Deken Letinich

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Deken Letinich

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Evergreen High School

Personal

Profession

Laborer

Contact

Campaign website

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Deken Letinich (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Washington House of Representatives to represent District 18-Position 1. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Letinich completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Deken Letinich earned a high school diploma from Evergreen High School. His career experience includes working as a laborer and as an assistant political director and legislative director for the Washington and Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers. As of 2024, Letinich was affiliated with LiUNA Local 335.

Elections

2024

See also: Washington House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 1

Incumbent Stephanie McClintock defeated Deken Letinich in the general election for Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stephanie McClintock (R)	55.7	46,622
		Deken Letinich (D)	44.2	37,053
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	100

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 83,775
= 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.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 1

Incumbent Stephanie McClintock and Deken Letinich advanced from the primary for Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 1 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stephanie McClintock (R)	55.3	23,739
✔		Deken Letinich (D)	44.6	19,138
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	50

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 42,927
= 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 Letinich's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Letinich in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Deken Letinich completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Letinich's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was raised in a union family with deep Clark County roots. I have worked for my, LiUNA Local 335, for 10+ years and am a champion for Southwest Washington and its working families.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am a champion for working families.
• I am committed to bipartisan teamwork in Olympia
• I am committed to bringing the necessary funding we need for Southwest Washington to replace the I-5 bridge, fund our schools, and maintain our roads and infrastructure.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about labor and union rights. Everyone deserves a living wage, a safe work environment, and the ability to negotiate with their employer. I am also passionate about helping working families. It is hard to take care of your kids and work when childcare is inaccessible.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Probably but not one I am familiar with.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity. I think that in many ways it starts and ends there. If you do the right thing for the right reason you’ll never be wrong.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To do their best to represent and advocate for the people of their district and of the State.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I am a huge Pearl Jam song, so it was probably one of their songs!

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature has open channels for clear communication. The Governor and state legislature need to work together to achieve impactful legislation.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Some of Washington’s greatest challenges over the next decade will include working on limiting polarization and improving bipartisanship, updating and maintaining our roads and infrastructure, and protecting workers and ensuring they are making a livable wage.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it is beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience or understanding in government, but I do not think it is a necessary requirement to provide successful and trustworthy representation.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I do believe it is beneficial to work with other legislators. Teamwork results in legislation that better serves our constituents and produces faster results. In my experience working as the Assistant Political and Legislative Director for the Washington and Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers, I have seen firsthand the importance of building bipartisan relationships.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I admire the work of Rep. Monica Stonier. I think she has done a tremendous job listening to and working for the people of her district. Her advocacy and work as a representative is inspiring and I look forward to being able to work with her in representing the region of Southwest Washington.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I am solely focused on bringing change to Washington through the State Legislature as a State Representative so I can serve the people of the 18th LD.

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?

A story that has made a lasting impact on me was from a man in my district who, through a government assistance program designed for veterans, went from being homeless to a homeowner providing for his children and working at the VA. His story of perseverance and hard work stood out to me and to see the results firsthand of how assistance programs change people's lives for the better.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

One of the first bills I would work on if elected would be to increase access to affordable childcare. We have a childcare desert in Southwest Washington. Working families cannot provide for their families and participate in our economy if they are unable to work because there is no one available to watch their children. I want to create onsite childcare, particularly for construction workers, and make sure that our childcare workers are being paid a living wage.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs

State Senator Annette Cleveland
State Representative Monica Stonier
Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle
LiUNA Local 335
IUOE Local 701
Washington Building and Construction Trades Council
Columbia Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council

Carolyn Long

What committees interest you?

Postsecondary Education and Workforce, Transportation, Labor and Workplace Standards, Housing, Environment and Energy, and Capital Budget.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

There should be plenty of financial transparency and accountability. There need to be checks and balances and oversight to tax payer money.

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.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Deken Letinich campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 1	Lost general	$195,635	$192,755
Grand total			$195,635	$192,755
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2024 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 1

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Washington House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Laurie Jinkins

Majority Leader:Joe Fitzgibbon

Minority Leader:Drew Stokesbary

Representatives

District 1-Position 1

Davina Duerr (D)

District 1-Position 2

Shelley Kloba (D)

District 2-Position 1

Andrew Barkis (R)

District 2-Position 2

Matt Marshall (R)

District 3-Position 1

Natasha Hill (D)

District 3-Position 2

Timm Ormsby (D)

District 4-Position 1

Suzanne Schmidt (R)

District 4-Position 2

Rob Chase (R)

District 5-Position 1

Zach Hall (D)

District 5-Position 2

Lisa Callan (D)

District 6-Position 1

Mike Volz (R)

District 6-Position 2

Jenny Graham (R)

District 7-Position 1

David Engell (R)

District 7-Position 2

Hunter Abell (R)

District 8-Position 1

Stephanie Barnard (R)

District 8-Position 2

April Connors (R)

District 9-Position 1

Mary Dye (R)

District 9-Position 2

Joe Schmick (R)

District 10-Position 1

Clyde Shavers (D)

District 10-Position 2

Dave Paul (D)

District 11-Position 1

David Hackney (D)

District 11-Position 2

Steve Bergquist (D)

District 12-Position 1

Brian Burnett (R)

District 12-Position 2

Mike Steele (R)

District 13-Position 1

Tom Dent (R)

District 13-Position 2

Alex Ybarra (R)

District 14-Position 1

Gloria Mendoza (R)

District 14-Position 2

Deb Manjarrez (R)

District 15-Position 1

Chris Corry (R)

District 15-Position 2

Jeremie Dufault (R)

District 16-Position 1

Mark Klicker (R)

District 16-Position 2

Skyler Rude (R)

District 17-Position 1

Kevin Waters (R)

District 17-Position 2

David Stuebe (R)

District 18-Position 1

Stephanie McClintock (R)

District 18-Position 2

John Ley (R)

District 19-Position 1

Jim Walsh (R)

District 19-Position 2

Joel McEntire (R)

District 20-Position 1

Peter Abbarno (R)

District 20-Position 2

Ed Orcutt (R)

District 21-Position 1

Strom Peterson (D)

District 21-Position 2

Lillian Ortiz-Self (D)

District 22-Position 1

Beth Doglio (D)

District 22-Position 2

Lisa Parshley (D)

District 23-Position 1

Tarra Simmons (D)

District 23-Position 2

Greg Nance (D)

District 24-Position 1

Adam Bernbaum (D)

District 24-Position 2

Steve Tharinger (D)

District 25-Position 1

Michael Keaton (R)

District 25-Position 2

Cyndy Jacobsen (R)

District 26-Position 1

Adison Richards (D)

District 26-Position 2

Michelle Caldier (R)

District 27-Position 1

Laurie Jinkins (D)

District 27-Position 2

Jake Fey (D)

District 28-Position 1

Mari Leavitt (D)

District 28-Position 2

Dan Bronoske (D)

District 29-Position 1

Melanie Morgan (D)

District 29-Position 2

Sharlett Mena (D)

District 30-Position 1

Jamila Taylor (D)

District 30-Position 2

Kristine Reeves (D)

District 31-Position 1

Drew Stokesbary (R)

District 31-Position 2

Josh Penner (R)

District 32-Position 1

Cindy Ryu (D)

District 32-Position 2

Lauren Davis (D)

District 33-Position 1

Edwin Obras (D)

District 33-Position 2

Mia Gregerson (D)

District 34-Position 1

Brianna Thomas (D)

District 34-Position 2

Joe Fitzgibbon (D)

District 35-Position 1

Dan Griffey (R)

District 35-Position 2

Travis Couture (R)

District 36-Position 1

Julia Reed (D)

District 36-Position 2

Liz Berry (D)

District 37-Position 1

Sharon Santos (D)

District 37-Position 2

Chipalo Street (D)

District 38-Position 1

Julio Cortes (D)

District 38-Position 2

Mary Fosse (D)

District 39-Position 1

Sam Low (R)

District 39-Position 2

Carolyn Eslick (R)

District 40-Position 1

Debra Lekanoff (D)

District 40-Position 2

Alex Ramel (D)

District 41-Position 1

Janice Zahn (D)

District 41-Position 2

My-Linh Thai (D)

District 42-Position 1

Alicia Rule (D)

District 42-Position 2

Joe Timmons (D)

District 43-Position 1

Nicole Macri (D)

District 43-Position 2

Shaun Scott (D)

District 44-Position 1

Brandy Donaghy (D)

District 44-Position 2

April Berg (D)

District 45-Position 1

Roger Goodman (D)

District 45-Position 2

Larry Springer (D)

District 46-Position 1

Gerry Pollet (D)

District 46-Position 2

Darya Farivar (D)

District 47-Position 1

Debra Entenman (D)

District 47-Position 2

Chris Stearns (D)

District 48-Position 1

Osman Salahuddin (D)

District 48-Position 2

Amy Walen (D)

District 49-Position 1

Sharon Wylie (D)

District 49-Position 2

Monica Stonier (D)

Democratic Party (59)

Republican Party (39)