William Rasmussen

William Rasmussen (independent) is running for election to the Washington House of Representatives to represent District 2-Position 1. He declared candidacy for the primary scheduled on August 4, 2026.^[source]

Rasmussen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

William Rasmussen was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1998 to 2015. Rasmussen earned a high school diploma from Rocky Mountain High School and a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in 2016. His career experience includes working in the military, as a board certified respiratory therapist, as a science teacher, and as a national park ranger.

Elections

2026

See also: Washington House of Representatives elections, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on August 4, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Washington House of Representatives District 2-Position 1

Incumbent Andrew Barkis and William Rasmussen are running in the primary for Washington House of Representatives District 2-Position 1 on August 4, 2026.

		Candidate
		Andrew Barkis (R)
	Submit photo	William Rasmussen (Independent)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

William Rasmussen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rasmussen's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Navy Vet, Army Retired, My adult career has been in medicine working as a Medic in the field or a Respiratory Therapist in a neo-natal ICU. I have a BS from Colorado State in eco-system science, and currently in Grad school for Public Administration. I am a firm believer the old fashion Republican values of honor, truth, and integrity while also a dedicated Democrat to making sure that everyone is given the opportunity to succeed and no one is left behind. I know what polarization does to a country, I have been to 3 wars because of it. We need to stop the fight between us and start building a true America that includes everyone. That embraces our diversity and treasures our legacy.

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?

• Everyone has a voice to be heard, and all should respect that. Everyone has rights, and they are guaranteed under the constitution and under the law, and those will be respected. Everyone is part of a larger community and that shall be respected.
• That it takes a team to solve difficult problems, that in the current chaos, we need everyone to step up, they should ask the question " if not me, Who ?"
• That We all have the fundamental rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That we are a country of laws that are necessary for those fundamental rights, and people have died to earn those rights, to protect those rights, and ensure all have those rights now and for ever more. Democracy is fragile and must be protected, and its up to each and everyone of us to protect all our rights, and the rights of others.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public health, public education, environmental protection, equal protection under the law, and social justice. Economics of poverty, homelessness and factors that affect families. Gender-specific universal healthcare

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

studies on Ronal Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy,

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

honesty and integrity, compassion for others, solving problems, and inclusion

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

my background in military and medicine, to be strong, empathetic, smart, and personable, keeping in mind that I volunteered to serve again

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

provide for basic services as best as possible, plan for and work towards better services at every opportunity. Include all in what we do and plan for. Provide services to all to meet the goal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all

What legacy would you like to leave?

That there will be others who are better than me following, cause I helped to create them, create the programs, and leave the world a better place more sustainable for all

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

all the events in 1968, Apollo 8, MLK's assassination, Bobby Kennedy

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

worked at a nursing home for a summer

What is your favorite book? Why?

Tom Clancy-Hunt for Red October

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Jack Ryan

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

that I am not smart enough, that I doubt my abilities sometimes

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

Collaborative and open with open discussions between the 3 branches to have a good foundation for good governing

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

surviving the next 4 years and the chaos, then building back better than before, to be self-sustainable and resilient

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

I do believe you need a background in working with others, that government is not and should not be treated as a business. that service is what the government is to do, and it takes a mindset to do it well

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

absolutely, its all about communication and developing a team to solve problems

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

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Tammy Duckworth, Ben Nighthorse Cambell

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

I am looking at all opportunities to serve the people of this country

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?

I have heard or been involved in so many situations with others in one way or another. From being on a rescue team treating a crash victim, treating someone who was drunk causing a crash, and caring for a premature infant so fragile, we had to build a special ventilator to keep them alive. leaving care packages to kids along the road in Iraq, taking care of a vet who was having a mental health crisis, or working your butt off to save a parent who had a heart attack.

Tell us your favorite joke.

It was a Reagan joke-Teddy Roosevelt was giving a speech when he kept getting heckled by a guy. So finally, Teddy asked the guy what he had to say, the heckler said, " I'm a Democrat, my daddy was a Democrat, my granddaddy was a Democrat" . so Teddy thought about it and had a response perfect for the occasion, " So what if your daddy was a jackass, and your granddaddy was a jackass, what would that make you ?" Without losing a beat, the Heckler responded, " A Republican"

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Depending on the situation, the rule of law comes first, but it may be necessary to suspend normal values in case of an extreme emergency. that includes war, or a pandemic-example would be Ebola or something of that nature

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

a code of ethics and responsibility that has the power to remove from office, term limits, and expanded authority non-patrician agency to investigate

What committees interest you?

Veterans, technology, education, health

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial management is key to getting anything done, but it can not stifle and hinder families to be self sufficient. A government must be accountable or there is no trust in that government to serve its people

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

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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Government

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Candidate

Washington House of Representatives District 2-Position 1

Website

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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)