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Claus Joens
Claus Joens (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Washington House of Representatives to represent District 39-Position 1. He lost in the primary on August 2, 2022.
Biography
Claus Joens was born in Pullman, Washington. He earned a master’s degree both from Gonzaga University in 1993 and from Western Governors University in 2018. Joens’ career experience includes working in career and technical education, in particular, as a business education teacher at Concrete High School in Concrete, Washington. Previously, he worked in corporate finance at Ford Motor Company.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Washington House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1
Sam Low defeated incumbent Robert Sutherland in the general election for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sam Low (R)  | 54.4 | 31,997 |
 | Robert Sutherland (R) | 42.5 | 24,976 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.2 | 1,856 | ||
| Total votes: 58,829 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1
Incumbent Robert Sutherland and Sam Low defeated Claus Joens and Karl de Jong in the primary for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Sutherland (R) | 33.2 | 12,835 |
| ✔ | | Sam Low (R) | 27.1 | 10,498 |
 | Claus Joens (D) | 23.2 | 8,956 | |
| Karl de Jong (D) | 16.4 | 6,328 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 57 | ||
| Total votes: 38,674 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
See also: Washington House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1
Incumbent Robert Sutherland defeated Claus Joens in the general election for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Sutherland (R) | 60.0 | 48,716 |
| Claus Joens (D) | 39.9 | 32,349 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 100 | ||
| Total votes: 81,165 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1
Incumbent Robert Sutherland and Claus Joens advanced from the primary for Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1 on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Sutherland (R) | 61.3 | 30,685 |
| ✔ | | Claus Joens (D) | 38.6 | 19,303 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 77 | ||
| Total votes: 50,065 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Joens' endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.
2018
- See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2018
General election
Incumbent Keith Wagoner defeated Claus Joens in the general election for Washington State Senate District 39 on November 6, 2018.
General election
General election for Washington State Senate District 39
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Keith Wagoner (R) | 58.9 | 34,971 |
| Claus Joens (D) | 41.1 | 24,374 | |
| Total votes: 59,345 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Top-two primary
Claus Joens and incumbent Keith Wagoner defeated Elizabeth Scott and Jamal Rabieh in the primary for Washington State Senate District 39 on August 7, 2018.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washington State Senate District 39
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Claus Joens (D) | 37.8 | 11,521 |
| ✔ | | Keith Wagoner (R) | 30.1 | 9,186 |
 | Elizabeth Scott (R) | 27.0 | 8,239 | |
| Jamal Rabieh (Independent) | 5.0 | 1,523 | ||
| Total votes: 30,469 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Claus Joens did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Claus Joens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Joens' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Elected Experience Skagit County Democratic Party Vice-Chair; Skagit County 39th Legislative District Representative; Precinct Committee Officer
Other Professional Experience Claus is a 3rd generation public school teacher in Business Education who achieved his OSPI Principal Certificate. He successfully worked 20 years for Ford Motor Company in accounting, auditing, corporate finance, customer service, sales and marketing, software development, and strategic planning.
Education Western Governors University (M.S., Educational Leadership) Gonzaga University (M.B.A., Business Administration) Eastern Washington University (B.A., Finance and Economics) Spokane Community College (A.A., Agribusiness)
Community Service Lions Club, United Way, Rosalia Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, El Katif Shrine, and served as a church board member.
- Create Jobs - I support Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. These require a job and an income. There are more than 2x as many people out of work due to COVID-19 than there were in the Great Recession of 2008. We need to make sure unemployment benefits are extended until these people are able to return to work, and we need to balance the state budget.
- Affordable Health Care - The current model of receiving health care only if you have a job is no longer working. The USA spends $1 out of $5 on health care that you lose if you are not working when the rest of the world spends $1 out of $10 on health care you keep whether you are working or not. The wasted money costs working families 10% of the annual income each year, which has to stop.
- State Public Bank - We need a state public bank to manage the state budget and reduce costs; to finance state Public Works Trust Projects to put people to work, and to build affordable housing.
Environment - We have the chance to replace 4 dams on the Snake River for salmon restoration at a cost of less than $5 per month per household by replacing dams with local renewable green energy projects to support their local economies and create new jobs. When completed, the resources can be allocated to other regions within the state.
It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people - whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth - is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights - among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
As our nation has grown in size and stature, however - as our industrial economy expanded - these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.
We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men." People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Claus Joens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Joens' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Economy, Education, Environment...I will do this by closing corporate tax loopholes; improving women's and children's rights from birth through age 3; and restoring the salmon fishery.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Education and supporting working families...I am a high school teacher so I am on the front lines when these things go wrong.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
My political heroes are the late John McCain and Bernie Sanders.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
Robert Reich's film Inequality for All lays the groundwork for the work required to restore our nation for our children in the same condition in which we received it.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
To represent the people who elected you instead of the party you are affiliated with. This position was held for a long time by Kirk Pearson. He didn't care how you voted. He cared about what is the problem, how do you fix the problem, and when do you need it fixed by? I expect to do the same.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I care more about fixing the problems instead of fixing the blame.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Honesty, transparency, approachability, political will, and political courage
What legacy would you like to leave?
I want to leave this state to our children in much better economic education, and environmental shape than what it is now.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
Apollo 11 landing people on the moon. I was 6 years old.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Helping my dad on the farm for 10 years.
What happened on your most awkward date?
I was nervous and couldn't say anything right...that's when I realized English could be your only language and still not your best language.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Christmas...I enjoy the family, cultural, and religious significance of truly being grateful for what you have.
What is your favorite book? Why?
The Anatomy of Peace...it asks you to own your own stuff instead of blaming others for your issues.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Snoopy
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
Wood stove that drives out the damp cold on a rainy day.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Freedom by Aretha Franklin
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Putting too much on my plate and not managing my time as well as I could.
Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?
They may be driven by different party Dynamics depending on their composition.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
Yes but not required...some call moving from the House to the Senate as being "House Trained.". I view this as a potential drawback of playing into the party system instead of just bringing your "A" game, working hard, having faith, and seeing where the chips fall.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
Fully funding government and being honest about it with the taxpayers.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
Collaboration
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
Yes. Our job is to identify the best people and assign them to fixing the problems in their area, regardless of party. It is not to drink beer, play golf, and blame the other team.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
A careful nonpartisan one.
If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
1. Early Learning & K-12 Education, 2. Agriculture Water Natural Resources & Parks
If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?
That is up to the party leadership...I will serve in whatever capacity I am called to.
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Kirk Pearson held this position and did a good job. He helped his constituents even after he left this position.
Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
We have about 12,000 disabled students on a waiting list, and those who are receiving services are only receiving state support through age 6? As people we need to do a much better job separating those who can provide for themselves in society vs. those who cannot. Communism does not provide for those unable to contribute, and we really do not want to be or become those guys.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 15, 2020
