Tagged: 1st Congressional District

The stakes in this race are high for both political parties. There are three open Congressional seats in the state this year, and Republicans say the 1st District is their best chance to win one.

Candidates John Koster (R) and Suzan DelBene (D) sit down with KUOW's Ross Reynolds for a debate. The candidates address the economy, women's reproductive issues and each other's campaigns thus far.

On the campaign trail, Suzan DelBene tells the story of how her family struggled when she was a kid. Her father was laid off from his job when she was nine, and the family moved all over the country as her parents looked for work. “They never got back to a situation where they were financially stable,” she explains.

She recounts that despite her family's financial difficulties, she was able to go to college on student loans. “I was in a position to take care of my family,” she says. “I’m not sure I could tell that story today.”

If Republican congressional candidate John Koster has a signature campaign issue, it’s the country’s ballooning national debt.

The website for his 1st Congressional District campaign features a national debt clock ticking away. The total now stands at more than $16 trillion.

“I think one of the greatest things that we could do for our constituents and our future generations is not hamstring them with huge debt and huge deficits that they will have to pay off,” he said.

In his two decades in politics, Koster has been a staunch advocate of limited government.