Rep. Larsen kicks off reelection campaign in Mount Vernon

MOUNT VERNON - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen held a campaign launch event Monday in Mount Vernon, as part of a series of events being held throughout the 2nd Congressional District.

At Il Granaio, about 30 people mingled, chatting with Larsen and each other.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin introduced Larsen at the event.

Franklin said she was a "fierce supporter" of Larsen, adding that "no one works harder than (him)."

Larsen spoke at the event about the oversight of the Kennedy Center, the reauthorization of the Northwest Straits Commission, tariffs and gas prices, increases in uninsured rates for healthcare, and funding for local drug task forces, transportation projects and zero-emission vehicles.

In an interview with the Skagit Valley Herald, Larsen listed as priorities for a next term in the U.S. House of Representatives the reinstatement of Affordable Care Act tax credits; continued funding for community healthcare centers; proposed legislation that reduces regulatory barriers for new home construction and largely bars private equity firms from buying more than 350 homes; and legislation to block the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' model that uses AI automation for Medicare authorizations, including in Washington state.

Larsen is the lead Democrat on the House's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

His campaign has so far canvassed about 3,000 homes, said Larsen.

Participants sang "Happy Birthday" to Larsen, whose birthday was Monday.

State Rep. Liz Lovelett and Skagit County Commissioner Joe Burns, who have both endorsed Larsen, attended the campaign event.

Burns said that during his time on the Sedro-Woolley City Council he appreciated that Larsen had actively pursued funding for the district, including for Sedo-Woolley's Olmsted Park and the STAR Center.

For Lovelett, Larsen's length of service and expertise in transportation, as well as his time spent in the district, were central to her support of him.

Larsen is running in the Aug. 4 primary against Republican Edwin Feller, Democrat Tomas Scheel and Democrat candidate Devin Hermanson.

Scheel and Hermanson have differentiated themselves from Larsen by separately saying that they won't accept money from corporate PACs.

Larsen responded in the interview with the Skagit Valley Herald to say, "They're never going to be in a position to actually receive any PAC dollars, from labor PACs, or environmental PACs, or political action (PACs)."

"I would argue, it's a little bit of a false argument."

Larsen said he hadn't seen the other candidates out knocking on doors or on the campaign trail in general.

Regarding the concern that his actions could be colored by his acceptance of donations from corporate PACs, Larsen said that people "will just have to look at my record and determine if they believe that or not."

"If they think that my support for Sedro-Woolley's Olmsted Park is somehow influenced by the contributions I receive, then I'm not going to convince them otherwise. I can try to convince them that my support for the Port of Anacortes and replacing their T-Dock is very sincere. Then, I hope that they conclude that themselves."

Larsen also said he believed that he has an obligation to try to win a majority in the U.S. House, and therefore to contribute to other Congressional candidates.

Larsen has been the topic of some criticism by Skagit County residents for his shares in NextEra Energy, a company seeking to build a battery energy storage facility on Bayview Ridge.

The project is in the midst of an appeal from Stewards of Skagit in Whatcom County Superior Court, and has faced ongoing protests over safety.

Larsen said in the interview with the Skagit Valley Herald that his Ameriprise financial management team bought the stocks in March, and that he has no control of their management.

Larsen added that his campaign has received no communication from Skagit County residents about the stocks, and that they are worth less than $2,000.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 5:58 PM.