Older Voters Have Clout in Governor's Race

By Vanessa Ho

As Washington gets ready to choose its governor, older voters will play a major role in determining the outcome. Nearly 63 percent of residents 55 and older voted in the 2014 election—the highest turnout among all age groups—and voters 55 and older also made up 56 percent of the electorate.

In this year’s race, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, 65, seeking a second term, and Republican challenger Bill Bryant, 56, a former Port of Seattle commissioner, shared their views with the AARP Bulletin on issues affecting older voters.

Both candidates want to invest in ways to help people live independently at home. Inslee noted that he held Washington’s first-ever Governor’s Aging Summit in 2013 with AARP and has made support for family caregivers part of his Healthier Washington initiative to transform health care.

He said he would work on fixing the “broken” market of long-term care insurance to develop viable options. “Additionally, we need to invest in dignity and choice, which includes better and more available palliative and hospice care,” Inslee said.

Bryant said consolidated, community-based services for primary, mental health and Alzheimer’s care can support older residents with an effective “one-stop shopping” approach.

“If you combine the community service approach with opportunities to keep people in their home, it’s going to allow the most cost-effective delivery and treat people with dignity,” he said.

Bryant also said he would demand more leadership and accountability from the state Department of Health.

Caregiving
Under the new CARE Act, hospitals must give patients a chance to identify a family caregiver and provide instructions to that person for follow-up care. The law was designed to help people live independently at home and to support the state’s estimated 828,000 family caregivers.

Both candidates said they support the law and would monitor its implementation. Inslee, who signed the bill in April, said his staff has already begun working on “appropriate enactment.”

Bryant said he would make it a priority to help people live at home and receive care. “It’s going to require leadership at the Department of Health and a value on accountability,” he said.

Retirement Security
Workplace savings plans are a proven way to build retirement funds, but more than 1.1 million workers in the state don’t have access to a plan, according to an AARP survey.

Starting next year, the new state-administered Washington Small Business Retirement Marketplace will help employers choose affordable savings plans to support economic security for their workers. The plans are voluntary for businesses and employees and will feature automatic payroll deduction.

Both candidates support the marketplace. Inslee, who signed the bill creating it, said he would continue to work on retirement programs, stressing the need for portable accounts and flexible options as the “gig” economy evolves.

The governor also cited his work to expand apprenticeship programs and a bill he supported that reduced college tuition to help people earn more to save more.

As a longtime small-business owner, Bryant offers a savings program to his employees and wants to help other businesses do the same. His international trade policy company, Bryant Christie Inc., employs about 35 people and helps farmers export crops.

“I’ve really encouraged my employees to begin planning in their 20s and 30s for their retirement,” Bryant said.

Vanessa Ho is a writer living in Seattle.