse also covered the escalating hostility in a recent Undivided video, underscoring how far some activists are willing to go to suppress free participation in the initiative process.
Leadership That Speaks Out — and Leadership That Doesn’t
To his credit, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has spoken forcefully against these acts of intimidation. In a public statement, Hobbs condemned the violence and reaffirmed the right of all Washingtonians to engage safely in the initiative and referendum process. As the person responsible for administering safe and fair elections, his leadership on this issue deserves recognition.
We’ve said it once but we’ll say it again;
Signature gathering is a right.
If someone is potentially trying to intimidate or disrupt this process, report it to your local law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/XVQovmmjjw
— Washington Office of the Secretary of State (@secstatewa) October 4, 2025
Sadly, that leadership has not been echoed by our state’s top officials. The response from Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown has been considerably more tepid, with Ferguson issuing a statement condeming political violence and Brown sharing Hobbs’s X post. Even more concerning — no one knows where Ferguson has been since September 25, as he’s deviated from normal communication and travel disclosure protocols.
Organized and Funded Efforts to Silence Citizens
The harassment hasn’t happened by accident — it’s been organized and encouraged.
An online form hosted by an ironically named group, Washington Families for Freedom, invites users to “report” locations where citizens are collecting signatures. The goal appears to be enabling hostile activists to swarm these sites and intimidate both volunteers and voters.
At the bottom of the page, it’s clear who’s behind this operation — the Washington Education Association (WEA), the state’s largest teachers’ union, is listed as the top funder of the organization.
Why is a teachers’ union bankrolling an effort to interfere with Washingtonians’ democratic rights — including funding what amounts to a “snitch line” that contributes to a climate of political hostility and suppression of free speech?
If you share these concerns, we encourage you to contact the WEA directly at (253) 941-6700 and ask why they’re supporting this kind of intimidation.
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This campaign of harassment is a blight on democracy in Washington. The initiative process belongs to the people, not political insiders or special interests.
Washingtonians deserve better. Every citizen should be able to safely and freely participate in the democratic process — without fear, intimidation, or political violence.