Lisa Parshley, a Democrat representing Olympia in the Washington House of Representatives, is seeking reelection to the District 22, Position 2 seat in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. She is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.

Jamie Keenan-deVargas, also a Democrat, is the other candidate in the race, according to BallotReady.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic

Office sought: Washington House of Representatives, District 22, Position 2

Education: Parshley holds a doctor of philosophy in biochemistry from Oregon Health & Science University, according to her campaign website.

Profession: Parshley has been owner and veterinary oncologist at Olympia Veterinary Specialists since 2010, according to BallotReady profile data.

Experience and public service

Parshley has held the District 22, Position 2 seat since 2025, according to BallotReady profile data. She served on the Olympia City Council in Position 5 from 2018 to 2024, according to BallotReady. She chaired the council's Finance Committee, according to her campaign website.

In the Legislature, Parshley said she serves as vice chair of the Capital Budget Committee and as a commission member on the Washington State Universal Health Care Commission, according to her campaign website.

She said she served as board president of the LOTT Clean Water Alliance. Earlier in her career, she worked as a research scientist at Immunex Corporation and completed a post-doctoral research position at the University of Washington, according to her campaign website.

Outside elected office, Parshley said she has volunteered at Covenant Creatures, organized community cancer-prevention and research fundraisers for going on 15 years, and supported Expanding Your Horizons, a program encouraging young women to pursue science and math careers. She said she has staffed the animal health tent at Thurston County's annual point-in-time homeless count since 2018, treating pets of people sleeping outside. She has also run vaccine clinics in tiny home villages and other stabilization sites around Olympia, she said.

On the issues

Healthcare: Parshley said she sponsored House Bill 1186, which she said is now law. She said the measure allows hospitals and emergency rooms to send patients home with a full course of medication rather than a 48-hour supply, cutting costs for families, reducing medical waste and helping residents living in pharmacy deserts. She also said she introduced House Bill 1445, the Washington Health Trust, a statewide universal healthcare proposal, in her first term.

Economy and taxes: Parshley said she fought and voted for the Millionaires' Tax in 2026 to fund free school meals, sales tax exemptions for over-the-counter medications and hygiene products, and expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit. She said she is pushing for expanded childcare subsidies, stronger renter protections and "healthcare that doesn't bankrupt people who use it."

Housing: Parshley said she supports building more homes of every type, including starter homes, rentals, senior housing and workforce units.

Labor and workers' rights: Parshley said she has championed bargaining rights for public employees facing the rollout of artificial intelligence in their workplaces.

Endorsements

Parshley's endorsement page lists support from Denny Heck and Laurie Jinkins. Organizational endorsements listed on her campaign website and BallotReady include Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, the AFL-CIO, Teamsters Local 117, the Washington Education Association Political Action Committee, the Sierra Club's Washington State Chapter, the Washington State Nurses Association Political Action Committee, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Victory Fund and the Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund, among others.