by Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard
March 7, 2026
Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, who has served in the Legislature for two decades, faces the prospect of a fellow Democrat challenging him in this year’s election.
Hannah Sabio-Howell, a progressive activist who previously worked as a state Senate staffer, intends to formally announce her candidacy Monday in Seattle’s 43rd District.
She outlined her plan in an email to family and friends, obtained by the Standard, asking them to chip in to her campaign. A donor webpage for Sabio-Howell is live. She had not yet filed to run with the state’s Public Disclosure Commission as of Friday evening.
On Friday, she declined an interview before her planned campaign launch, but did issue a statement.
“Many are struggling to afford life here because decades of corporate-friendly leadership has failed to prepare Washington for the affordability crisis, and it certainly won’t get us out of it,” Sabio-Howell said in a statement.
“This race is about presenting a new generation of leadership to the 43rd District and a chance to choose our fighter; something we haven’t had in this seat for years,” she added. “I look forward to publicly launching this campaign on Monday.”
In her email, she described a vision for the state with abundant housing, universal child care, and where the “ultra-wealthy” are taxed to pay for services. She criticized Pedersen, saying he has taken a “corporate and incrementalist” approach to policymaking.
Until recently, Sabio-Howell was communications director for Working Washington, a nonprofit with ties to labor unions that over the past 15 years has backed various workers’ rights issues, including the $15 minimum wage and paid leave.
Between 2018 and 2022, she held jobs as a legislative assistant in the state House and then as a communications staffer in the state Senate, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The 43rd District spans across Seattle neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill, the University District, Fremont, Belltown, Montlake, Eastlake and Laurelhurst.
Sabio-Howell’s entry into the race would reflect a rift within the Democratic Party over how fast and far to push on progressive policies, particularly around taxation.
She would enter an uphill fight against a veteran lawmaker, who holds one of the top legislative posts in Olympia and is also in leadership of Senate Democrats’ campaign arm.
Pedersen was elected to the state House in 2006. He was appointed to the Senate in 2013 and has won three elections since. He served previously as chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee and, in November 2024, was elected majority leader.
Campaign finance filings show Pedersen has banked around $187,000 for his campaign this year. In 2022, he ran unopposed and claimed nearly 99% of the vote in the general election.
Katy Ozog, executive director of the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign, defended Pedersen’s progressive bona fides.
“Jamie Pedersen is the most progressive Majority Leader in the Washington State Senate’s history,” Ozog said in a statement. In making the case, she highlighted Pedersen’s lead role this year on the bill to tax household income over $1 million.
That legislation was on the cusp of gaining approval in the House on Friday after clearing the Senate earlier in the session.
“On every major policy fight we’ve faced, Jamie has been front and center, ensuring that a deal gets done and progress is made,” Ozog said.
“I also know that Jamie firmly believes that competition is good for democracy,” she added.
“He will be working hard to earn the trust of voters in the 43rd district and be reelected this fall.”
Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: [email protected].