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The Case for Kristina

Why Kristina
Soltys.

The record. The district. The moment.

The Opening Argument

The right candidate.
At exactly the right time.

The 47th Legislative District is a genuine swing seat. It has flipped parties three times since 2006. The incumbent won her primary in 2022 by just 65 votes. The general election margin was 2,749 votes. In a district with 155,000 people, that is not a mandate — that is an invitation.

Kristina Soltys isn't running because she's next in line. She's running because she has spent six years building the exact record South King County voters are looking for — on public safety, fiscal discipline, transportation, and community service. And she's running in a year where the priorities of 47th District families are in sharp contrast with the priorities Olympia is focusing on.

Here is the record, the district, and the moment.

Kristina Soltys — Candidate for WA State Senate, 47th District
01
Proven. Local. Ready.

A Record Built Right Here in the 47th.

Kristina Soltys has represented Covington City Council Position 1 since January 2020. In 2019 she did what political observers don't see often: she walked into her first election as a complete unknown and beat a nearly 14-year incumbent by 25 points. Four years later, no one even bothered to run against her.

That doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a community watches someone actually show up and deliver.

"Families across South King County are working hard, doing their best, and still feeling like they are falling behind. I believe I've been prepared for a time such as this, and I'm ready to fight for the people of this district."

— Kristina Soltys, Campaign Launch — April 7, 2026
What She's Delivered
Public SafetyChampioned fully funded law enforcement and backed increased officer staffing in Covington. Co-hosted a public safety roundtable with Congresswoman Schrier addressing rising property crime and officer staffing shortages across South King County.
TransportationServes on the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee. Worked directly on the SR-516 corridor and the $24M Covington Connector project, which reached substantial completion during her tenure.
HousingRepresents Covington on the South King Housing and Homelessness Partnership (SKHHP), working on regional affordable housing and homelessness solutions across multiple cities.
EnvironmentServes on Water Resource Inventory Area 9 (WRIA 9), the regional collaborative body for Green/Duwamish River salmon recovery and environmental stewardship.
Fiscal DisciplineCouncilmember in a city publicly described as having "some of King County's lowest taxes" — with a record of spending discipline that contrasts sharply with Olympia's recent direction.
Community LeadershipA 20-year Covington resident, former music teacher, mother of three, and the most visible local voice for the Ukrainian-American community in the Puget Sound region during the 2022 invasion — covered by KIRO 7, KING 5, and MyNorthwest.
02
Know the District

The 47th Is a Swing Seat. Every Cycle Proves It.

The Seattle Times has called the 47th a "super-diverse" district. Both parties' own district organizations publicly describe it as a "true swing district." The seat has changed party hands three times since 2006, and the 2022 incumbent barely survived a primary that was decided by 65 votes.

This district covers all of Covington and portions of Kent and Auburn in southeast King County — home to Boeing's 737 production, Blue Origin's headquarters, the largest industrial park on the West Coast, and more than 4,000 Ukrainian-Americans. It is a community of working families who commute far, pay more, and deserve leaders who actually know them.

Kristina Soltys is one of them. She came here from Ukraine at age 5, raised her three children here, and has spent the last six years making decisions that directly affected every family in this district. That is not a campaign bio. That is a lived record.

The Electoral History
2006 — R to D
Claudia Kauffman (D) defeats Mike Riley (R). Seat flips.
2010 — D to R
Joe Fain (R) defeats Kauffman 55%–45% by 4,605 votes. Seat flips back.
2018 — R to D
Mona Das (D) defeats Fain by 981 votes (50.9%–49.1%). Third flip in 12 years.
2022 — Open Seat, 65-Vote Primary
Kauffman advances past primary by 65 votes after mandatory recount. Wins general by 2,749 votes — not a mandate. This seat is genuinely competitive every cycle.
2026 — The Opportunity
A proven local candidate, the most favorable Republican environment in a decade, and a district that has proven it will swing. This is the race.
03
Head to Head

The Contrast Is Clear.

On the issues that matter most to 47th District families, the difference between Kristina Soltys and incumbent Claudia Kauffman is not a question of emphasis. It's a question of direction.

Fiscal Responsibility
Kristina Soltys

Councilmember in a city publicly described as having "some of King County's lowest taxes." Campaigns on spending discipline and opposing the cumulative tax increases that have hit families from every direction simultaneously.

Claudia Kauffman

Voted yes on the largest tax increase in Washington State history — gas tax (SB 5801), capital gains surcharge (SB 5813), B&O increases (HB 2081), estate tax expansion (SB 5813), and sales tax on services (SB 5814). Part of the caucus that passed Washington's first-ever income tax in 2026.

Public Safety
Kristina Soltys

Championed full funding for law enforcement and backed increased officer staffing in Covington. Co-hosted a public safety roundtable with Congresswoman Schrier on rising property crime and staffing shortages. In Olympia, will fight for more officers, better pay, and the resources police agencies need to keep neighborhoods safe.

Claudia Kauffman

Has voted with the Democratic caucus on every criminal justice bill since taking office in 2023, including votes to reduce penalties for violent offenses (HB 1815, 2025) and co-sponsoring legislation that forced local police agencies to deactivate crime-fighting tools already in use in South King County (SB 6002, 2026).

Transportation — SR-516
Kristina Soltys

Serves on the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee and has worked directly on the SR-516 corridor at the city-staff level. Knows exactly which intersection improvements have been studied, costed, and shelved — and will fight to fund them.

Claudia Kauffman

Voted for a 6-cent gas tax hike with a 2% annual compounding escalator (SB 5801). The WSDOT-recommended five-roundabout plan for SR-516 has $0 in state design funding. Kauffman's claimed $5M for SR-516 falls far short of what the corridor study says is needed.

04
The Political Environment

Why 2026 Is the Year.

The 2025 legislative session produced what the Association of Washington Business, the Seattle Chamber, the Bellevue Chamber, and the Washington Roundtable all described in a joint statement as "the largest tax increase in Washington state history." Then in 2026, the legislature passed Washington's first-ever income tax.

47th District families just absorbed a 6-cent gas tax hike with a 2% annual escalator, a new income tax, expanded estate taxes, a capital gains surcharge, and a sales tax expansion — all landing simultaneously. The Washington Policy Center projects the 2025 tax increases alone will reduce state wages by $1.78 billion in 2026, growing to $4.46 billion by 2029.

Against that backdrop, Kristina Soltys is running with a record of exactly the alternative voters in this district are looking for.

1
The seat is winnable. Kauffman won her 2022 primary by 65 votes after a mandatory recount and won the general by 2,749 votes. This is not a safe Democratic seat — it's an open contest every cycle.
2
The environment favors Republicans. South King County precincts shifted right in 2024. Washington just imposed its first income tax. The contrast between Olympia's record and a local candidate promising fiscal discipline could not be sharper.
3
Kristina has the record. She didn't just announce a platform — she has six years of votes, results, and relationships in the exact community she wants to represent. That is a different kind of credibility.
4
The endorsements are real. Launching with the sole endorsements of both the KCGOP and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee — institutional backing this district hasn't seen in years — Kristina enters this race with momentum from day one.
The Closing Argument
Kristina Soltys is not just the right candidate. She is the most electable Republican this district has seen in a decade.
Won 62.3% against a 14-year incumbent — as a first-time candidate
Re-elected without opposition after four years of results
Six years on SR-516, housing, public safety, and fiscal discipline
The district's most visible Ukrainian-American leader — in a district with 4,000+ Ukrainian residents
Sole KCGOP and SRCC endorsements — institutional backing this district rarely sees
Donate to the Campaign
Home Is Worth Fighting For

The 47th Deserves a Fighter.

Kristina Soltys has spent six years building the exact record this district needs — on public safety, fiscal discipline, transportation, and community. She knows the 47th not because she studied it, but because she raised her family here. Now she's ready to take that fight to Olympia. Help her get there.

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