My name is Ingrid Anderson, I am a working mom, a nurse and I am running to be your next State Senator in the 5th Legislative District. I have spent my years as a nurse caring for our community members in the Emergency Room and in the Psychiatric Department. As a nurse and community advocate, I know firsthand how devastating the COVID-19 crisis is for the personal and financial health of our communities, frontline workers and local businesses. While I rejoice when I see someone being discharged from the hospital, I also understand that many are not so lucky.
Another impact of COVID that we do not hear about is the impact of depression, anxiety, isolation, secondary trauma, and other mental health issues. Unfortunately, we were already struggling to provide affordable and accessible mental health care to many people across Washington State even before COVID. This is one reason I decided to run for office. Running a campaign during a pandemic is particularly challenging, but it also highlights the need to have representation in Olympia. I Now more than ever we need someone with healthcare experience as we navigate our path to recovery.
I know we can make meaningful change if we have leaders who will take action and I promise to be a fierce advocate for improvements in our mental health system. In this next session we will need to look at ways to expand accessibility, affordability and we need to do this through an equity mindset. We also need to evaluate the mental health needs on our students in the K-12 system and provide preventative measures that address suicide and substance abuse, as they are at higher risk during these uncertain times. I will bring my experience with me to advocate for Washingtonians as we navigate our path forward.
-Ingrid Anderson, Candidate for Washington State Senate 5th LD, D
Learn more about Ingrid here: https://www.ingridforstatesenate.com