The 2024 elections and nursing’s priorities

As we consider the full implications of the recent local, state, and federal elections, WSNA will continue to focus on the issues that face the nursing profession, health care, and our members.

Our priorities and values are not based on which political leaders are in office at any point in time. The outcome of the elections has not changed our major priorities—including safe staffing, workplace safety, collective bargaining rights, health care access, equity, and promoting the health of the public. These are the issues that continue to unite us.

In Washington state, the election of candidates supported by the WSNA Political Action Committee offers new opportunities for advancing our policy priorities. These candidates include WSNA PAC-endorsed Governor-elect Bob Ferguson, Attorney General-elect Nick Brown, Insurance Commissioner-elect Patty Kuderer, and a large number of state house and senate candidates. Voters also rejected initiatives that would have gutted Washington’s long-term care program and led to staggering cuts in public health and other vital programs.

At the national level, we must be cognizant of the threats to health access, our rights to organize and bargain collectively, the rights of people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, and to public health. When the WSNA Board of Directors endorsed Kamala Harris for President, we did so based on the candidates’ stands on priority issues for nursing, health care, and labor. We recognized that WSNA members hold a wide range of political views and that each member would decide for themselves how to vote. Moving forward, we now remain focused on navigating this new environment with our state and national partners.

This is a time to increase our commitment to standing up on behalf of nursing, health care, and our collective power as nurses and working people. The rapidly changing political climate will call for new advocacy strategies and for strengthening our partnerships within the labor movement and with other advocates for social justice.

Regardless of individual political opinions or perspectives, solidarity as a bedrock principle is more important now than ever.