Sharon Tomiko Santos

Santos campaigned on preventing displacement of longtime residents, expanding affordable housing near transit, converting vacant hotels/commercial buildings into housing (including in the Chinatown-International District), and helping more people get and stay housed.

“Prevent displacement, expand affordable housing near transit, and help more people get and stay housed.”

votesharontomikosantos.com·As of August 2026

Santos frames childcare as an economic-productivity issue and proposes a tax credit for employers who direct funds into childcare programs like Working Connections, arguing employers have a stake in solving the childcare shortage that keeps parents out of the workforce.

“Employers need childcare so that their employees can come to work. It's a productivity issue.”

officialhacksandwonks.com·As of June 2026

Santos opposes Trump administration threats to withhold federal funding from Washington jurisdictions over sanctuary-city, immigrant-protection, or trans-inclusive policies, calling such threats illegal, and says the state legislature should hold its values in spending/policy while the state Attorney General fights the administration in court.

“We, as a state, should not capitulate to bullying tactics, many of which I believe are illegal.”

officialhacksandwonks.com·As of June 2026

Santos says the Legislature has substantially raised K-12 spending (from $18.1B to $33.7B) and that Washington ranks well nationally on per-pupil funding, but argues debating dollar totals misses the structural problem; she is convening a 'Big Idea Group' to reimagine the education delivery system itself, with special-education students as a priority for more support.

“The efforts thus far have been akin to moving the deck chairs around. Nobody is talking about the system of education that we have and whether that needs to be changed.”

officialhacksandwonks.com·As of June 2026

Santos favors a broad, non-carceral definition of public safety: community-led violence prevention, expanded non-officer crisis response teams, more funding for public defenders, and restorative justice for nonviolent offenders. She opposes automated license plate readers and supports banning facial recognition in law enforcement, and was skeptical of Governor Ferguson's $100 million police-recruitment set-aside.

“Santos supports expanding non-officer crisis response teams, opposes automated license plate readers, and supports banning facial recognition in law enforcement. She also supports significantly increasing funding for public defender services and prioritizing restorative justice programs over traditional incarceration for nonviolent offenders.”

officialhacksandwonks.com·As of June 2026