As races gear up for the August primary election, a slate of Whatcom County candidates announced their bids for the 42nd Legislative District’s state senate seat. Lynden driving instructor Russ Dzialo, Whatcom County Councilmember Ben Elenbaas and senator Simon Sefzik have joined the race with state representative Sharon Shewmake for the state senate seat.
Russ Dzialo
Lynden resident Russ Dzialo filed with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) to run as an independent candidate for the senate seat. Dzialo ran as a Republican for 40th Legislative District Position 2 representative seat in the November 2020 election.
Dzialo, who earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix, works as a driver’s education teacher and does gig economy jobs in Whatcom County. He said he made the switch to become independent after being tired of argument between political parties, and found inspiration in former presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s Forward Party and its belief in universal basic income.
“We need to listen to both sides and find a happy medium,” he said. “I can speak more to the center and be a bridge to the gap, and listen to real solutions that aren’t just one-sided.”
Dzialo recently resigned as treasurer for the Whatcom County Republican Party, in part, he said, because of the PDC opening an investigation after the party allegedly failed to timely and accurately disclose contributions and expenditures. All filings were signed by Dzialo, who wrote to the PDC that he took full responsibility for the errors, most of which were reporting a larger sum of contributions, made because of his busy schedule.
PDC opened a formal investigation in October and after its initial hearing December 17, 2021, PDC executive director Peter Lavallee encouraged party chairman John Ramsey to work with staff to resolve the issue.
If elected, Dzialo said he would like to improve the economy and find solutions for affordable living in Whatcom County.
“We need to find solutions that will produce the American dream,” he said. “You work so hard where you’re drained and don’t have anything left.”
Ben Elenbaas
Whatcom County Councilmember Ben Elenbaas announced January 27 he will run as a Republican candidate for the senate seat.
Elenbaas said he’s best fit for the position because of his experience as both a fourth-generation farmer along the Nooksack River and working at BP Cherry Point Refinery, two of the largest industries in the 42nd district.
“I don’t know about it because I read about it or visited. I know about it because I’ve experienced it,” Elenbaas said. “I think there’s quite a few people in Olympia who wouldn’t know a pitchfork if they stepped on it.”
Elenbaas is a graduate of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of Environment and serves on the Whatcom County Cattlemen’s Association and the Whatcom County Farm Bureau.
“Immediately the number one priority is making sure we have all the support we can have for flood victims and making sure we have long-term solutions for the river,” he said. After that, Elenbaas said he will take a people-first approach to governing to help those experiencing homelessness, find better living-wage jobs and combat what he called the ‘assault’ on agriculture.
Elenbaas was one of three candidates whom county council considered to appoint for the 42nd Legislative District senate position left vacant by the late senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale).
If elected to senate in November, Elenbaas said he would likely continue to fulfill his first term on council, which ends January 2024.
Simon Sefzik
State senator Simon Sefzik (R-Ferndale) said he planned on retaining his senate seat, to which county council appointed him less than a month ago.
“I made a commitment to serve the people of the 42nd district from day one,” he said. “A fresh, energetic voice is needed in Whatcom County.”
Sefzik said his biggest priorities remain flood mitigation, agriculture and water policy, bringing back good-paying jobs and increasing affordable housing to Whatcom County.
Sefzik worked full-time in the White House Management Office and distributed Covid-19 vaccines as an operations and logistics coordinator for Nomi Health in Colorado. Before recently graduating from Patrick Henry College, a private Christian school in Virginia, Sefzik interned for the White House Coronavirus Task Force and U.S. Congressman Ted Budd.
The state senator serves on the health care, higher education, and housing and local government senate committees.
If he retains his seat, Sefzik said he’d like to continue nurturing relationships he’s started among both Republican and Democrat legislators in Olympia.
“I told members of county council that I was willing to reach across the aisle and I’ve meant that every single day,” he said. “Those weren’t just words. That wasn’t just rhetoric. Those are things I truly believe.”
Two-term state representative Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham) announced in November she also would run for the senate seat.
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