2024
Platform

2024 WHATCOM COUNTY PLATFORM - MY VOICE, MY VOTE, OUR FUTURE
We, the Republican Party of Whatcom County, standing on the shoulders of our nation’s
Founders, affirm each person’s God-given unalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and the
Pursuit of Happiness and that all are created equal. These rights are outlined and protected by
the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and the
Washington State Constitution. We affirm these institutions that have created the greatest nation
on earth, built on the Judeo-Christian heritage of the founding fathers.

1.Self-Government and Liberty
Whatcom County is stronger, richer and more productive under a limited government.
The Constitution must be defended as written. We must stop government persecution, censoring
and over-reach. We must stop the administrative state from weaponizing departments for
political purpose and work to remove irresponsible and unelected bureaucrats. Religious
freedom, ability to give opinion and our exceptionalism must remain.

2. Elections: Our Voice, Our Vote
We defend each citizen’s right to a free and fair vote as our most important civil right that
protects all of our other freedoms. Our elections must be transparent, unmanipulated, easily
audited and free from federal, foreign and domestic interference. The sanctity of our vote
demands a process that is beyond reproach. Since election machines are known targets for
hacking and vote count manipulation and mail-in-ballot systems can be used for fraud, we reject
the continued use of machines to count our sacred vote. We reject the mass mailing of ballots

(mail-in exceptions approved upon application for military, elderly, handicapped and other case-
based individuals) and call for Whatcom County to return to in person, same-day voting at a

local level, with proper ID and hand-counted paper ballots. We ask that the Washington State
Republican Party support the same, county by county, statewide.

3. Public Safety
Law and order support a civilized, safe society. We encourage and support law
enforcement officers to do their job. We expect city, county, and state authorities to enforce and
prosecute existing laws against public intoxication, illegal drug use, violence, theft, trespassing,
sidewalk camping, and property vandalism to reduce the mounting dangers to all citizens of the
County. Chronic offenders must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We oppose
legislative attempts to criminalize law-abiding gun owners for exercising their rights under the
constitutions of both our state and nation. The sheriff must remain an elected county position.
The United States faces near and long-term security threats from our adversaries: the
spread of terrorism, growing cybersecurity and espionage threats, illegal border crossings, and
the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. America’s national policy of
peace through strength coupled with enhanced border security are essential to safeguarding
public safety and national security. Constraints and Audits must be in place and enforced to
protect the people, those serving in the military and other government staff from abuse by
governmental tyranny and wasteful, political use of taxpayer dollars.

4. Life, Family & Education
We value ALL human life, from conception to natural death, including our elderly,
special needs and homeless. We denounce abortion and call for our legislators to work together
to pass clear abortion restrictions. Passing restrictions on abortion is a non-partisan issue
supported by the majority. Divisive focus on the labels “Life vs Choice” stymies forward
progress on abolishing abortion as birth control. Focusing instead on valuing ALL life and
restricting abortion would immediately save lives, swiftly shut down the incentive for the horrific
sale of aborted baby parts and turn our vision towards life services of protection and provision.
In the three most cited examples: life of the mother, rape and incest, parental wishes should be
respected.
We call for the protection of Parental Rights in raising and educating our children and
strongly call for school choice and that tax dollars follow the child. Federal, state and union
political agendas should be removed from our state education programs. We call for the
abolishment of CRT, DEI and sexually explicit content from our public schools. The basics of
reading, writing, arithmetic, civics and classical learning must be top priority.

5. Economy
Our economy is the foundation of our American well-being and survival as a free people.
We support clear and sensible regulations needed to protect our Life, Liberty and Pursuit of
Happiness but strongly oppose over-regulation. Government at all three levels has created a
labyrinth of rules in our county, state and country, increasing costs, hindering good jobs,
successful businesses, affordable housing and efficient provisions of public services. We call for
unneeded/excessive rules to be reformed or appealed [sic repealed]; reduced government
budgets; agency accountability in spending of tax dollars; reduced taxes and simplified tax
codes; and reject spending any tax dollars on unjustified climate goals.

6. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality
Wise use of our natural resources and protection of our environment are essential to our
overall quality of life and economic well-being. We have adequate resources to restore our
nation’s energy independence for the foreseeable future, while also protecting the environment.
We prefer free market solutions. The building or dismantling of major infrastructure must
consider all significant costs and benefits. Property rights must be protected and water rights use
for agriculture must be respected in any adjudication process.
The county requires a scientifically rigorous, long-term strategy for disaster mitigation that
addresses both private property and public infrastructure. Permitting sediment removal in
critical areas is essential to reducing the risk of flooding disasters in Whatcom County.