In March 2022, the Pew Research Center reported that “both parties have moved further away from the ideological center since the early 1970s,” a trend towards polarization that is not lost on Washington state voters. Republicans need to rally together, united around their common interests and the interests of the independent voters of Washington State in order to win. It’s projected that unless Republicans rally together and forfeit unrealistic ideological hardlines, we will once again face a tough election year.

In is long history, the Mainstream Republicans of Washington (MRW) have focused on promoting candidates and ideas aimed toward governance rather than grievance. The 2022 MRW Cascade Conference focused on shared values and building bridges, featuring topics like ‘Building Bridges with Labor’ and ‘Is the Democrat Party Leaving Latinos?’ MRW Leaders received terrific feedback on both sides of the aisle and began relationships with leaders from groups and communities that welcomed the opportunity to participate with our elected officials and leaders.

The Cascade Conference brought together leaders from across the state and even gained actionable ideas for the future, which shows great promise if we follow through to connect and collaborate with additional communities.

The MRW Building Bridges effort aims to reach out to broaden our connections with additional communities.  Through this effort, we will find out where our shared values lie and how we can create a mode of governing through ideological differences. This effort will also address the polarization that is damaging our communities and our state. This will be a localized approach to outreach efforts.

The Building Bridges Luncheon Series facilitates conversations on timely issues throughout the state. These conversations are hosted by local leaders on the frontlines of these issues. In two months, we have hosted dozens of attendees and connected with over 50 community members supporting our work.