To me, it's one of the most fascinating congressional races in the state and honestly maybe the country I might be a little bias on it, but maybe the country uh we're talking about the race for the eighth Congressional district. so Congresswoman Kim Schrier, a first term Democrat, is trying to keep her seat in a race against her Republican challenger Jesse Jensen. The eighth Congressional district, is something of an enigma, a puzzle of swords that doctor Kim Schrier somehow piece together in 2018, turning the eight blue. For the first time ever, But in politics, sometimes the puzzle pieces shift to be honest with me were you disappointed with the results of the primary? Um yeah, I was of course, yeah, I mean I've been I've been working really hard to reach the most remote parts of this district, but you know the primary is just a reminder that at most, I can reach maybe 10000 people um in person at town halls, those kinds of things and so it's my job now to reach the other 740000 people to make sure that they know I've been going to bat for them and to make sure that uh that I went and. To represent uh come November in the August primary Congresswoman performed below expectations getting just 43% of the vote not ideal as an incumbent while she easily advanced Republican candidates got more combined votes, putting her general election challenger Jesse Jensen in a promising position. What are you doing to sort of pick up those votes that went to other Republicans in August? Yeah. Well, we've been endorsed by all the Republicans in the field. We've been endorsed by Corey Bailey, the independent we've been. Endorsed by James Mitchell, a Pro-life Democrat. So we're incredibly excited with those endorsements. We're more proud of the endorsements from Dave Reichert sleigh Gordon Rob McKenna host of other folks in the Congressional District. Dave Reichert is of course former congressman Dave Reichert, the man who represented the eight for 14 years. he joined Jensen at a recent campaign event. He's got my full endorsement. I think it'd be a fantastic member of Congress and uh I'm trying to do what I can to help him to help him win my biggest issue. Is I like the eight district constituents to be serve the best that they can be serve? No one asked me when I was in the military. If I was a Democrat or Republican, they told me to go take that Hill and I did it same. likewise when I was in uh the business sector, No one no one cared about my political affiliation. They just wanted to get something done and that's what I'm gonna do uh to represent the eighth Congressional District to do Congressman Dave Reichert proud uh is to make sure that we're representing everyone uh whether they agree with me or not. but winning as a political newcomer takes a lot of work. Jensen can just ask the woman he's trying to replace do. Was a political unknown when she ran in 2018, but hit the campaign trail hard. This is all about getting out The vote meeting voters volunteers and yes even reporters Face-to-face fast forward to twenty and this is about as close as we'll get to the Congresswoman and voters are more likely to see her on their TV screens for you. Why is this the path that you chose to not be out campaigning So we're living in a pandemic and it's really important to respect everybody's need for health. Here I am traveling back and forth to Washington, DC. I could easily pick up this virus now you could say Congress is one of the most dangerous places to be right so for me to have an in-person event with people even with a mask, you know, it's just not the responsible thing to do and certainly to do something like that. inside is not the responsible thing to do um in my own personal life. I have had very few in-person interactions at all and I don't go in other people's homes and so this is just an extension of my responsibility. To the community uh and to my family, uh do you support all of the current mandates that the governor has put down are there any mandates? The governor has that you do not support so I don't have the entire list of mandates, but the basic idea that we need to open cautiously that we need to keep our distance that there should be mask wearing when we're out in public and you know near others. Those are just common sense mandates and I wish we didn't have to have them as mandates. Like if if we had leadership from the top and if people had followed the science, we would all be wearing masks voluntarily. It's just not that big of an ask, but because it wasn't happening, I believe our governor had to make it a mandate while her opponent Jesse Jensen certainly never expected to be campaigning in a mask, he is out campaigning but keeping crowds small, he's been critical of driver's past comments on Governor Ensley mandates. She's telling voters of the eighth Congressional District on your show uh. They don't need to go to restaurants that they don't need to be going out and supporting local small businesses. Uh I think that's absolutely the wrong answer. In fact the day that I saw that air. I took my family to claw. We followed the governor's mandates. We wore a mask and we sat down for dinner and we followed the dictates that science indicates is the way that we need to be protecting ourselves because we need to support our local businesses and we need to make sure that jobs in the economy are the number one thing coming out of uh Kobe let's go. Back for a moment to what I said at the beginning that thing about the eight being an enigma at a time when political extremes drive voters, the eight is a little different candidates must appeal to voters from Ellensburg to Auburn and everywhere in between a mix that benefits a moderate. Perhaps that's why Jesse Jensen is trying to paint his opponent as anything. but like in this campaign, flyer showing him as a family man and Congresswoman fryer as a socialist Kim Fryer stands with. A radical socialist agenda, Kim is a moderate Democrat. She is outside of the mainstream. We have her uh on tape with saying there's no difference between you and I we share the same values uh for those of your viewers who may not know, of course, represents Seattle and she's in charge of the progressive wing in the house. So the fact that Congresswoman is self affiliating with her. I think it's indicative that she's outside of the mainstream for the eighth congressional when you hear that you know that. How you're being painted by your opponent is in line with the radical socialist and the Seattle Socialists. Uh what's your reaction to that? I have a couple reactions when is um I guess they don't have anything real to say because this is the line they're using across the country. I mean you can look at me and you can talk to me for 2 minutes and know that is not me. I'm a pediatrician Doctor mom uh from the eighth district. My record says, Oh, you really need to hear about my efforts to work with both parties to really get things done for the eight district and so to me that sounds kinda like lazy campaigning to just take kind of the standard Republican talking points that they're using across the country. It doesn't fit, but you know some things are lazy, but they can be effective. You know it do you think it hurts you to be tied even if you think it's in a lazy way to the politics. Of Seattle to the Democrats or the socialist of Seattle, I don't think the people in this district will believe it and this election isn't the first time has been compared to Seattle Socialist. It's a tactic or previous opponent Dino Rossi used as well as we pointed out while covering that race back in 2018, her opponent by the way has made sure to tell voters that she is the most left-wing candidate he's ever faced. But Dino Rossi ended up losing which makes you wonder whether painting as too extreme. Will actually be a successful campaign strategy. The reality is that neither candidate is reflective of the nation's political fringes, and as for who could win in November well that much like the eighth district is a mystery. According to our numbers, This race is neck and neck, and I really think that we're gonna take this seed back for uh common sense uh accomplishments and common sense uh values that are uh aligned with the eighth Congressional district if you want a person. Who will respond to the needs of the eight district who will have 62 town halls in 2 years who will listen to you and take those concerns to Congress. I would be honored to earn your vote if you want somebody who will work across the A who will pursue those opportunities to find members of my own party and the other party to work together and move the ball forward. I'd be honored to earn your vote. It's been an absolute honor uh to represent the eighth district. Now, the moderates are really gonna choose that one. The moderates don't have a loud voice these days cuz they're often drown out, but they have a little power in the eight and I think that moderates uh filling out their ballots are. Decide who they're gonna send to Congress for the eight district.