2025 Washington Politics: Elections, Scandals, Immigration, and Budget Deficits

In 2025, Washington state and Snohomish County politics were defined by high-stakes decisions, legal battles, fiscal pressures and budget deficits, and of course political scandals. Below are the highlights of our state, and local, politics coverage for 2025. Brandy’s Law brings some peace to victim of fatal dog attack in Lynnwood The Lynnwood City Council […]
AG Brown warned with up to one year in federal prison by DOJ if his office impedes citizen journalists

SEATTLE—Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s statement on reports of Somali-run home-based daycare providers being harassed alleging that “showing up on someone’s porch, threatening, or harassing them isn’t an investigation” is being met with stern criticism by U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Harmeet K. Dhillon. Brown’s statement was posted on X approximately […]
WAGOP Chair accuse AG Brown and Sen Wellman of shielding fraudsters in childcare scandal

BELLEVUE—Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh criticized Democratic officials for their responses to an expanding federal investigation into alleged childcare fraud, accusing them of siding with potential wrongdoers over taxpayers amid claims the schemes have spread from Minnesota to states including Washington. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a nationwide probe into […]
Federal judge allows sharing of immigrant Medicaid data with ICE

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal judge ruled Monday that states must share basic personal information, including citizenship status, about undocumented immigrants enrolled in Medicaid with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation efforts, but barred the exchange of sensitive health records. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, partially upholds a President Donald J Trump’s […]
Brown co-leads lawsuit against HHS over gender-affirming restrictions for minors

SEATTLE—Attorney General Nick Brown is co-leading a federal lawsuit with Oregon and New York of 20 states and the District of Columbia challenging a declaration by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. that deems certain gender-affirming care for minors unsafe and ineffective, threatening to bar providers from participating […]
Bob Ferguson hosts Tim Walz at $2,500-a-table lunch as Minnesota Governor doubles down on immigration

[The Center Square]—Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, under fire for failing to prevent a massive welfare fraud scheme in his state, was in Seattle on Tuesday as the special guest at Gov. Bob Ferguson’s fundraising luncheon, telling those in attendance Somalis were being “demonized” and vowing to bring more into his state. “These folks better not […]
Washingtonians to get automatic payouts in $700M Google Play monopoly settlement

SEATTLE—Millions of Android users across the United States, including thousands in Washington state, will soon see money hit their PayPal or Venmo accounts as part of a $700 million settlement with Google over alleged monopolistic control of the Google Play Store. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown announced Tuesday that the payment process has officially begun […]
AG Brown proposes legislation to help fight against ICE raids by requiring notice and warrants for workplace I-9 audits

OLYMPIA—Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, joined by Senator Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle) and Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-Mukilteo), announced on Friday, December 5, proposed legislation titled the Immigrant Worker Protection Act that aims to shield immigrant workers from fear and intimidation caused by federal immigration enforcement actions and to strengthen workplace protections in the state. “When workers […]
SOS’ Office warns public not to give to scammers this holiday season

OLYMPIA – ‘Tis the season for giving and supporting our community – just make sure you aren’t giving to scammers. As we approach Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs encourages donors to “Pause. Check the Cause” to ensure their donations are going to legitimate charities. Assured Giving, a collaboration campaign between the […]
AG Brown co-leads multi-state suit against HUD’s homelessness funding overhaul

SEATTLE—The Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown is co-leading an 18-state lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) alleging that the agency’s new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, introduces unlawful policies and conditions that disrupt the Continuum of Care (CoC) grant program—a key federal initiative that […]