Michaela Kelso

Michaela Kelso was born in Bad Homburg. She served in the U.S. Army from 1995 to 2018. Kelso worked as a linguist and as an interrogator for the Military Intelligence Corps and completed an apprenticeship in landscaping and horticulture. She also earned high school diploma from the Gymnasium Oberursel in Germany and an associate degree from Spokane Community College in 2024. As of 2026, Kelso was retired.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in West Germany in 1970 and immigrated to the US in 1993 after marrying my husband, a US Army Soldier in 1992.

I joined the United States Army in 1995 and retired in 2018 as a Sergeant First Class. During my time in the service I worked in several different fields, from food service to personnel management to Military Intelligence.

I deployed to Bosnia Herzegovina in 1996, Iraq in 2007, and Afghanistan in 2008.

Throughout my military career I was recognized for my hard work, loyalty, and integrity.

Since my retirement I have been actively involved with the Spokane County Democrats and my Legislative District Democratic Party, the Washington State Democratic Party, as well as several local and congressional races.

I graduated with three Associates Degrees from the Environmental Sciences Department of the Spokane Community College.

I believe in science, that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity. I support the ERA, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the right to unionize, the right to marry who you love, the right to privacy in your medical decisions, and reasonable gun control measures.

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?

My message is simple: It doesn't matter who we support at the federal level, ultimately we all want, need, and strive for the same things.

A healthy and happy family, a safe place to live, and a job that allows us to to have those things.

Here is what I can promise to you: No matter who you voted for in this or past elections, I will listen to you. Your voice matters, and I will not waste my time, or yours, with grand-standing bills that won't go anywhere.

I am running to make sure the people of the 6th Legislative District in Washington finally have Real Representation in Olympia!Healthcare is a Human Right! Insurance companies have too much power and they abuse it. Because the system "encourages" denials, care is often delayed, even in near emergencies. The level and type of care a patient receives should be determined between the patient and their physician. We also have problems with rural healthcare. In Eastern WA we are expecting several rural clinics and hospitals to close, partially due to loss of funding, and a shortage of medical personnel interested in working in rural communities. The way I see it, we don't necessarily have a nurse shortage, we have too many nurses doing administrative tasks and fighting with the insurance companies.We need to increase our housing inventory, especially affordable housing.

When massive organizations monopolize the housing market, these greedy landlords control who gets to live in a safe place, and who doesn't.

Every person deserves a safe place to live, and data analysis has shown that the most important factor in lowering the number of unhoused individuals is to provide affordable housing. Let's do that!

We need to make building multi-family housing more attractive and less expensive. One way we can do that is by limiting how much land in urban growth areas can be zoned as single-family only. For years urban planners have been spreading the “build up, not out” message,

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare, Housing, Education

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Spokane County Democrats, 6th Legislative District Democrats, Center for Freethought Equality PAC.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Michaela was born the middle child to working-class parents in Germany. After she met and married her husband, an American soldier, she immigrated to the US in 1993, where she soon decided to join the US Army as well.

During her military career, Michaela worked in multiple positions, from Food Service to Personnel Administration and Source Operations, being recognized for her hard work and integrity at all levels. She received her US citizenship on February 6th, 2002.

While on vacation in 2009 Michaela and her family visited Spokane and fell in love with the area. They bought a property in Chattaroy, WA, and finally moved there in 2018 after Michaela and her husband retired.

Since her retirement, Michaela has graduated with three Associates Degrees from Spokane Community College, worked with multiple local groups, and volunteered with several congressional campaigns, the Spokane County Democrats, as well as the 6th and 7th LD Democrats.

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?

Education is Key! We need to ensure that ALL children can get the best education available. It shouldn’t depend on where they live, or how much money their parents

have. Michaela Kelso will work to ensure that our schools are well-funded, and our educators are paid wages that are equal to their responsibilities. When our kids are

well-educated, we all win.The cost of housing has skyrocketed in the last few years, making renting, let alone buying a home, too expensive for many.

No one plans on being unhoused! As such, Michaela sees people in these situations less of a problem to be “fixed” than a group that needs to be assisted. Communities need help in order to provide necessary resources.

We need to encourage the construction of multi-family homes, which will create medium-density and mixed-use residential areas, and reduce urban sprawl.

Rampant market speculation has led to many housing prices nearly doubling in the last five years. This trend will only continue until the average Spokanite is priced out of their own city. Something must be done to curb this massive change.Women's Rights are Human Rights! The Dobbs decision changed the face of women’s health in this nation, and things have only gotten worse in the two years since

its passing. We can see it just across the border in Idaho, which has one of the harshest anti-abortion policies in the country. The lack of Obstetricians and both pre- and post-natal care has turned North Idaho into a medical desert and has flooded Spokane’s hospitals with medical refugees. No pregnant person should be forced to carry a fetus to term if they don't wish to do so, or if it would be detrimental to their well-being. If any one woman is considered a second-class citizen in this country, we all are.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Having to restrict my activities after the Chernobyl disaster opened my eyes about the dangers dangers posed by nuclear reactors. Seeing the environmental disasters after the Exxon Valdez and the BP Horizon events confirmed my environmental positions.

We don't need to look far to see the effects of climate change and industrial pollution. Devastating fires, contaminated water, and, as a result of both, loss of life and property. But where is the support and leadership from our representatives? Missing in Action!

Passing legislation to hold polluters accountable and funding investigations into the extent of the damage and how to fix it will be one of Michaela's top priorities as a legislator.

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

Integrity. One must be prepared to work hard, even without reward, and then graciously admit defeat if the will of the voters didn't .

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

I am fairly tenacious. When I was stationed at Ft. Hood, TX, one of my Battalion Commanders called me his "own, personal pit bull". I also do a lot of research. I don't like to be wrong, not matter how convinced I am that what I believe is right.

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

1. Listening to their constituents.

2. Advocating for them.

3. Working with other legislators to enact laws to benefit all.

4. Ensure government funds are collected and spent equitably.

5. Hold others accountable when they commit crimes or acts that harm the citizens of Washington.

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

Responding to Climate Change. We need to get ahead of the problem or a large portion of our state will become uninhabitable.

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

Yes and No. If you have experience, of course you potentially will be more effective in your work. But requiring experience is gate-keeping.

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

Absolutely. When you get along with others they will be more inclined to listen to your positions, they may be more willing to compromise, or they may have insights that you were not aware off.

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

Senator Elizabeth Warren!

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

Not really. I love where I live, I am interested in helping my region.

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

While I generally am in favor of this, it isn't always practical. Our legislature meets for one short and one long session each term. Recalling the legislature for every emergency will delay needed responses, and may not even be necessary.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Spokane County Democrats, Washington State Democrats Veterans and Military Family Caucus, Humane Voters of Washington

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Nobody is above the law. As

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Germany to working class parents. After marrying a Soldier, I immigrated to the US in 1993. I joined the US Army in 1995, deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and worked, and trained with hundreds, if not thousands of Soldiers, ultimately achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class. I retired after 23½ years of service, the last 15 in the Military Intelligence Corps. I am a trained Command Financial Specialist and Master Resiliency Trainer.

Currently I am working towards degrees in Arboriculture, Landscape Management, and Small Farms Production at Spokane Community College. I have also taken a number of History, Mathematics, Business Management, and Accounting classes while on active duty.

This year my husband and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. We have two adult children, a dog, two cats, and 23 chicken. My favorite vehicle is my tractor. I enjoy growing plants (mostly trees), reading, and preserving democracy.

I served our country for almost half my life, and I am not done yet. I look forward to working for all of you.

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?

Education is key! We need to ensure that ALL children can get the best education available. It shouldn’t depend on where you live, or how much money your parents have. I will work to ensure that our schools are well funded and our educators are paid wages comensurate with their responsibilities.When our kids are well educated, we all win.Healthcare is a Human Right. We need to fix our broken system that benefits corporations more than us. I don't want our seniors to have to ration medicine or food, and I want to make sure that everyone can see a doctor before their condition becomes an emergency. I support a move towards a single payer system, even in increments.We need to fix the housing crisis. The cost of housing has skyrocketed in the last year, making renting, let alone buying a home, too expensive for many. We need to encourage the construction of multi-family homes, creating medium density residential areas, and curb urban sprawl.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Having to restrict my activities after the Chernobyl disaster opened my eyes about the dangers posed by nuclear reactors. Seeing the environmental disasters after the Exxon Valdez and the BP Horizon events confirmed my environmental positions. We need to move towards sustainable energy production without the harmful side effects of nuclear, coal, 'natural' gas, or petroleum based production. One can argue about the causes of climate change (hint: it's caused by us), but the trends are clear: We are heading towards a climate disaster.

We are not insulated from it because we live on the other side of the mountains. Our summers are getting hotter, our precipitation rates are going down, the fire risk is going up. For now we have enough water to help us irrigate our crops, but what if our aquifer isn't being replenished by snow melt?

The only way to stop this is to reduce CO2 emissions. And since we cannot control CO2 or methane produced naturally, we have to control what we can, and that is our own consumption.

Washington may be way ahead of most of the nation with renewable energy production, but we still have significant carbon-heavy industries. We need to de-carbonize our economy, for the sake of our children.

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

Integrity. One must be prepared to work hard, without reward, and then graciously admit defeat.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to make a positive difference in people's lives.

One of our biggest problems are rising healthcare costs. They drive families into poverty and homelessness. Our seniors have to ration medication or food, or both.

I have experienced life with universal healthcare both in Germany and on Active Duty. There is nothing socialist about wanting to make sure that everyone can go to the doctor when they get sick. There is nothing socialist about everyone paying a little more so our most vulnerable are taken care of.

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

The 1986 Chernobyl Disaster happened less than two months before my 16th birthday. I vaguely remember other events, like the Russian Invasion of Afghanistan when I was 9, or the explosion of Mount St. Helens in 1980, but this was the first big event that specifically affected myself and my family.

Living in Germany we experienced immediate impacts on our daily lives: Fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, fish, and wild mushrooms were considered contaminated, and radioactive fallout kept people indoors in many areas in Germany, including in my home state of Hessen. Most campgrounds stayed closed that year, and thousands of tons of crops had to be destroyed.

To this day, berries, wild mushrooms, and wild boars in Eastern and Southern Germany are still contaminated with caesium-137.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I prefer an independent commission for redistricting. In Washington the parties in the legislature picked two members each, and the results (and their final conduct) were less than desirable nor transparent.

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

I was very impressed by the poise and grace exhibited by Danica Roem after she won her seat in the Virginia Assembly. Despite the very negative campaign messages about her by her opponent, she refused to speak bad about him after she won the election.

My favorite politician of all times, though, is Senator Elizabeth Warren. I was assigned the position of Command Financial Specialist for several years while stationed at Fort Hood. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Senator Warren's brain child), and the rules they enforced truly protected Soldiers much more than the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act, which only applied to situations associated with deployments or reassignments.

Additionally, Senator Warren has been a vocal champion for consumer rights since the 1990s and approaches problems with research and solutions.

Tell us your favorite joke.

What do dogs and trees have in common?

Sometimes their bark can be a little 'ruff'.

Compromise is often necessary, but not necessarily desirable. Why would I want to compromise on legislation to combat climate change with a climate change denier? Or compromise on a healthcare bill with an anti-vaccine advocate?

However, sometimes you have to work with people who are absolutely against your ideas and stances to get at least some of your policies enacted. I am always willing to hear people out to see if we can come to some kind of understanding.