Did not advance to the General Election. Independent conservative Doug Karlberg is seeking election to the State Legislature in the 42nd District. Karlberg’s goal is to cut through the gridlock and focus on common sense problem solving for the benefit of the people of Whatcom County and the State. “I’ve been an independent thinker all my life, so as an independent in the Legislature, I can work fo
r the best solutions no matter who thought them first,” Karlberg said. “I believe in stealing good ideas.”
Karlberg is challenging Republican Luanne Van Werven who is running for re-election after one term in the Legislature. They will face each other in the top-two primary election August 3rd. The 42nd District includes the northwest third of Bellingham and all of north and east Whatcom County. Doug Karlberg grew up in Marietta. His father, Gary, was an elementary school principal and his mother Pat was the secretary at Fairhaven College. He has worked all his life in the blue-collar jobs that built Whatcom County: farming, fishing, and construction. While developing calluses on this hands, he has also developed his mind, mainly on politics and economics, and engaged in community issues, particularly the Port of Bellingham. He is the father of three grown daughters and lives with his partner, Jennifer Hill, in Lynden. Water will be Karlberg’s top issue in the Legislature. ”It’s an economic imperative for agriculture, our fishing industry, and municipalities that we get water rights sorted out. Karlberg said. “I opposed the coal port because of the water usage -- it just didn’t make sense to use millions of gallons of water on a pile of coal every day, when we’ve got farmers who can’t get rights for water for their crops.”
A self-described conservative, Karlberg will approach legislative decisions with an eye on efficiency. “I’ll be asking ‘are we delivering services cost-effectively?’ We need improvement in government, not destruction.”
