Jaelynn Scott
State Rep LD 37
Seattle, Washington
What are the major issues that are getting you into public service as a politician?
I’m running to continue the tradition of firsts in the 37th LD. I will be the first out transgender legislator in Washington State history and the first out Black transgender women in a state legislature in the country. We in South Seattle were the first to send Black lawmakers to Olympia, the first to challenge the status quo of corporate greed.
At this moment, we are facing attacks on the people of Washington from the Trump administration, including trans and queer communities, our immigrant and refugee neighbors, as well as an attack on our progressive values. This administration and right-wing extremists have specifically targeted transgender women and girls. They are attempting to scapegoat us as their wedge issue in order to distract from the fact that they are robbing us blind and padding the pockets of the wealthy few. They want us divided and fighting about a few kids playing softball rather than holding those in power accountable for making our everyday lives unaffordable while corruption plagues Washington D.C.
H.R. 1 has robbed our state, t=Tax cuts given to the wealthy and large corporations on the federal level are forcing austerity budget measures in Washington state. It is time to invest in our commonwealth and secure a social safety net to protect our neighbors.
The campaign that Seattle DSA and I have built is growing a multi-racial working-class movement in Washington State. I will pass laws in Olympia that ensure compassionate public safety and prioritize care over criminalization, push for childcare for all, and state-funded universal healthcare. Finally, I’ll move to tax those who can afford it to make living in the 37th affordable for all.
What is the core of your platform that represents you today?
The throughline of all of my platform is to fight for a balanced budget with robust social safety nets that prioritizes care for our neighbors over profits for a few billionaire executives. In my life and work, I’ve seen firsthand the impacts of income inequality on the lived experience of the working and poor, especially trans and nonbinary people and Black community. Lack of investment in our communities lead to higher crime rates, food insecurity, and dismal health outcomes. It has always been clear to me that my work in LGBT rights is an economic fight, a fight to build a trans inclusive, thriving society where we have political power, autonomy over our labor, freedom from violence, and leisure.
The 37th Legislative District is one of the most diverse districts in the state and often overlooked. However, our marginalization is not our story. The 37th has a long history of effective community organizing and moving forward sewer socialist policies. The first WA State criminal justice reforms came from legislators in the 37th, as well as many advancements in food and housing justice. I have worked in ministry, community organizing, and as an executive director to address income inequality in communities most impacted.
What is the thing you are most proud of achieving thus far, and how will it help you as an elected official?
In my work at Lavender Rights Project, I have supported the leadership of brilliant young people and emerging leaders who are now shaping the landscape for criminal, housing, and racial justice in Washington state and beyond. Many of these brilliant leaders were never given an opportunity or a chance to grow and to lead. I am most proud of my commitment to lifting up young leaders; ensuring that those most impacted have a seat at the table, and trusting their wisdom. I plan to continue this approach in the state legislature, ensuring that our policy work is rooted in coalitions and grassroots movements and fighting hard to prioritize the needs of the constituents in my district.
What goals are you trying to accomplish?
- Community Safety, Not Criminalization: Community-based crisis response, independent police oversight, and an end to mass surveillance and mass incarceration.
- Corporate Accountability & Economic Justice: Housing, health care, work, and immigration status secured for everyone who calls the 37th home, paid for by those who can most afford it.
- Power to the People: Democracy vouchers, ranked-choice voting, and participatory budgeting to break the grip of corporate money and put decision-making back in the district’s hands.
What are your political ambitions?
Becoming a politician has never been my dream or a part of my career plans. My vocation is community organizing, and this moment offers a unique opportunity to build political power for my community at a challenging time in our state’s history.
I will be laser-focused on strategies to achieve tax reform, grow our housing development, achieve gender justice, and build community emergency response models for the state of Washington. If the Seattle DSA and my constituents believe that my re-election or eventual political run for a higher office is helpful, I will certainly consider it.
Who inspires you to keep fighting even when the battles seem too much?
Having won the primary with over 87% of the vote, it may look like a foregone conclusion that I will win this race. I certainly hope so. However, it has not been easy, no firsts are ever handed to us. There are interpersonal, socio-cultural, and financial barriers that make running for office challenging. Our campaign fought hard to be in the position we are in, working to show strength early in the race, encouraging those considering running for the seat to join our campaign. We engaged in intensive networking and deep canvassing. All of this while navigating a political environment that is threatening my very existence, a federal government that has declared my identity criminal, and a rise in anti-trans violence and hate.
When I show up at a canvass on an early Saturday morning and see young trans people of color who are enthusiastic about our campaign pushing through their fears and enthusiastic about building electoral power, it makes this all worth it.
This is what gets me out of bed.
Who is your role model from history in public service?
I am inspired by our trans foremothers, Monica Roberts, Marsha P. Johnson, Ms Sharyn Grayson, as well as the southern women who paved the way for Black women to run for political office, especially Shirley Chisolm and Fannie Lou Hamer. These women all understood the power of an intersectional approach that addresses the harms of racial capitalism and the importance of those with lived experience to govern and lead on policies that heal our communities. They have authored in the annals of their lives a New Deal for all Americans, one that combats the horrors of racial capitalism and outlines the path towards a multiracial and democratic republic.
What advice do you have for the community to help make change happen, beyond voting?
I know many of us have lost hope in electoral politics, and so many have given up on voting and engaging in legislative advocacy.
I would ask Washington young people and our LGBT community to find inspiration in the growing movement happening across the country. A movement led by the Democratic Socialists of America and other true progressives.
While we are seeing some bright spots in this election, the movement hasn’t reached its peak in Washington state. I believe it’s because of our Democratic trifecta in state government, many well-meaning people have become complacent.
This moment is showing us that we cannot play safe. Our neighbors are being picked up off the street, and we haven’t done enough to protect them. We don’t have resources available for the many trans and nonbinary people seeking refuge in Washington, and we are cutting critical services due to budget deficits, right when our housing and healthcare crises are at their peak.
We cannot live with the status quo, it is not safe. Lives are at risk. We can ask for more in this state. First, show up to vote and prove that we are a force. After the election, the real work starts. Form coalitions, find a friendly legislator to work with, and move forward policies that work for our people. If that doesn’t work, reclaim the ballot by running our own ballot initiatives. Now is the time.
