Electing Kim Schrier will bring to the office “pluses” sorely needed in the next Congress.

Restoring balance in our governance tops the list in a dysfunctional House currently dominated by a caucus of far right/radical my-way-or-the-highway incumbents. This is our turn to make a major contribution toward restoring that balance.

Schrier will be the only woman in the next Congress coming from a career in medicine. This will make her a logical selection to committees, where protecting rights like coverage of preexisting conditions will be at stake. She will be a respected voice supporting common sense improvements to the Affordable Care Act from Day One.

Throughout her campaign she has proven to be a knowledgeable articulate candidate taking positions I find make sense for our district on issues from climate change and education to taxes, gun safety and national security. In her recent debate with Dino Rossi, she was the candidate who gave straightforward answers to all the questions. Meanwhile, her opponent fumbled responses more than once including simply ignoring a couple questions.

Finally, only 19 percent of the current House of Representatives is women. We can only dream of the collegiality that would prevail in a membership more equally divided between men and women. This is our opportunity to raise this important percentage. Let’s not pass it up.

– David Olson