Leaders Lead Even When It Hurts

I sat down with Washington State Rep candidate Kevin Moynihan for a candid talk about his platform and his vision for our state.We step away from the campaign trail to have a real, unscripted interview. This conversation is not a polished sound bite or a press release, but a chance to hear directly from him about the topics that matter most to voters. We talk about his background, the challenges he sees in our district, and the specific insights he has gained while running for office.Whether you are familiar with his work or just discovering his story, this podcast conversation offers a clear look at the person behind the campaign. We move past the surface level to talk about what he believes, why he makes the decisions he does, and what he sees on the horizon for local politics. This political interview is designed to help you get a better sense of who you are voting for this year.Subscribe to the Leaders Lead Podcast for weekly long-form discussions, and let me know in the comments who you want to see on the show next.

I sat down with Thurston County Commissioner Rachel Grant for a powerful and deeply human conversation about recovery, redemption, second chances, and public service. Rachel shared her story of becoming a young mother, losing her son’s father, struggling with drug use, being arrested, going through Thurston County Drug Court, rebuilding her life, and eventually becoming a Thurston County Commissioner. This conversation is not just about politics. It is about the human behind the title. We talked about addiction, recovery, motherhood, grief, foster care, behavioral health, housing, workforce, mentorship, public service, and what it means to turn lived experience into service. Rachel also shared the story of how she was encouraged to run for commissioner, what she has learned in the role, and why she believes people who have been impacted by systems need to be part of the decisions that shape those systems. If you live in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, Rochester, Rainier, Bucoda, or anywhere in Thurston County, I believe this is a conversation worth hearing.

Thinking about applying for the open seat on the Lacey City Council, or just curious what the job actually involves? Apply for the open Lacey City Council position here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/b3d4ed0cea6e430b8d41fbd932eb39ba In this special I’m Asking for a Friend edition of On The Record, Tony Taylor sits down with Lacey City Councilmember Maren Turner for a candid conversation about what serving on the council really looks like. Turner breaks down the time commitment, preparation, committee work, relationships between councilmembers, how much influence one person actually has, and why you don’t need to walk into the job as an expert. She also explains why asking questions, doing your homework, and learning how to work with people who see things differently are essential to being effective. They also get into a question a lot of people quietly wonder about: Do you have to “go along to get along” to get things done? Turner explains how disagreements are worked through before votes happen and why being the loudest person in the room does not necessarily make someone the most effective. She also discusses what she hopes to see in whoever fills the vacant seat and why she believes the council should focus on choosing the person who is best for Lacey. At the time of the interview, Turner said the city had received at least 16 applications, with the application deadline set for September 18. If you’re considering applying, this conversation gives you a much clearer picture of what you’d actually be signing up for.

Christopher L. Pettit is running for Thurston Public Utility District Commissioner, District 3. Pettit has spent more than 20 years working in water and environmental resource management, law, public policy, infrastructure financing, and government. But in this On the Record™ conversation, we go beyond the résumé. We talk about the experiences that shaped him, why he built a career in public service, why he decided to run for office, and what he believes leadership should look like when difficult decisions have to be made. Pettit discusses water affordability, environmental protection, climate resilience, utility rates, accountability, regional water management, and why he believes access to safe and reliable drinking water is foundational to a functioning community. We also get into politics. Pettit explains his political background, the organizations and elected officials supporting his campaign, and why he believes a PUD commissioner must be able to represent people with very different political viewpoints. And when the conversation turns to leadership, Pettit is direct: leaders have to be willing to make difficult decisions, stand on their values, and accept that not everyone will agree with them. Most importantly, we break down a question many voters may have never considered: What does a PUD commissioner actually have the power to do, and why should voters care who holds that seat? Pettit explains how commissioners influence rates, utility policy, accountability, infrastructure, affordability, and the long-term management of water resources. Then, as always on On the Record™, the candidate gets the last word. No sound bites. No campaign commercial. A long-form conversation so voters can hear directly from the person asking for their vote.

I sat down with former congressional candidate Catherine Hildebrand for a conversation that went way beyond the campaign. Catherine ran for Congress in Washington’s 1st Congressional District in 2026. She didn’t advance out of the primary, but during our conversation she made one thing very clear: she plans to run again. We talked about what she learned from running for Congress for the first time, what she thinks is broken about our political system, and why she believes everyday people need a much bigger voice in government. One of the most personal parts of our conversation was healthcare. Catherine shared that she lives with stage-four endometriosis and had to fly from Washington state to Boston for surgery because she couldn’t find an in-network specialist here. She told me it was actually cheaper to fly across the country, stay in a hotel while recovering, and fly home than it would have been to receive out-of-network care in her own state. That experience has deeply influenced the way she thinks about universal healthcare and access to medicine. We also got into some big topics: • Why she decided to run for Congress • What it was like running a campaign with almost no money • Going from registering as a Republican at 18 to eventually running as a Democrat • Why she says “lobbying is bribery” • Medicare for All and pharmaceutical patents • Minimum wage, universal basic income and wealth taxes • Billionaires, corporations and economic inequality • Term limits and congressional accountability • America’s two-party political system • Democratic socialism • Environmental policy and economic growth • What she would do differently the next time she runs One of the things I appreciate about long-form conversations is that we have time to get beyond talking points. You don’t have to agree with Catherine. You don’t have to agree with me. That’s not the point of On The Record I want you to hear people explain what they believe, why they believe it, and how they arrived there. Then you can make up your own mind. And Catherine definitely gave us plenty to talk about. Toward the end of our conversation, I asked her what comes next. Her answer was simple: She’s running again. I’m Tony Taylor, and this is On The Record. Subscribe to the channel and let me know what you think about the conversation in the comments. #OnTheRecord #CatherineHildebrand #WA01 #WashingtonPolitics #Congress #TonyTaylor